Category Archives: Leather Manual

Are Cowhide Leather & Crazy Horse Leather The Same Thing?

Cowhide leather and Crazy Horse leather are both popular choices for various leather products, renowned for their durability, distinctive textures, and timeless appeal. While they might seem similar at first glance, these two types of leather possess unique characteristics that set them apart. Let’s delve into the specifics to better understand the differences between Cowhide Leather and Crazy Horse Leather. Cowhide Leather: Cowhide leather, as the name suggests, is derived from the hide of cattle. It is known for its robust nature and is often used in the production of a wide array of products, including jackets, bags, belts, and furniture. The natural grain of cowhide leather provides it with a unique texture and appearance, giving each piece a character of its own. Its durability makes it an excellent choice for products that require longevity and resilience. Moreover, cowhide leather is known for its ability to age beautifully, developing a rich patina over time, and enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Crazy Horse Leather: On the other hand, Crazy Horse leather is distinctively different from cowhide leather. It is a type of full-grain leather that has been waxed and oiled to create a unique, distressed appearance. The name “Crazy Horse” originates from the leather’s alleged use in making saddles for the legendary Native American figure. The distinguishing feature of Crazy Horse leather lies in its rugged and vintage look, achieved through the waxing process that allows the leather to develop a characteristic patina over time. This type of leather is sought after for its ability to tell a story through its changing appearance, making each item truly one of a kind. Key Differences: Appearance: While both types boast a natural and authentic appearance, cowhide leather tends to retain a more traditional, smooth finish, whereas Crazy Horse leather is recognizable for its distressed and rustic look. Durability: Both types are durable, but Crazy Horse leather, due to its waxed finish, can offer additional resistance to scratches and stains, making it suitable for rugged use. Aging: Cowhide leather ages gracefully, developing a patina over time that enhances its character. In contrast, Crazy Horse leather develops a unique and personalized patina, reflecting the owner’s usage patterns and adding a vintage charm to the product. Maintenance: While both types require minimal maintenance, Crazy Horse leather may need occasional conditioning to preserve its unique appearance, while cowhide leather may only need occasional cleaning and conditioning.

What Is Microfiber Leather?

When it comes to luxury, leather is a material that dares to outstand every other material. At the same time, every luxe material comes with a certain price. Being expensive, real leather is an investment that is also considered black gold. Be it a leather jacket, leather shoes, or any leather household item, full-grain leather is a highly expensive luxury material.  Every expensive thing has an alternative, PU leather, bicast leather, and bonded leather are inexpensive alternatives to full-grain leather but have you ever wondered what is microfiber leather? Below is a detailed overview of microfiber leather, which many may have been in awe of, for some time. Being the best alternative to real leather. Or is it? Microfiber Synthetic Leather When talking about types of leather, microfiber leather is a type of faux leather that is made from a combination of a non-woven microfiber fabric that is coated with polyurethane resin. This gives the material a slight resemblance to real leather. Not including the very low-end micro-fiber leather that actually feels like plastic. The microfiber fabric is tough as well as durable, the reasons that make this very material the next generation faux leather.  Classic PU leather is made of traditional cloth whereas microfiber is an innovative approach to improvise the regular fabric coated with resin into synthetic microfiber fabric.  What is Microfiber Fabric Microfiber is a combination of polyester and nylon fused together. The fibers are finely split to make the material highly porous which makes it dry quickly. Synthetic microfiber fabric is soft, durable, and absorbent which makes it a top-quality fabric that is used widely in cleaning, apparel, and making micro-suede leather.  Properties of Microfiber Leather Microfiber leather is the latest improvisation when it comes to PU leather. The leather in some cases can be soft, durable, and have a supple feel to it. There are lower qualities though, that have a plastic feel to them. This look-alike is not as durable as full-grain leather but is highly durable when compared to bi-cast or bonded leather. Properties that microfiber leather exhibits are as follows. Appearance Microfiber leather is a material that looks like genuine leather. Being the highest quality faux leather, it does not exhibit the grainy surface that real leather does, rather the grains embossed upon the upper surface which gives it a soft and granular feel are perfectly artificial in appearance. Also, microfiber is highly absorbent and breathable, it is porous just like real leather.  Odor  Unlike real leather which is made up of animal skin, microfiber leather is odorless. The infused leather does not have a pungent or distinctive smell like real leather. Along with being odorless, microfiber leather is also anti-bacterial.  Water-Resistant Real leather along with microfiber leather, are highly absorbent materials that make them fit in well when it comes to molding them into making apparel. Microfiber leather is said to be water-resistant which makes it durable and resistant to crack and peel.  Eco – Friendly  Unlike real leather which is made up of animal skin, microfiber leather is said to be vegan and eco-friendly. It does not use chromium tan which can affect the environment, instead, it is made up of eco-friendly chemicals that make this leather perfect for vegans.  Maintenance Microfiber leather is the easiest to maintain as it is washable. The leather material is also resistant to wrinkles. You won’t be needing any dedicated solutions that are used to clean real leather. But you just have to toss your microfiber leather jacket in the laundry and you’re good to go.  Micro-suede Leather Micro-suede Leather is a type of PU leather that is made of polyester and nylon along with a suede-like texture. The leather imitates real suede leather due to its soft and supple feel in most cases. Micro-suede adopts all the properties of microfiber leather.  Uses of Microfiber Leather Microfiber leather is used in a variety of items. These are: Microfiber Leather VS Bonded Leather Bonded leather is a type of real leather that is of the lowest quality when it comes to grades of leather. Microfiber leather is better than bonded leather in every way as it is more durable, tough, and looks exactly like real leather, whereas bonded leather is made of scraps of leather.  Microfiber Leather VS PU Leather Basic PU leather is made of regular fabric coated with polyurethane resin whereas microfiber leather is made of microfiber fabric. Microfiber fabric is soft, breathable, and highly absorbent which makes the leather tough and durable. PU leather tends to crack and peel but microfiber does not as it is the highest quality PU leather.  Microfiber Leather VS Full-Grain Leather When it comes to real full-grain leather, it has its fan base. Being a luxe material, full-grain leather is expensive and looks the best when used in making apparel or footwear. Microfiber leather may be the highest quality synthetic leather but it can never compete with real full-grain leather. Natural leather has the qualities such as patina, breathability, and absorbent nature that no synthetic material can provide. Also, real leather tends to last many decades if maintained properly as compared to microfiber leather.