What to Look for Before Buying a Leather Bag
It’s no surprise when we see adverts describing leather bags as elegant, refined and sophisticated. A leather bag will offer top quality leather. Unfortunately, not all leather bags are created equal. At times one might part with a ton of money only for the leather bag to start cracking up or the stitches starting to unwind.
Things to Look out for Before Buying Leather Bags
1. The Leather Used
Just like leather jackets and shoes, you would want to pick a bag made of leather. The top quality leather only gets better after continuous years of regular use. The best leather products develop attractive patterns. Keep off from bags that contain bonded leather. They comprise of scrap leather pieces with a nice, sweet smell. The bags are quite common these days, and even salespeople promote them as authentic leather stuff.
2. Tanning Process
The leather used for bags and casings is not prepared similarly. You should be in a position to distinguish between the two tanning processes. A good example would be vegetable tanning or chrome tanning. Chrome tanned leather arises from a process that involves harsh chemicals and chromium. In a matter of days, the entire process will be completed – a reason as to why they are cheap. The leather market today is saturated with chrome tanned leather.
Vegetable tanned leather can be produced in an eco-friendly manner. This is what distinguishes it from chrome tanned leather. When we say vegetable, we are referring to natural materials such as tree barks.
The cowhides run through a pre-tanning stage where they get rehydrated with all the hair removed. The hide then gets cut into much smaller pieces referred to as sides – not forgetting the large vats which are filled with natural tannins. They are then soaked in tanning liquor for several days after which they qualify as tanning liquor.
3. Country of Origin and Make
Many times the origin of the leather is what determines the bag quality. Some countries are famously known for their leather quality such as Italy. Other counties are France, the US, and England. History gives us a description of why countries maintain a good track record when tanning leather.
These days you need a great deal of discretion when it comes to labeling. Some companies try to capitalize on the Italian reputation by doing the bulk of the work in other countries after which the final finishing is completed in Italy.
4. Durability and Handiwork
The most reliable leather is regarded as artwork and involves a patchwork of different pieces. In this process two things must be observed: one carefully select your leather after which focus on the stitching. The ideal bag accommodates a given amount of weight after which it can be easily moved around without undergoing any weakening. This is what full grain leather bags stand out as the most crucial.
5. Hardware
Before you purchase a leather bag, start by checking out its quality. Is always smart to examine the intricate details from each side. Pay keen attention to the handles, buckles, shoulder straps, zippers, and metallic locks.…