It is very easy to get confused while shopping for leather products. The market is full of different qualities of leather bags, and a large portion of which are fakes. It takes a little know-how to differentiate between knock-offs made of low quality of craftsmanship, poor standard of material, and the genuine article. A fake leather product made of manmade materials will never achieve the level of quality, endurance or beauty of a genuine leather product.
Selecting genuine leather bags
While shopping for leather bags, one must look into a few key-factors to determine the originality of the leather used in manufacturing the product. Considering the parameters mentioned below should be enough to select a bag made of genuine leather.
- Type of leather used in manufacturing the bag, where undoubtedly full grain leathers are best
- Whether the bag was manufactured from leather prepared via chrome or vegetable tanning process
- Quality of the little hardware used in the bag like buckles, zippers, locks, metallic rings etc.
- Color of the leather used in manufacturing the bag
- The origin country of the product
- Price of the bag, as genuine products tends to be more expensive
- Skilled handworks involved in manufacturing the bag
With the humankind stepping into the hi-tech era, people look for well-designed genuine leather laptop bag for daily use as well-as travel bags for carrying luggage.
Types of leather bags
Although, there is no shortage of style and purpose of how a leather bag can be used for, in the general viewpoint, leather bags are classified between athletic bag, backpack, briefcase, bags for holding laptops, messenger bag, handbag, satchel bag, cabin bag and sling bag and so on.
What to keep in mind while shopping for leather bags
Bags are useful products to carrying items as-well-as defining the style while making a statement about the lifestyle and fashion choices one make. Depending on the quality of materials and the design involved, a genuine leather bag can be very expensive, but it is necessary to understand to keep in mind the usage and if it is worth the price paid for.
Poor quality leather bags start to wear out after one or two years of usage, so it is imperative to understand the quality of the leather before purchasing the bag. One must always go for full grain leathers as they are of top-most quality and generally lasts long even with nottoocareful usage.
The finish of the product should be enough to determine the authenticity of a leather bag, as high-grade leather finishes should feel smooth, while imperfections of finish and marks on the leather announces the imitation leather.
Learning about the leather types before purchasing a leather bag may prove useful. There are a myriad variety of leathers in the market and knowing about those a little shall be enough for making a prime choice. For example, designer handbags are made of lambskin, crocodile skin, and suede leather and so on. But among these, suede leather is of the most expensive and takes a certain level of maintenance.
Quality of the leather matters
Selecting a leather bag involves choosing the quality of the leather the bag is made of. The tanning process and the hide selections are the most important factors, which determine the standard of a bag, weather it is used to manufacture a carry on luggage or a bag for everyday purpose.
The quantity of the natural marks on the leather defines the hide selection, as the cleanliness of the hide marks the quality of the leather. Skins of animals made into leather via the process of tanning. While the chrome tanning process includes the use of semi-sensitive chemicals like chromium, the vegetable tanning process uses tannin derived mostly from bark of oak trees.
Accessories are important
A good quality leather bag is only as good as the accessories it uses. Metal rings, zippers, locks and other hardware are vital to the design and usefulness of a leather bag, and compromise on the quality of these materials may turn the bag useless after a certain point of time. So it is important to look into the quality of these materials before purchasing the bag of your liking.
