Unlike the leather from exotic animals, even those which are farm-raised, cowhides are taken from animals that are also used for their meat.
The lower layer of the hide closest to the flesh is the split leather. This part of the hide is the least valuable, of an inferior quality, and less supple. It is also the part of the hide that is the most commonly used as it is also, needless to say, the least expensive.
The outermost layer of the hide, which is the most valuable, is the full-grain leather. This leather is considered to be the highest quality, and therefore the most expensive, and the one selected for making high-end bags. It conserves its suppleness and the durability of the hide. Each and every Bleu de Chauffe leather bag is made entirely with full-grain leather.
Split leather is often used to make a leather that looks and feels like velvet by a process of sanding the outer side of the hide.
In order to obtain a higher quality leather, but with a velvety touch and shiny look, we use full-grain leather. In turn, we obtain a nubuck leather or suede leather. All of the Bleu de Chauffe bags that have this velvety look are made entirely from nubuck leather.