Tag: leather news


Everything you need to know about the types of leather materials

The types of leather materials include natural leather (top, second layer & synthetic leather), artificial leather (PVC, PU leather), and recycled leather.

Leather is non-perishable animal skin. It has a special grain layer on its surface. Therefore, the leather has a natural grain and luster and is comfortable to the touch. Let’s take a look together.

Comparison of pros and cons of different leathers

Types of leather materials
ProsCons
Genuine leather
Soft and elasticExpensive
Faux leatherWide variety of designs and colors, lifelike appearance, easy to take care ofThe leather surface is astringent, rigid, and poor in softness
Regenerated leatherRelatively neat leather edge, high utilization rate, cheap priceThicker and weaker skin

What is natural leather?

Genuine leather refers to natural leather processed from animal skins. According to its type, there are mainly pig leather, cow leather, sheep leather, horse leather, donkey leather, and kangaroo leather. But, there is also a small amount of fish leather, reptile leather, amphibian leather, and ostrich leather. Among them, cow leather is divided into yellow cow leather, buffalo leather, yak leather, and yak leather. Sheep leather includes sheep leather and goat leather.

Top layer leather

What is the top layer of leather?

-The top layer of the cowhide is the upper skin of the cow’s body. Its surface has raw skin features.

Pros and cons:

The leather surface of the first layer of cowhide has clear pores and texture. It has good natural properties. And the appearance is flat and soft. The texture is firm and elastic to the touch. But, It is easier to damage.

Top layer leather
Image from: acctrims

Distinguish:

To identify the quality of the top layer of cowhide, it is necessary to observe whether the cross-section of the leather is intact. If it is a high-quality top layer of cowhide, you can clearly see the compact cross-sectional structure. But, if it is inferior top layer cowhide, its cross section looks very rough.

Cleaning and maintenance

  1. Clean up frequently. Keep the pores on the surface of the cowhide from being blocked by dust. Moreover, keep indoor ventilation frequently.
  2. When cleaning at ordinary times, be sure to use pure cotton cloth or silk to moisten it and wipe it gently to keep it clean.
  3. If there is a pen mark, it can be removed by gently wiping it with an eraser for a short time.
  4. Do not expose to the sun, fire, wash, or hit with sharp objects or contact with chemical solvents.
  5. Keep dry and store in a cool and ventilated place.

Second layer leather

What is the second layer of leather?

-The second layer of the cowhide is added with PVC and PU materials to rebond the leather. Therefore, it is suitable for making leather products. Moreover, it looks very classy. Also, the appearance is indistinguishable from the first layer of skin.

Second layer leather

Pros and cons:

The texture is relatively loose and has certain elasticity and plasticity. The price is cheaper than the first layer of cowhide. However, the durability and strength are not as good as the first layer of cowhide.

Distinguish:

The smell of the second layer of cowhide will be less pleasant. Then, the top layer of yellow cowhide has only a faint smell.

Cleaning and maintenance

Try to use a semi-wet cloth to clean off the dirt on the leather surface. If you encounter oils that are not easy to wash, you can add some usual detergent to a semi-wet cloth. Then, wipe with a clean cloth.

Synthetic leather

Synthetic leather is also called PU leather. It is made by coating PU resin (a polymer material) on cloth.

Pros and cons:

It is light and easy to process. Moreover, it is wear-resistant and inexpensive. However, it has poor air permeability and is prone to cracking.

Distinguish:

Synthetic leather has a uniform thickness and a smooth surface. But no natural defects. The pores and patterns are also very uniform. In general, there is no pile in the leather.

Cleaning and maintenance

When wiping, use dry wiping and water wiping. In addition, do not place related products in a space with high humidity. Excessive humidity will cause damage to the surface film and shorten the service life.

Artificial leather

Artificial leather is an extremely popular leather material. We can use it to make various leather products. And it can also replace part of the leather material.

In addition, its surface technology almost achieves the effect of genuine leather. Therefore, its price is also comparable to that of domestic top-layer leather.

PVC artificial leather

Its advantages are high product strength, easy processing, and low cost.

The disadvantage is poor oil resistance and high-temperature resistance. And it’s not that soft to the touch. So the feel is poor.

