Bonded leather is made by taking leather fibers and combining them with a binding agent or other substances. The resulting product looks like leather but is much cheaper and does not have the strength or durability that real leather has. It is considered synthetic leather.
Yes, cowhide leather is generally considered better quality than bonded leather. Cowhide leather is a natural material that is durable, soft, and develops a rich patina over time. Bonded leather, on the other hand, is made from scraps of leather that are bonded together with synthetic materials, resulting in a less durable and less high-quality product.
Yes much better. See 'bicast leather' entry in wikipedia, link below. Bonded leather is the reconstituted (from scraps) sliced meat product of leathers but, as with reconstituted sliced ham, still has the smell and feel of the real thing and some qualities (I'm not sure how many) of a low grade leather. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonded_leather
Worse than bonded is Bicast leather. In the UK bicast leather cannot be sold as leather as it is considered a misrepresentation, the non-leather coating which comprises the surface means the product has none of the qualities of real leathers, just a lowgrade leather backing to the coating layer. Sometimes called ByCast.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicast_leather
Both are still animal products (at least in part), but that doesn't make them real leather any more than any cutprice pressed mince is like a whole steak.
Salamander Bonded leather claim on their site that 'Few materials come as close to real leather in quality and in application as bonded leather.'
http://www.salamanderbl.com/english/01home/01index.htm
Leather terminology is not standardised and widely misused but the following guides seem useful
LEATHER TYPE AND FINISH GUIDES
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather#Leather_types
From associations and museums
USA Sheep Industry Association guide to leather terminology
http://www.sheepusa.org/index.phtml?page=site/text&nav_id=46946e41f586534a6568ce8e751bbfdf
UK http://www.allaboutleather.co.uk/allabout/leather/leathertypes.php
Northamptonshire leather information (UK and historic centre for leatherwork) http://www.northamptonshireleather.com/knowledge/
This has a list of resources, including books of interest published by the Museum of Leathercraft http://www.museumofleathercraft.org/ and to the website of a professional leather marketing advisor who offers his own glossary http://www.mikeredwood.com/glossary
The museum offers its own links also http://www.museumofleathercraft.org/links.htm
The UK has another major leather museum which provides a glossary of terms used in leathercraft - the Walsall leather museum (local government maintained museum, UK) http://www.walsall.gov.uk/index/leisure_and_culture/leathermuseum/leather_glossary2.htm
From shops and traders
USA from Remy - Skin Information Guide lists skins and skin finishes http://suityourself.com/remy_leathers.asp
UK http://www.leathermasteruk.com/index_leather_types.htm
Many furniture sales and manufacturers sites have information on leather used for furniture, but there are to many to include here
Hopefully some later commentator will add more USA and international sources for reliable information.
It appears that aniline and nappa should indicate quality, assuming the use in relation to a product isn't an outright lie.
In many ways bonded leather and durablend leather are similar and are used in the same way. The difference between the two have to do with how the leather is combined with other synthetic products.
The difference between bonded and genuine leather sofas is that bonded leather sofas are made from pieces of left over animal skin, where as genuine leather is made from the whole skin of an animal making it more costly.
I want to buy a lounge suite which is sold as "fabric leather" and want to know how durable it will be.
0%. If it is bonded leather it is bonded leather and not plastic!
Bonded leather is basically scrap leather and other materials (could be vinyl, split hides, textiles and who knows what) combined and manufactured with chemicals to produce bonded leather. Top grain leather, which is the most popular leather available today, at a relatively low cost and just a bit more than bonded leather, will hold up better, give a nicer touch, and outlast bonded leather.
yes
Yes, durablend leather is the same thing as bonded leather. These types of leather are glued together to make one large piece of leather.
Only if you get hit with it. Bonded leather is just a product made from leather and other materials to look like leather but at a cheaper cost
I think it is used leather unlike bonded leather.
Because bonded leather is made from ground up leather fibers it can be made out of varying amounts of "real leather", but in almost every case bonded leather consists of only 10-17% leather. This makes up a leather backing upon which a vinyl top coating is applied.
I don't know what bonded leather is but rubbing alchohol removes ink pen stains from leather furniture.
Bonded leather is also called reconstituted leather. It is a material made of various degrees of genuine leather combined with other substances. The appearance is very similar to leather, but the price is much cheaper.
Bonded leather is made from scraps of genuine leather that are combined with a bonding agent to create a product that resembles leather. However, because it contains only a small percentage of real leather, it is considered to be a synthetic material rather than genuine leather.
Bonded leather, also called reconstituted leather or blended leather, is a term used for a lower-cost upholstery material which consists of natural leather leftovers that are shredded and then bonded back into larger sheets. Yes, pig hide could very well be included.
No. 'Synthetic leather' is generally a vinyl or PU product. However there are some products such as bonded leather or eleather that are made up from scraps of leather that are bonded together - these cannot be sold as 'leather' but do have a certain leather content. Hope this helps