Notes about leather.
There are many different types of leather goods on the market, and each has a place there. This should not be taken as hard and fast rules, rather just a rough guide to leathers.
We start with the cheaper leathers. These tend to be sheep skin or pig skin. Or can be a skive from a thicker leather. The sheep skin is often referred to as sheep napper. Mostly in black or brown. this is quite a thin but strong leather. Wallets and purses made from this leather will normally be under £10. They are economically priced and should give good value for money.
Next pig skin. This leather accepts colour dyes and was among the first to be seen in multi colour purses. It is a thin but very strong leather in the lower cost range of purses.
A leather skive sometimes has a grain pressed into it but dose not have a natural grain. It is a way of using more expensive leather for lower cost items.
Higher quality leathers come from animals like cows and water buffalos often referred to as "hide". These are thicker and tougher leathers that are used on quality products. Starting at the mid price range and going up! Tanning also has an effect on the quality and therefore the price of the leather. Now days many leathers are tanned using chemicals. This allows the finished product to be controlled more, helps with dying, and is cheaper. More expensive products will often state that they are veg tanned leather. This is a process where the leather is tanned in natural oils and saps from plants as they were in times gone by. This process can take longer and needs more skill to produce, but dose give a leather with more character!
It would be fair to say that if you buy a quality leather product it will give a longer life and age as you would expect leather too. Cheaper leather will give good value for money but you should not expect them to have the same life as there more expensive cousins. | 
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