Evaluating Genuine Leather Coats
Leather, simply stated, is the skin of an animal. So as long as the material is made from the skin of an animal, a producer can call it "genuine" leather. Quality leather, especially quality leather coats, is a different story.
All genuine cowhide leathers are considered good quality and a good investment when you are buying a leather coat. Better leathers are softer, slightly warmer to the touch, and more pliable and slightly heavier than artificial materials.
Genuine leather may contain subtle markings that distinguish it from synthetic materials. It will typically be warmer to the touch than leather imitation materials, so checking the feel of your leather coat is one indicator of whether or not it is a quality leather product.
Leather coats that have been treated may produce an aged "patina" finish over time adding to their natural character. Protected pigment leathers will become more subtle and soft over time. Leather outlasts synthetic materials four to one and will not easily show wear. Leather will not tear and is difficult to puncture. All leather and synthetic materials have a tendency to fade if subjected to direct sunlight for long periods of time.
You can find vendors offering "genuine" leather anywhere from flea markets, drug stores, and even the grocery store. Usually the leather is indeed the hide of an animal, but it is a patchwork of smaller pieces of leather, making the leather coat of lesser value. This patchwork of leather is a collection of scraps from other garments sewn together to create another sheet of leather for leather coat construction, which is why these garments are genuine but of lesser quality and value.
In addition to whether or not leather is "genuine" it is also important to understand the three primary grades of leather that can be used in leather coat construction. The first grade is "full-grain" leather, a clear, supple, and clean leather of consistent color with the highest yield of over 90 percent and the smoothest surface.
Grade two is less consistent in color, has a yield of 78 percent and the surface is slightly imperfect. Grade three, the worst quality leather, is blotchy and inconsistent in color and has a yield of only 40 percent. The surface is very imperfect and will feel stiff to the touch, partly from excessive coating needed to hide the imperfections of the leather.
These grades are standard no mater what type of animal the leather came from. There are a lot of different types of animals that are used for leather - everything from lamb to cow, and alligator to ostrich. The two most popular for use in making leather coats are lamb and cow. Each of these animals yields quality leather for use in creating leather coats.
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