We’re not going to offer belts made from our black split, because we think it will banana a lot sooner than the top grain, but considering it has resulted in two blogs, so enjoy!
When I see something discounted or “budget value” my response is suspicion! If it’s leather we wanna know:
- Is it real?
- Why is it cheap?
- How will it wear?
This blog aims to put your mind at rest, so if you’re wondering why some products are differently priced, here are the answers!
How will it wear?
I’ll start with the last question first, because that’s the way my mind works!
I started using this leather a few years ago, so it’s not new to us. Some of you might own one of our Combat Collars or Ravn Cosplay accessories. I bought it with our chunky cuffs in mind, but as it’s cheaper than our top grain leather I used it to test a few mock ups including my Beastie collar (linked above).
My Beastie has been wearing her collar for 2 years, daily, in harsh Bodmin Moor weather conditions. Ok we’re not out in all weathers, we both like it warm and cozy! But “Bully” is kinda fitting for this breed, because she has the energy and size of a rampaging bull when she’s in a bouncy mood (Buly in a china shop). She also has that teenager selexctive hearing, so yes, on occasion her grab handle has been quite useful! It can easily restrain 49kg of muscle!
She does love to roll in mud, fox scat or whatever disgustingly stinky pile she can find. This collar has been cleaned thoroughly on many occasion! So yes, it can withstand mild soap and various stinky sticky gooey messes!
Check the photo above for how it looks 2 years on, with daily use. It’s lost some of it’s mirror shine – cleaning, natural oils and being dragged through hedges will do that! But it’s taken on a nice deep luster instead.
Is it real leather?
Absolutely! I was gonna say 100% but it’s been dyed through with a pigment. So in full, yes: it’s genuine leather that’s been dyed through, so a small % of it is pigment! As you can see above, it wears and ages just like real leather because it is!
Why is it cheap?
The answer is in how it’s been processed. It’s actually had more done to it than our top grain veg tan hides, but is cheaper! Here’s why.
The hide is quite thick, unprocessed. It has hair removed, then is tanned with vegetable tannins. At this thickness it’s only really good for shoe bends! So they split it, to make, say up to 8mm hides into two sheets, one 5mm split, and one 3mm split. The top of this split is called “top grain” and is our premium leather. It’s ready for carving, dying, polishing and ending up as handbags, carved belts, notebook covers etc. It shows the natural scars and blemishes and full grain pattern of the skin.
The bottom split becomes this “budget” leather. It can’t be sold at a premium because it’s missing what more discerning people look for in leather! At this stage it has a rough underneath and a skived but smoother top. Some will be dyed and sold at this stage, as a suede. Our budget black choice has had one more process though. After it’s been dyed with a quality pigment, the top is polished to an almost mirror like shine. Not only does this look great, but helps to protect the surface from scratches.
So – I think our budget split is great – it’s genuine leather, it wears well, and we’re happy to pass on the savings to you! You’re not getting fobbed off with the fake stuff or cheap stuff. We sell these products about 10% cheaper than our top grain products!
Watch this space for a blog on the Ravn Leather Fair Price Promise!
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