As you all know, I have been busy planning our wedding and I‘m so excited that we are so close to our special day! In the process of finalizing our honeymoon destination, I have been thinking about what to pack. I have also been thinking about what luggage to take with me. In my research, I now know that canvas and leather bags travel well but how do you know if the quality of the leather bag is a good one? How do you choose? So I started Googling types of leather, best leather for bags, etc.…

Turns out that there are so many different types of leather:  top grain, corrected grain, genuine leather, etc. The quality and texture of each leather bag ultimately depend on the type of leather. Who knew! (did you know that sometimes genuinely leather does not really mean it is the highest quality leather?) I sure didn’t. I always assumed that ‘genuine’ leather meant it was top quality. It is real leather but it’s actually the third grade of leather, taken from the lower, thinner layer of the hide, which, consequently, means it is not as tough as Full grain leather or Top Grain leather.

Another type of leather is full grain leather. Full grain refers to the strongest and most durable part of the hide of an animal, which is just below the hair and has not been sanded, buffed or snuffed (as opposed to corrected grain) which means it displays the more natural characteristics of leather. So the next time you’re shopping for leather goods in the store or online, check for the type of leather. Genuine leather is not fake, it’s just processed to look/feel like a higher-grade leather.

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Although I’m not sure which bag I will end up buying or taking on my honeymoon trip, I sure do like these.

What is your favorite leather duffle? If you have a favorite Etsy shop or brand, let me know in the comment!