Not all leathers are the same. Animal leather, as well as human leather, is made up of several layers that have different qualities to characteristics that make it suitable for a certain type of processing rather than another.
Full-grain leather constitutes the pinnacle of excellence in leather goods, because it represents the very essence of cowhide in its most elegant, authentic, and valuable form.
The layers of the hide: grain and split
At the "splitting" stage, a special machine equipped with a razor-sharp blade divides the leather into two or more layers: the first layer, the top one, is the most valuable and durable and is called the grain; the second and third layers make up the crusts and sub-crusts, which are of lesser quality.
In turn, the grain, depending on the type of treatment that is given to the leather to enhance its characteristics, is differentiated between "full grain," also called "first grain," and "corrected grain."
Full-grain, the quality leather with no covering refinements
What identifies full grain leather is the minimal finishing process applied. It is a leather that totally retains its original surface appearance: this means that its natural grain is not altered in any way and it is free of covering finishes. Full grain is basically the first layer of animal dermis to which the hair has been removed and only a waterproofing and dye correction treatment applied during finishing. As a result, the skin retains its original texture and the pore where the hair was attached is open and visible to the naked eye.
On average, only 10-15% of leathers can be classified as full grain and thus pass to the tanning stage without undergoing any surface touch-up treatment. It can be guessed that in order to obtain full grain leather, careful selection of hides must be carried out upstream: only those that are sufficiently free of defects will be up to the task of such a fine, non-covering finish.
Corrected grain is, on the contrary, a leather whose surface, having obvious imperfections, is corrected through very opaque finishing to eliminate its defects, making its texture more homogeneous.
Characteristics and qualities of a product made from full grain
Whether it is a bag, wallet or belt, the item made from full grain has a special intrinsic beauty: the leather shows the natural grain in all its splendor and keeps intact the characteristics and marks that make it unique and different from others. The accessory made from full-grain leather is distinguished by its ability to maintain a timeless appeal, has a silky effect to the touch and is marked by extreme softness. Full-grain leather is also characterized by greater elasticity and adapts to the shape of the body or object. In addition, its natural breathability makes it ideal for garments and accessories in contact with the skin.
