Why YSK: The term “Genuine Leather” is a marketing term to sell the lowest quality leather possible.
When purchasing a leather product, look for full grain leather or top grain leather instead. These will provide a much higher quality cut of leather that will look and feel much better and last for much longer.
This really is a perfect replacement for reddit, we even have the same reposted fun facts
You can leave reddit, but you can’t leave the redditor on the inside.
Words of wisdom right there.
Which is perfect. Love the redditor, hate the Reddit. Isn’t that what the church of “insert clever name here”
I mean, reposting things that were on Reddit before would be a good way to get more content on here
jesus christ
Reddit does it with Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr…
Some of the bigger communities is literally just screenshots of what people say other places.
It would be pretty funny to see an instance that just pulls posts from subs and posts them to Lemmy. Not direct links to reddit, just copy the link/pic/video
fair point… yeah now that you mention it, a lot of the shit I used to see on reddit was from “curated tumbler”, " white people twitter" etc…
I’m glad I left reddit, the api cluster fuck and associated protests (which I joined w/ my rinky dink tiny sub) came at the perfect time to give me the shove out the door I needed. I was spending 3, 4, 5 hours of my day reading the most inane bullshit.
I’m at extremely high risk of it happening again with lemmy, but I like to think it’ll never take on the endlessly churning sewer-exit pipe amount of “content” that reddit had with its however many millions of users.
Reddit does it with Reddit
Hahaha that’s funny as fuck
next YSK: /c/YouShouldKnow reposts things from /r/youshouldknow
top comment: /r/youshouldknow is also reposts from /r/youshouldknow reply–> the real YSK is in the comments
Not quite. The truth is, there is no universally recognized grades of leather. But when bragging about quality, genuine leather is the lowest bar they can go (other than bonded leather, which isn’t fully leather but just a veneer over fabric.
Full grain or top grain is generally what you want.
https://lifehacker.com/what-genuine-leather-really-means-1850309049
Also, some are concerned about the use of an animal product. The vast majority of leather is a byproduct of the beef industry. It is skin that would otherwise go to waste. And it is also far more environmentally friendly a material than many alternatives, which are often made of plastics.
It’s the industry recapturing some of its costs by reducing waste. That’s still supporting the industry.
We applauded Native Americans for using every part of the animal, yet when we do it today somehow it’s a bad thing.
The skins are there rather you like the industry or not. Better to use them than throw them in a landfill.
By your logic, why don’t we flay off the skins of all dead people and wear those too? They’re just going to waste!
I’m opposed to the animal killing industry and all of its various outgrowths. The less money that can be made from it, the less money will be invested into the industry in the first place. If the skins end up in a landfill, that’s lost revenue that makes the industry suffer. Putting money in the pockets of these businesses just lets them reinvest. Stop trying to portray your choice to wear skin as somehow the more ethical one and preach from some imaginary moral high ground.
Why not indeed! Its a travesty that Im not allowed to make a wallet out of grandpa’s dead ass!
Tan me hide when I’m dead, Fred
Tan me hide when I’m dead
So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde
And that’s it hangin’ on the shed!
Altogether now!(actually, I unironically think human remains should be reused instead of preserved in a box lol)
It really is like I never left Reddit
Relax, no need to name-call. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to make a video of me badly singing “Imagine”, and nobody wants to hear that.
Name call? Did I slip up and call someone a bloodmouth or something?
I don’t think I called anyone any names, I just pointed out the fact that this reverse “gatcha” where people pretend like wearing leather is actually the more ethical choice is ridiculous. I have more respect for unapologetic leather wearers, at least they aren’t lying to themselves.
Hahahahahahahahaha did you just call him a bloodmouth? Are you a fuckin villager in the 1600s fuckin blood mouth
That’s what carnists are! They eat things that bleed. Hence, bloodmouth.
Corpse sucker is also fun.
I’d genuinely prefer if my family turned my remains into a fucking backpack instead of paying thousands of dollars to put them on a cushioned box in the ground
Lemmy really capture og Reddit feeling, even have this kind of redditor
gotta love all the people throwing shade at you but never showing any actual counterargument. Average carnist behaviour, gotta keep the cognitive dissonance at bay.
Don’t you see? By not draping ourselves in the flesh of dead animals we’re actually being disrespectful of their sacrifices!!! You don’t want animals to end up in landfills, do you?
Bleh. There’s nothing worse than these preachy types who try to assuage their guilt by presenting their practices as ethical. At least carnists that don’t care about animals are honest with themselves
Yeah, honestly you should buy leather products based on brands than on description of “genuine” leather.
And agree, real leather is a much better alternative to the ridiculous amount of micro-plastic synthetic leather generates, especially since it’ll last you decades if you maintain it well.
Leather made from animal flesh is far worse for the planet than pleather, but if you’re really worried, you could just forgo both
https://twitter.com/jan_dutkiewicz/status/1645867376381169665?t=w7mjq-VuWZB6TAudzs7A9g&s=19
I think this is a good point and well sourced; however, it doesn’t take into account the longevity of the product, which is also important. Best practice is probably to thrift existing leather products since we already have so much material in circulation.
