What is leather?

Posted by Mariangela Franchetti on May 15th, 2010

The definition of leather is:

Hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned to be imputrescible. The hair or wool may, or may not, have been removed. It is also made from a hide or skin that has been split into layers or segmented either before or after tanning.

And it gets more detailed, because with modern tanning techniques the amount of coating that is applied to the surface of leather further defines what can be described as ‘genuine’ leather:

If the leather has a surface coating, the mean thickness of this surface layer, however applied, has to be 0.15mm or less, and does not exceed 30% of the overall thickness.

Leather is a wonderful material that is used for a huge variety of purposes. It is in essence a simple mix of the following:

  • Water 60-65%
  • Protein 25-30%, mainly collagen.
  • Fats 5-10%

Before going through the tanning process, raw hides and skins are made up of four elements – the epidermis (the protective layer of cells that make up skin during the lifetime of the animal), grain, corium and flesh.

The epidermis and the fleshy parts are removed by the process of liming during tanning. At the end of liming just the grain and the corium remain.

What we see as the smooth top layer of leather is in fact the grain layer. This is made up of collagen and elastin – protein fibers – and its structure is affected by the breed, age and the  quality of life the animal had. The grain tells many tales of the life the animal it came from had as it carries distinctive and unique marks such as scars, insect bites, growth marks and scarring from wounds. It’s what makes leather so fascinating, as each leather component has its own character.

The corium layer is made of larger bundles of collagen protein fibres, and interwoven to give the structure great strength, elasticity and durability.

As the animal ages the corium increases in thickness – hence calf skin being thinner, softer and smoother than leather that comes from an older animal. The gender of the animal also has a direct impact on the corium – hides from cows are smoother, thinner and softer than the hides of mature male bull hides which are thick, tough, course grained and very strong.

Depending on its application, hides that are thick have to be split through the corium layer to give a ‘grain split’ – to produce grain leather, and a ‘flesh split’ that results in suede. When the grain layer is sanded or abraded it produces nubuck, with a soft and dense nap that is different from suede.

What is not leather?

There are a lot of goods made of leather that are sold and described as leather, when in fact they are imitations. Below are some of the more commonly found examples:

Bonded Leather Fibre

Hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact… If the tanned hide is disintegrated mechanically and/or chemically into fibrous particles, mall pieces or powders and then, with or without a binding agent is made into sheets, such sheets are not leather.

If you look very carefully and you have a practiced eye it is possible to identify the various materials incorporated within bonded leather. They are mostly visible as layers of different colours.

Bonded leather is used because it is cheap and because it is covered by a uniform layer of non-leather material, it has a cutting area that presents few flaws thus lessening wastage.

On the other hand, it cannot be defined as leather, it is by its very nature less durable and strong and often looks cheap.

Coated Leather

A product where the finish thickness does not exceed 30% but is in excess of 0.15mm.

As with bonded leather, coated leather is cheap because it uses lower grade leather and is coated on the grain side with various chemicals, such as polyurethane mix to give a uniform finish. When the coating is thicker than 0.15mm, it cannot be defined as leather.

Laminated Leather

Laminated leather is usually made of a coating usually applied to the flesh side. On high quality metallic laminates it is applied to the grain side. Usually the laminate makes up over 30% of the overall thickness of the leather.

As with bonded and coated leathers, laminated leathers are easy to work with as they have a consistent surface and the fact that they are laminated means they are strong, flexible and have good light and colour fastness.

On the other hand, the laminate layer being artificial does not look natural and has a tendency to crack with use and age.

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Caring for your Franchetti Bond Shoes

Posted by Mariangela Franchetti on May 13th, 2010

Shoes tell the story of the journey you have taken. They protect your feet and make them look good too. They work hard and need to be properly looked after. Below we explain how to take proper care of your Franchetti Bond shoes.

  • When you first take your shoes home it is a good idea to wear them in dry conditions, and not to wear the same pair day in day out.
  • Using a high quality shoe polish or cream is essential to keep your calf shoes clean and looking smart.
  • Take dust and mud often with a brush or a slightly damp cloth. This is specially important with suede, nubuck or fabric shoes.

Suede Shoes

Suede shoes can be delicate and need careful care to keep looking at their best. Suede doesn’t have a protective finish and can stain and mark easily.

It’s important to remove mud as soon as possible. If the mud is still wet, try scraping as much of it off as possible gently using a blunt knife. Soak up what is left on the shoe with a damp cloth or sponge and then leave to dry. Brush the rest off with a suede brush once the shoe is dry.

If the mud is dry, again scrape as much as possible off with a blunt knife then brush rest off with a suede brush.

Always dry your suede shoes in a dry airy place and NOT on a radiator.

Finally, the best way to protect for your suede shoes is to spray them with a suede protectant/waterproofer. It is much easier to protect suede shoes than it is to clean them once they have got dirty.

How to restore the nap on suede shoes.

Brush the shoes with a suede brush in a circular motion. To raise a nap on small stubborn areas try rubbing gently with fine sand paper.  Brushing when damp is more effective for restoring appearance. The best way to dampen the suede on your shoes is by holding them at least six inches from a steaming kettle spout.

Nubuck Shoes

Nubuck is similar to suede. With nubuck the surface of the leather has been abraded to produce a very fine nap. Like suede, nubuck is unprotected and vulnerable to humidity, mud and soiling by other substances. Nubuck shoes do need to be looked after and will benefit from a protective spray.

Nubuck shoes should be cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth with a mild detergent. When dry they will need brushing gently with a clean suede brush.

Calf Shoes

Calf shoes are a lot easier to look after. The best way of taking care of your calf Franchetti Bond is to polish them using the finest possible quality shoe polish and/or cream.

Make sure your shoes a dry and dust and mud free before polishing them. Use saddle soap or an appropriate leather cleaner to remove surface dirt. You can also use a leather conditioner to keep them soft and supple and you can protect them further by applying a suitable calf leather weatherproofer.

Fabric Shoes

Some of our shoes are made with fabric and may have leather or suede trim. Fabric shoes will be more vulnerable to marking or damage from rain and mud than our calf shoes. Treat them in the same way as our suede shoes, and do try to keep out of puddles and avoid walking the dog in them! They will benefit from being treated with a weatherproofer and if they do get wet, allow them to dry gently in an airy warm place.

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