The Blog
Leather: Like a Fine Wine
A well-made leather good is a thing of beauty. Leather has so many qualities that no other material possesses. Its breathability, resilience, rich color, and flexibility are just some of the characteristics that make leather the perfect material for wallets, bags, and tech cases. Beyond that, the leather we use at Andar is the highest grade possible, and this kind of leather is optimal for long-lasting, beautiful products.
Why Leather?
Leather in general is a superior material. It’s pliable yet strong, and easy to clean while retaining its natural color. It’s highly breathable, which means that a leather wallet or phone case can spend hours in your pocket without absorbing moisture and dampening your bills. It won’t attract dirt the way that fabric wallets or goods will. It stretches just enough to hold what you carry every day, but it won’t allow for overstuffing (and that’s a good thing, since fat wallets cause back issues and a whole lot of other problems).
To better illustrate this concept, think of leather boots, baseball gloves, or leather jackets. They all deal with a lot of wear and tear, but they last much longer than other synthetic fabrics. In the same way, the durability of leather means that it’s perfect for protecting your tech, your cards or cash, and anything else you might carry that’s important to you.
Full Grain Leather: A Step Above the Rest
As versatile as it is, not all leather is created equal. You may not have heard of the term “full grain leather,” but it’s a little-known subject that makes the difference between rich, durable, natural leather and pieced-together scraps of stamped leather. That’s no exaggeration—full grain leather is made from the full hide, while other grades like top grain or genuine leather consist of stripped pieces of hide that are thinner and weaker than full grain leather. Often, because the leather has been stripped, an artificial grain pattern is stamped on top after it’s been painted, dyed, or tanned. Full grain leather remains intact and natural, and it tends to be more expensive because it’s so much higher quality than its counterparts.
Andar Leather: Like A Fine Wine
At Andar, we only use full grain leather. When you hold one of our products, you’ll immediately notice the intoxicating smell and supple texture of the leather. There’s also one noticeable difference that Andar products possess: the leather doesn't have the plastic texture that almost always accompanies other leather products. That’s because we don’t coat our leather in the plastic coating that other brands use. This is intentional—the plastic coating keeps the leather frozen in time (although the plastic will eventually break down and force you to replace your leather product) and stops it from developing a natural patina. This patina is a sort of weathered look that’s completely individual to you and where you’ve been with your leather. It’s as unique as you are, and it’s a highly desirable trait in leather. This patina means that leather, when left uncovered by plastic, ages like a fine wine. It only gets softer and more beautiful as time goes on, but it doesn’t lose any of its strength.
Leather truly is the perfect material for products like tech cases, bags, and wallets. It’s versatile, luxurious, supple, and tough—and it gets better with age. Make sure to check out our range of beautiful leather products, and see for yourself the difference that high-quality full grain leather can make.
