Most people are confident that shoes, jackets, coats, raincoats and belts are made of two types of material: a substitute (sometimes called dermatin) and genuine leather. Naturally, everything artificial is much worse than natural. On this, the knowledge of most consumers about the skin, as a rule, is exhausted, which some unscrupulous manufacturers of haberdashery skillfully use. In fact, the material is different. The skin is different in quality, there is a “facial”, and there is a “split”. What it is? To understand the intricacies of the product, you should go a little deeper into the technological subtleties.
How skin differs from skin
The best skin is considered bull or cow. Among its undoubted advantages can be called strength, aesthetic appearance and almost complete absence of smell, with the exception of perfumes - quite pleasant and even included in the composition of some perfumes. After the skin was removed from the animal and blown out, it is a fairly thick layer of several millimeters. It is clear that it is impossible to sew from it or make a belt. Ancient Mongolian horsemen made armor and shields from this material, durable (they were not pierced by arrows) and light. But we live in a different time, we do not need such remedies. And so let's move on to more relevant things.
Facial and split leather: what is it and what is the difference
To obtain marketable leather, its layer-by-layer separation is required. The upper part is front. She has her own advantages, but she is not without flaws. All defects, including folds, scratches, received by an animal during life, are presented here, as they say, there is. Experienced manufacturers struggle with them by grinding and embossing. The first method is to push the skin layer with a heated steel plate, after which the material becomes perfectly smooth, “ironed”. The second method is applicable to youth and jeans haberdashery: logos, names of rock bands and other “attributes of a sweet life” like Harley-Davidson or Levi's are pressed on the surface.
Selected skins, without folds, are also found, but very rarely. This is an expensive item.
Split properties
But back to the process. Remains the same area of the skin, devoid of the surface layer. This is split. What is it and how can it be useful to apply? Do not throw it away? Of course not.
In fact, it is also skin, and very good. If it is polished, it will turn out very similar to the facial one, with the exception of the natural porous structure that conducts air. She suffers from exposure to a hot press, and strength is also slightly reduced. Since it is impossible to adjust the thickness of the layer (the skin of the animal is uneven), sometimes two layers of split have to be glued in order to withstand the standard parameters of raw materials, which is especially important in the manufacture of belts.
Application area
It is impossible to say about the material of split leather that it is a substitute for genuine leather, because it is made from the same hide as the best raw materials for the haberdashery industry. Another question is why it is more appropriate to apply. The front layer has better water resistance, so it is not recommended to sew a raincoat, jacket or shoes from split leather. Like it or not, the surface structure is broken by the sharp cutting edge of special equipment, and therefore, such a product will get wet more. But belts from this material can be almost as good as from facial skin, and cost much cheaper. A welder’s suit with a split in the most vulnerable places for sparks and drops will serve perfectly, because, unlike substitutes, genuine leather does not melt and practically does not burn.
However, the products of Turkish tanners, skilled in fashionable styles, can sometimes not withstand the effects of rainfall, so their choice should be monitored.
We can say about split leather that it is the same excellent raw material for suede production as facial skin, it is not difficult to “fluff” it and it looks great.
How to distinguish split from facial skin
The main difference between split leather and facial skin lies inside out. If it has a uniform fleecy structure, rather smooth, this indicates that a sharp knife of the dividing machine passed through it. Looking at the unfinished skin, we can understand that its reverse side is speckled with different veins, therefore, when foliated, this side will be the wrong side of the split. If possible, you should pay attention to whether the skin is single-layer, whether it is glued from two thin plates. In the case of a belt, you just need to bend it, the same method is used to determine the naturalness of the raw material. Real skin is leveled, and there are no consequences of deformation on it. Mashing the product in your hands is also useful for determining the quality of the color, because if peeling or blistering occurs, then the matter is bad.
You should not be particularly zealous in this matter, because many sellers are sensitive to their product, and can express a grudge, sometimes in an unpleasant form. All manipulations must be done gently, so to speak, without fanaticism.
Nothing regrettable with the leather thing happened - you can safely buy it. In case the price suits, of course.