Is leather considered a man-made material? Answered
You see, I recently bought a pair of boots that I assumed were leather. When I checked the materials list though it said it was "Constructed of All Man-Made Materials. So what gives???
Well, leather is made from animal hides. It's then shaved, tanned, and stretched. There's a big difference between the hide that comes straight from the animal and the leather products people make from it. So you could say it's a man-made material BUT:
At least in North America, a "Genuine Leather" label should be present on any leather goods you find in stores. It's usually safe to assume that if there is no such label, the article isn't made with leather.
Still, there are exceptions... Handcrafted items sold at farmers markets might not be labeled. In these cases, you really have to examine the material closely.
If you are in the market for a leather business case, attaché case, or travel bag, and the label reads "Genuine Leather," this is a "buyer beware" signal, because that label is telling you what the product is NOT. It is most certainly not full-grain, top-grain or belting leather. The fact is, the label "Genuine Leather" is purposely ambiguous, and meant to mislead the consumer.
"Genuine Leather," on a tag on a piece of luggage, means "not-the-best leather." It may mean "split leather."
Discussions
Best Answer 10 years ago
Well, leather is made from animal hides. It's then shaved, tanned, and stretched. There's a big difference between the hide that comes straight from the animal and the leather products people make from it. So you could say it's a man-made material BUT: At least in North America, a "Genuine Leather" label should be present on any leather goods you find in stores. It's usually safe to assume that if there is no such label, the article isn't made with leather. Still, there are exceptions... Handcrafted items sold at farmers markets might not be labeled. In these cases, you really have to examine the material closely.
2 years ago
If you are in the market for a leather business case, attaché case, or travel bag, and the label reads "Genuine Leather," this is a "buyer beware" signal, because that label is telling you what the product is NOT. It is most certainly not full-grain, top-grain or belting leather. The fact is, the label "Genuine Leather" is purposely ambiguous, and meant to mislead the consumer.
"Genuine Leather," on a tag on a piece of luggage, means "not-the-best leather." It may mean "split leather."
10 years ago
Um, no. I'm afraid your original assumption was wrong. But they might still be a very good pair of boots.