Why is your "Genuine Leather" Bag Pealing and Cracking? This is because it is "Genuine", not "Full-Grain Leather"
When looking at the various leather goods on the market, not all types of leather are the same. From Full-Grain to Top-Grain to Split Leather, there are different types of leather that can be used to make different types of products. Understanding the different types of leather and their uses can help you make decisions when purchasing leather products.
Full-Grain Leather is considered the highest quality leather and is made from the outermost layer of hide. It is the most natural and unaltered form of hide, retaining all the natural features of the hide. Full-Grain Leather is known for its durability, strength and beauty, making it an ideal choice for high-quality products.
Top-Grain Leather is slightly below Full-Grain Leather in terms of quality. The Top-Grain Leather surface has been sanded and buffed to remove any imperfections and to create a more uniform appearance. It is still quite durable and strong, but not as durable and strong as Full-Grain Leather.
The layer below the Grain Layer is known as the Corium Layer. This layer, which is separated from the Grain Layer, will go through a coating process to produce a Coated Layer that imitate the surface of real leather. This Coated Layer will not be able to match the quality of the original Grain Layer. After a period of time it will crack and peel, even its durability will be shorter if the leather product is only stored or rarely used. Most producer of leather products (including well-known brands) that use this type of leather use the term Genuine Leather. Although this term is not wrong because it is still a type of real leather and not artificial leather, but it causes misunderstanding among consumers about the quality of the leather. More appropriate terms to use are Corrected Leather, Split Leather, Coated Leather or Embossed Leather. This type of leather can be identified by the characteristics of an even surface pattern and a softer nature.
Another type of leather that often uses the term Genuine Leather by leather goods producer is Bonded Leather. This type of leather is produced from small scraps of leather that go through a bonding process to produce one large piece of leather. It has lower durability and strength compared to Full-Grain or Top-Grain Leather.
When buying leather products, always consider the quality and type of leather used, as well as the use of the product. Full-Grain Leather is the best choice for high quality and durable products. However, there are certain products such as large furniture that have to use Bonded Leather because there is no leather sheet that can match the required size.