Genuine leather is made from the lower layers of a hide, after the top grain has been split away. It is tanned like other leather, usually buffed or sanded to hide flaws, and often coated and embossed with a grain pattern. “Genuine” is a marketing term rather than an official quality grade.
What “genuine leather” means
Genuine leather is real animal leather. In retail, though, the term usually signals a lower grade, typically corrected-grain or split leather. It has no official grade. The ISO and EN leather terminology standards don’t define “genuine leather” as a grade.
How genuine leather is made
- Splitting. The hide is split into layers on a band-knife splitter. The top layer is the grain, which becomes full-grain or top-grain leather. The lower layer is the split, and most genuine leather comes from it.
- Tanning. The split goes through the same process as other leather: curing, soaking, liming, fleshing, deliming, bating, pickling and tanning, mostly with chrome. It is then retanned, dyed and fatliquored. The steps are described in how leather is made. Because most genuine leather is chrome tanned, the questions in is chrome-tanned leather toxic? apply to it too.
- Buffing or sanding. A split has no natural grain worth showing, so the surface is buffed or sanded to remove rough areas. Some split leather is instead napped and finished as suede.
- Coating and embossing. Polyurethane or pigment coatings give the surface its colour and protection. The surface is then embossed with an artificial grain pattern to resemble higher-grade leather.
Coated split leather is sometimes sold as “bicast” leather. Its coating can crack and peel with wear.
How genuine leather compares
| Full grain | Top grain | Genuine (split or corrected grain) | Bonded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface | Natural grain and markings kept | Sanded for an even look | Usually coated and embossed | Embossed to look like grain |
| Strength | Strongest | Strong | Weaker | Weakest |
| Typical use | Premium bags, belts and shoes | Refined fashion goods and upholstery | Budget goods, linings and upholstery | Budget furniture, covers and inexpensive accessories |
Is genuine leather real leather?
Yes. It comes from animal hide. But it is usually at the lower end of the grade ladder. Splits are weaker than grain leather because they lack the tight grain layer. So “real” does not mean strong or long-lasting.
Is genuine leather any good?
It depends on the job. For low-stress products bought mainly for price and appearance, genuine leather can be a reasonable choice, as long as you know what you’re buying. For goods that take daily wear, a grain leather usually lasts longer.
Coatings can crack and peel over time. Wipe the surface clean, and avoid soaking it.
Reading the label
- Look for the grade. “Full grain” or “top grain” tells you more than “genuine leather” does.
- Check for “bonded.” The US Federal Trade Commission’s leather guides call for bonded leather to be disclosed, along with its percentage of leather fibre.
- Look for pictograms in the EU. EU footwear labels use pictograms to show whether an item is leather, coated leather, textile or another material.
- Expect country rules to differ. What can be called “leather” depends on where you are.
- Look at the grain. A surface with a perfectly repeating pattern may be embossed. Real grain varies, with natural marks and irregularities.
Common misconceptions
- Genuine leather is fake. It isn’t. It is real leather.
- “Genuine” is a quality grade. It is a marketing term.
- All genuine leather is split. Some is corrected top grain.
- Bonded leather and vegan leather are genuine leather. They aren’t. Bonded leather is shredded fibre with a binder, and most vegan leather is plastic.