Types of velvety skin
Nubuck, velor and suede are types of velvety leather.
Products made from such material can emphasize a respectable, elegant image, making it more feminine and attractive. Fans of accessories made of soft, pleasant-to-touch leather need to know that such material requires careful handling and proper care. But first, it is important to determine the type of skin.
It's no secret that not every one of us can distinguish suede from nubuck. In fact, it's simple.
You can identify suede, nubuck and velor in a couple of seconds. The main difference between them is the appearance.
If the leather has a high pile and is velvety on both sides, it is suede.
Nubuck and velor have low pile.
If only the front side is velvet, it is nubuck, if only the back side (bakhtarma) is velor.
Differences and similarities between materials
To independently recognize the material, you need to know the differences between natural velor and natural suede. They may differ in composition, characteristics, and cost.
First of all, velor differs from suede in origin. The first material is made from pork, goat, or cow leather with minor defects. Selected raw materials are used to create the second fabric. The similarity is that natural materials are made from leather.
Another difference between velor and suede is the pile. The first material is thick and fluffy. Velor has lint on the front side, but none on the inside. Suede has a shorter, denser and softer pile. This fabric is velvety on both sides. In addition, the edges of velor are folded, but suede is not, so the double-sided pile is immediately visible. But at first glance, the pile of both materials is very similar.
For your information. The difference between velor and suede is that the first fabric has a solid color pile, while the second does not. If you run your hand over suede, a noticeable mark will appear; this will not happen with velor.
Fabric can be identified by its structure. To do this, you need to carefully look at the base of the fabric under the pile. Pores and scratches will be visible on suede, but not on velor.
Velor is more likely to deform after contact with water. After drying, suede regains its previous shape, especially if the product is properly cared for.
For your information. Suede shoes can be cleaned with a porous sponge or brush dipped in soapy water. Then it is wiped with a damp cloth. This is done when the product is heavily soiled. Velor can only be cleaned dry.
Suede shoes keep you warm, cozy and dry even in wet weather. Velor boots do not retain heat and quickly come apart in the rain.
The differences between natural velor and suede are in the smell: the first material does not have it, and the second exudes a light aroma of leather. This smell is stronger if the fabric is slightly wrinkled.
It costs less money to produce velor than to produce suede. The production technology of the latter material is more labor- and cost-intensive, so the price is higher. But this indicator is not always true, since some sellers pass off velor as suede.
The main differences between suede, nubuck and velor
In addition to appearance, the main differences between types of velvety skin include:
- raw materials;
- type of tanning;
- grinding;
- view;
- pile location;
- methods of care.
Expensive raw materials are used to produce suede. Velor and nubuck are made from more affordable materials. This affects the lower cost of products made from these materials.
Caring for suede is easier; it does not absorb water well. In order to maintain the original appearance of nubuck and velor, more attention and effort will be required.
For those who would like to consolidate information about skin types, we will briefly list the features of each of the types under consideration.
What kind of material is nubuck and how does it differ from suede?
Nubuck, like suede, is obtained from the hides of cattle. But if the full-grain side of the skin is used for nubuck, then its lower part is processed for suede. Both are sanded and tanned, but nubuck with mineral salts, and suede with vegetable or animal fats. It is due to special processing that nubuck is stronger, more reliable and more expensive than suede.
A pair of this material will faithfully serve its owner for years under one condition - wearing it in dry weather: nubuck instantly gets wet, takes a long time to dry, and after drying it becomes unsightly deformed. Even professional impregnations do not always save.
Suede
Suede is an expensive, practical, wear-resistant material. This is a type of sanded leather with soft high pile on both sides. Created using fat tanning. Fat tanning or suede is carried out by impregnation with fats, due to which the leather becomes moisture-resistant, soft, porous and elastic.
For the production of velor and nubuck, the common chrome tanning is used. Chromium salts are used for this. This is a relatively quick process, which determines the availability of this type of skin.Tanning is the processing of leather, during which its properties change. This happens by soaking the skin in special solutions. Thanks to tanning, the leather becomes strong and elastic, and acquires the ability to be preserved without decomposition.
