Grain & surface

Full-grain leather uses this outermost layer with its natural surface intact. The pores, slight variations, and natural marks are all visible. It is the most durable grade because the densest fibers are preserved. Over time it develops a patina.

Top-grain has the outermost surface sanded or buffed to remove imperfections, then an artificial grain is often embossed back on. It is more uniform, but the densest fibers have been compromised. Some respected leather goods use top-grain when consistency matters more than longevity.

Corrected grain has been heavily sanded and treated with a thicker pigment or coating to produce a perfectly even surface. It looks consistent but the natural leather is now mostly hidden beneath coating. Saffiano-style textures often fall into this category.

Split leather is the lower layer of the hide, separated during processing. It is softer and weaker. When used in bags, it is usually heavily coated to give it surface strength — sometimes labeled as "bonded leather" or simply "leather" without further qualification.

Suede is the inside of a split leather buffed to a velvety nap. Nubuck is the outer (grain) surface lightly buffed to a similar nap. Nubuck is more durable than suede; suede is softer.

A heavily corrected or coated surface looks unnaturally uniform under direct light. Bend it sharply and the coating may crease in a way the underlying leather would not — a sign that what you are touching is mostly the finish, not the leather.

Pebbled and Saffiano-style textures are produced by embossing, which can be applied to either full-grain or corrected grain. The pebbling itself does not tell you which. Look at the cut edge: full-grain shows a dense fibrous cross-section; heavily-coated split shows a more uniform, sometimes layered cross-section.