Full grain leather or leather crust: what's the difference?

Full grain leather or leather crust: what's the difference?

When selecting a leather product, the difference between a full grain leather and a leather crust is an important notion.

The various layers of an animal skin:

The skin has several layers:

  • The epidermis
  • The dermis
  • Subcutaneous tissue
Skin
Source : Le cuir dans tous ses états - CTC

The dermis is the only part used to obtain leathers

It has two faces:

  • Outer side: the full grain side (hair side and smooth)
  • Internal side: the crust side (flesh side, rough and rough)

The full grain side

The full grain is the upper part of the epidermis (hair side). It is in this part that the fibers are the most dense, giving the most beautiful leathers, combining flexibility, resistance and longevity.

The crust side

The crust is the lower part (flesh side) of the skin obtained when slitting thick leathers into two leaves. It can have the appearance of a smooth leather when it is covered with a coating (without being so). Less flexible and less resistant.

Manufactures in full grain leather are of superior quality to those in leather crust, the most valuable leather remaining full grain leather; therefore, these leathers are more expensive.

full grain leather are of superior quality to those in leather crust, the most valuable leather remaining full grain leather; therefore, these leathers are more expensive.