We can use them for all kinds of bags, seat covers, linings, sundries, etc.

PU artificial leather

PU artificial leather also has good breathability and warmth. Especially, it is more comfortable to wear when we make it into clothes.

Pu artificial leather has a smell of plastic. The severity of this taste is related to the quality of PU artificial leather. And it is suitable for the decoration of bags, clothing, shoes, vehicles, and furniture.

PU synthetic leather

PU synthetic leather is cheap and rich in color and pattern. But, it tends to harden and become brittle.

Therefore, it is suitable for the decoration of bags, clothing, shoes, vehicles, and furniture.

Recycled leather

Regenerated leather is moisture-wicking and breathable. Well-made regenerated leather also has the softness of real leather. Plus, they’re stretchy and lightweight. Moreover, it has strong resistance to extreme high and low temperatures. And it is wear-resistant. However, they are weaker than dermis of equal thickness. Of course, it is worse than PU.

types of leather materials: recycled leather

Therefore, it is only suitable for making stereotyped craft products. Such as cheap briefcases, trolley bags, club covers, and cheap belts.

In conclusion

Real leather, faux leather, and synthetic leather are common types of leather materials. They each have their own strengths. Therefore, customers can choose the leather material that suits them. Acctrims supplies leather products for various clothing, shoes & hats, and bag brand companies. Such as leather labels, leather tags, leather patches, leather bags, leather hang tags, and belts. You can customize your brand logo on it. Any color, size, or type is ok. If you have questions, please contact us. We will serve you wholeheartedly. We are the garment trims and accessories manufacturer and supplier.

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Leather tags

Velcro leather patches

What are the types of cowhide? Cowhide product maintenance strategy

Cowhide is the leather of cows. According to the layer, we can divide it into the first layer of cowhide, second and third layer of rawhide. In general, the breathability and comfort of the first layer of rawhide are better. Unlike sheepskin, cowhide is firmer to the touch. Therefore, it is also more suitable for making leather shoes, leather bags, belts, and other products. Sheepskin is more suitable for making leather clothing.

Of course, the top layer of cowhide with softer leather can also be used to make leather clothes. As a kind of genuine leather good, we should pay attention to its cleaning and maintenance when using cowhide products. This keeps it from being damaged. Let’s take a look together!

cowhide 01

What is cowhide?

Cowhide refers to the hide of a cow, which is cut from the cow and then undergoes a series of processing. Then, we make the cowhide from wet hide to dry hide. And then make various styles of products from dry hide embryos. It is widely used in various industries.

The features of cowhide are that the pores on the leather surface are small and round. And it is distributed evenly and tightly. The leather surface is bright and smooth, with a plump and fine texture. Meanwhile, its appearance is flat and soft. The texture is firm and elastic when touched by hand. If you squeeze the leather surface hard, small wrinkles will appear.

What are the types of cowhide?

cowhide

1, According to the type of cattle

Yellow cowhide: The leather surface is plump and bright. The leather board is soft, fine-grained, strong, and elastic.

Buffalo leather: The pores are thicker and rarer than that of yellow cowhide. The leather is looser. It is generally used as the sole of leather shoes.

2, According to the gender and growth time of cattle

Bull leather: Adult bull leather with a firm surface and good grain. It is suitable for making high-end leather shoes.

Cowhide: Cowhide that has grown up or has given birth to a calf is suitable for dry clothing and glove leather.

Calfskin: This usually refers to cowhide that is less than a year old. The cortex is delicate and soft, but the yield is less. So it is good to make smaller leather goods.

3, According to the layer of cowhide

Top layer cowhide: It refers to the raw leather of cows that is processed through tanning, dyeing, coating, and other processes. Moreover, its texture is soft and elastic. In addition, it also has good strength, elasticity, and process plasticity.

Two-layer cowhide: It refers to the two-layer leather with looser fibrous tissue. Then, it is processed by chemical material spraying or covered with PVC and PU film. Generally, we use it to make leather products, which have a certain elasticity.

Three-layer cowhide: the third layer of a cowhide after a piece of cowhide is mechanically split. This layer of skin is called “three layers of cowhide”. This kind of leather is generally street goods.

