Full-grain leather: the guide to a sofa that ages well

Two "genuine leather" sofas, one at £800, the other at £4,000. The difference comes down to three words the product sheets carefully avoid: full-grain, corrected-grain, split.

The leather hierarchy

Full-grain is the untouched surface of the hide: natural grain, visible scars and veins, a breathing material that takes on a patina. Corrected-grain has been sanded down and then artificially re-grained — uniform, more fragile. Split, finally, is the underlayer of the hide, coated with a pigmented film: it is the one that peels away in patches after five years.

Spotting it in the shop

Look closely: a perfectly regular grain is suspect — real hide has irregularities. Pinch it: full-grain forms fine folds that smooth themselves out; pigmented leathers break into coarse creases. Smell it: the plastic film of a split has a chemical odour, not that of leather.

Patina, the decisive argument

Full-grain aniline leather darkens, softens and improves with age: that is why a quality leather sofa from the 1960s or 70s sells on, while a split-leather sofa ends up in the skip. Care: dust it, feed it once or twice a year, keep it away from the radiator. Nothing more.

Spotted a leather sofa, new or vintage? Scan it on Beyit: model, edition, market value.