After cleaning and conditioning, hides are sorted according to quality. Because leather furniture requires large unblemished hides, it is the most expensive upholstery covering per square foot. The outside surface of the hide is cut away from the rest and reduced by a series of rollers to a thickness between 0.9 and 1.4mm. Because the cells are closer together in this layer, it's the strongest, most supple and durable part of the hide. The layer below - called the split - is thicker and stiffer but not as strong.
Real Leather, Fake Leather & The Stuff In-Between:
Top Grain Leather: - The outer layer - or top grain - is the most desirable for furniture. Nature adds its share of markings, often requiring sanding, protein injection treatments to retain suppleness and a protective coating. This process - called correction - adds heat and light protection and makes it more resistant to spills. The more correction, the lower the quality. Those top grain hides requiring no correction, the rarest and most expensive are called full grain or full top grain. These premium leathers are incredibly comfortable because the leather can breathe. However, they are susceptible to staining and marking.
Bi-Cast Leather: - Made from the split hide below the top grain, it's vinyl coated to resit cracking, splitting and peeling. While this helps, it doesn't come near matching the durability and fell of top grain leather.
Bonded Leather: - The leather equivalent of particleboard, it contains only about 17% leather in the backing. What looks like leather is actually vinyl.
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