Which is better, cowhide or sheepskin?

  1. Comparison of feel

Cowhide feels tough and not very extensible. The surface has a strong sense of concave and convex. And the touch is obvious.
Sheepskin feels softer. And the leather board is thinner, soft, smooth, and delicate.

  1. Appearance comparison

The pores of the cow leather surface are small and round. In addition, its distribution is even and tight. Its leather surface is bright and smooth. The texture is plump and delicate, and its appearance is flat and soft.

The pores of sheepskin are also very typical, in the shape of “fish scales”, flat and small. In general, several pores are used as a group. The pores on the surface are finer than that of cowhide.

Cowhide 02
Cowhide
sheepskin
sheepskin
  1. Texture comparison

Cowhide leather is thicker, strong, and more durable. After being made into leather clothes, it looks very crisp.

Sheep leather is soft and has good stretchability. It is softer and more comfortable to wear after we make it into leather clothing.

As long as it’s genuine leather, there’s nothing good or bad about it. Cowhide is more suitable for making shoes, bags, belts, and other products. However, leather garments made from sheepskin are more comfortable to wear.

How to see the authenticity of cowhide?

  1. Look at the texture

The genuine cowhide has the original skin characteristics of animal skin. Moreover, its surface has clear epidermal lines and textures. In addition, the fibers of the coat are intertwined but not messy. Its color is even and consistent, and the pores are clear, small, and tight.

  1. Pinch the cortex

The genuine cowhide has good elasticity. Gently pinch to see irregular natural wrinkles. The elasticity of fake leather is average.

  1. Smell

Real cowhide smells like heavy fur. Even after being processed at the factory, the taste is very obvious. The fake cowhide mostly smells like plastic, without the smell of fur.

What are cowhide products?

The texture of cowhide is relatively hard and thick. So we can use it to make leather shoes, leather bags, etc. In addition, we can also make it into cowhide mats. The cowhide mat is more transparent gas.

Moreover, it dissipates heat quickly, absorbs sweat, and resists moisture. Therefore, it is very suitable for summer use. We can also make cowhide ropes from the top layer of the cowhide. And then use them as leather labels, leather necklaces, bracelets, and other accessories.

How to maintain cowhide products?

How to maintain the cowhide bag?

Wipe off dirt with a clean sponge and mild soap solution, then wipe off with clean water. Then let the cowhide bag dry naturally. If the stain is stubborn, a detergent solution may be necessary. But it must be wiped carefully to avoid damaging the surface of the cowhide bag.

Try not to let the leather bag come into contact with the sun or close to any heater. Otherwise, the cowhide bag will become drier and drier. And the elasticity and softness of the cowhide bag will gradually disappear.

Please do not overload the cowhide bag. Avoid friction with rough and sharp objects to cause damage. Avoid roasting or squeezing. Keep away from flammable materials. Keep away from moisture. Then, keep away from acidic items.

How to maintain the cowhide belts?

When cleaning the cowhide belt, it is best to wipe it with a fine velvet cloth. If we stain it with rainwater or other stains, never wipe it directly with water and gasoline. So as not to appear on the leather surface wrinkled. Instead, wipe dry immediately with a soft cloth. After wiping, put it in a well-ventilated place and let it dry naturally.

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If the leather belt is discolored, we can wipe it with leather polish. Avoid wiping with leather shoe polish. When polishing the leather, use a soft dry cloth with a little polish on the belt and gently wipe it once or twice.

Avoid cowhide leather from dampness, mildew, and moths. During normal use, do not contact oil stains or acidic and alkaline substances.

How to maintain cowhide shoes?

We can’t wipe the stains on the leather upper with a damp cloth. Do not let it soak alone in the water. Otherwise, it will damage the color paste on the surface of the shoe. And it can make leather shoes hard and deformed.

In order to prevent the leather shoes from deforming, it is best to support the shoe tree. Then, put it in the shoe box. Besides, we should place shoeboxes in a cool place away from heat and lights. Do not squeeze, this is to prevent deformation of the shoe.

Before storing, be sure to let the leather shoes dry naturally. Remember to put some moisture-proof agent in the shoe box.