Definition
Velor - the name comes from the French velours - velvet. There is also a Latin word villosus - shaggy, hairy. The material itself is natural, obtained from collard, half-leather, pig or goat skins. The structure differs in that it has a thick, low and uniform pile on the back side, while the front side is smooth. This material is often mistakenly called suede, but the obvious difference is that real suede is obtained from the skin of elk or deer through fat tanning and is velvety on both sides. In terms of strength, velor has nothing special to boast about; for example, shoes made from this material quickly become dirty, wet and lose their shape. But to prevent this, velor is treated with special substances. This material is most often used to make a number of models of shoes, hats, and haberdashery goods.
Natural velor
Suede - comes from the French suede. It is fat tanned leather. It is not only soft, but also thin and velvety on both sides. Resistant to environmental influences, properties do not change even after washing in soapy water. In the production of suede, raw materials are impregnated with active fats of fish and marine mammals, bone fat, linseed oil and other substances. Most often, suede is used in the production of shoes, clothing, and haberdashery. It has a higher price than velor due to the complexity of production, and lately real suede has become increasingly difficult to find.
Natural suede
Velours
Unlike suede, the pile of velor is lower and thicker. For its production, dense skins of small and large horned animals and pig skins are used. The leather is processed into velvet only on the reverse side by sanding.
Velor gets wet and easily loses its shape; abrasions easily form on the leather. Therefore, this skin type requires proper care using special products.
Features of velor
Velor is a soft natural material made from the thinnest layer of pig, goat or calf skin. The front side is fleecy, which is where the name comes from (from the French “velours” translates as “lint”), and the back side is smooth. The leather used as raw material is not of the best quality. Processing consists of tanning followed by polishing.
Features of natural velor:
- soft texture;
- low strength;
- low wear resistance.
To ensure greater durability, velor is treated with special compounds. It is more like fabric, so it is used for sewing hats, bags, wallets or shoes. There is also artificial velor - a material for which synthetic fiber is the raw material. The properties of the fabric are significantly inferior to its prototype, since it is even softer, gets wet more and wears out faster.
Sellers often try to sell velor items under the guise of suede ones - accordingly, the price increases.
Nubuck
In the production of nubuck, cattle hides and chrome tanning are used. On the front side, nubuck is processed into velvet by sanding. If not properly cared for, the low pile of nubuck becomes rubbed and shiny.
We recommend wearing velvety leather accessories at any time of the year in dry, sunny weather. If the bag does get wet from rain or snow, you need to wipe it with a dry cloth and dry it by hanging it by the handles. At the same time, you should avoid hair dryers, batteries and direct sunlight, which can cause the skin to burn out and change color.
Accessories made of suede, velor and nubuck go perfectly with any type of clothing. With their help, the image becomes more feminine, emphasizing the similar properties of the skin and the character of the woman herself: softness, smoothness, variability. After all, genuine suede leather does not have a uniform color and changes it when touched.
Choose models of bags and accessories with the “Empire of Bags”! Don't forget to use special care products. With proper care, velvety leather products will last a long time and retain their attractive, original appearance.
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How does velor differ from suede and leather?
Despite the fact that suede, velor and leather are the same material, they differ significantly from each other. It's all about the origin of the raw materials and their processing.
You can study more detailed differences in the table.
| Properties | Velours | Suede |
| Raw material type | Small, cheap skins from cattle, young calves and pigs. | The best skins of small animals: deer, elk, sheep. |
| Tanning | Chrome | Fat |
| Pile direction | Does not change | A trace of a different shade remains upon exposure |
| Texture | Soft | More dense |
| Wear resistance | Average | High |
| Price | Low | High |
Products made from smooth leather, in turn, are reliable and durable. Leather shoes are comfortable and convenient, do not allow water to pass through and retain heat well, and are less demanding in care.
Each of the materials has its own advantages and disadvantages. It would be irrational to recommend which shoes to choose. Try on several pairs made from different materials. When purchasing, rely on your feelings, taking into account the basic properties of the materials.
