Corrected or non-corrected grain? FILK-QMA-1201 — a method to evaluate finished leather

摘要

A new method is described and illustrated, which enables differentiation between finished leathers that have been corrected or not. The method is very sensitive, and can readily detect leathers that have only been lightly corrected, even when the leathers have been slightly snuffed. The main objective of grain correction of leathers is to remove surface defects. If the defects are slight, then buffing can be very light, so that only a small amount of the grain is removed by abrasion. The deeper the grain defects, the heavier the level of correction, and the greater the abrasion. This difference between full grain and corrected grain leathers, or the level of correction, can be seen most clearly before leather finishing. During finishing, the highest quality full grain leathers are normally lightly finished, so that the quality of the grain is both enhanced and protected. However, heavier finishes are used to create a more uniform surface, or to attain very high physical specifications. In many instances, the finishing process also involves printing or embossing procedures that both mask surface defects and create new grain patterns.