Leather is murder anyways.
Murder is killing a human.
Killing a cow is just part of eating.
You didn’t need to kill the cow to eat, you chose to kill something that didn’t want to die for the fleeting taste of it’s dead body on your tongue
This is why I keep my animals alive and slice off bits as I need them.
This here is my cow, Limpy…
True, I really do like the way cows taste. 😋
It is still not murder though.
In the right context, leather goods are much more durable and sustainable than synthetic alternatives. That said, leather is a co-product of the meat and dairy industry which is currently ridiculously unsustainable. Leather for leathers sake in designer goods and such is ridiculous.
Leather production is terrible for the environment, a shit ton of chemicals used.
It has its place.
For example, leather in second hand products it’s great because it’s durable and often high quality. And, whatever you do, the animal has already been killed and paid for.
I would also buy leather products if it’s for something that I intend to use for many years. It sort of offsets the environmental damage from buying multiple synthetic products.
Then again, I’m not vegan.
Wonder what the people who are downvoting this are thinking. Is it not murder, or is it only a restproduct of murder?
I think it’s because it’s irrelevant for someone who would be interested in leather (and this YSK). I’m sure they’re well aware of where leather comes from. I will say, though, that if cows are getting murdered for food, then they might as well use the whole animal instead of letting it go to waste.
They killed for their skins. It’s not a “by-product” which would be thrown away otherwise
https://twitter.com/matthewhayek/status/1646145797698756610?t=AL_msrN0woNtB7gqF_pv7A&s=19
I wonder what people who upvote this are thinking, obviously the point is moot unless you are also vegan. And who upvotes someone going “meat is murder” in the comment section.
I’m not vegan, but I do personally agree that it’s selfish and inhumane to eat meat and use leather - especially on an industrial scale. I eat meat, but I don’t have any delusions about where it comes from.
Not meaning to argue, but just to say it’s not only vegans that think about this stuff. Also, even if it was, that doesn’t mean they’re wrong or moot.
I think it’s the difference between vegan ethics and being a vegan in practice. I generally agree with vegan ethics, I think that meat and leather are generally made from murder. Perhaps a lesser version of murder than killing a human being, but murder nonetheless. However, animal products are common in both food and consumer goods and I don’t have the time or money to commit towards fully avoiding them. Like with the issue of many of our agricultural goods being the product of slavery, I believe that this is something that should moreso be curtailed by the state than any individual consumer.
This is my general philosophy. I try to be as ethical as I can, but I realize there will always be a certain level of “hypocrisy” in my actions.
Not murder, per definition.
I like to think myself open-minded, but I’m also a meat eater. It really is just a matter of self control and convenience. I know humans eating meat in most developed countries is completely unnecessary. I know farming methods are cruel and environmentally damaging. It’s just tough to shake off the habit of craving a nice chicken breast or steak, especially since I lean towards a very high protein a diet.
I’d go far enough to say it used to not be murder, but now we only kill animals for luxury.
Agreed. I don’t purchase leather anymore but when I did I still knew genuine leather is pretty much junk.
You should also know that technically only the piece marked as genuine leather needs to actually be genuine leather. If you buy something made with multiple pieces, the rest could be made from any material so long as that one piece is genuine.
“Made with natural and artificial flavors”… So just… made with artificial flavors then…
You know what’s cool about “natural flavors”? They just have to be found in nature to call them that. They can be synthesized in a lab and still be a “natural flavor.”
P.S. don’t fall for the naturalistic fallacy. This comment is about tricky vocabulary used by the food industry. Whether or not a chemical is found in nature has nothing to do with whether it is good or bad for you. Arsenic is natural.
Okay so I did debate on whether to use that example, because yeah I’m a skeptic and don’t fall for the naturalistic fallacy. But it just happens to be a good example. Such a silly thing, made of “natural” and/or “unnatural” ingredients covers 100% of things lol.
Poop is natural, ebola is natural, cockroach puree is natural.
Most foods include some amount of all of the above
Yup! “All Natural” is just a marketing term, there’s no regulations behind it. USDA Organic is a real thing though, farms need to be organic for 7 years to be labeled that, if I recall correctly at least
Contains 100% real cheese
There is a reason why American cheese is called a “pasteurized prepared cheese product”, using various terms in food is heavily regulated.
Can somebody explain why leather is better? It’s it the smell? The feel? Tradition? I see it in car reviews where they complain about cloth.
It’s breathable but works in both warm and cold weather. This makes it ideal for spring and autumn. It’s easy to clean although it’s also hard to maintain (you have to oil it and protect it against rain). It lasts for very long if you care for it unlike fabric or fake leather, so a leather jacket can be worn for decades and still look and feel great.
Surely leather is skin and skin is very definitely non porous? Secrete oils from tiny glands? Yes. Let water through? Very much nope.
There’s various types of leather, some of which are actually porous. I’m no expert but you can Google it.
The point about rain protection isn’t related to the water getting through but because rain can contain chemicals and salt which can stain the leather and also make the leather brittle and vulnerable to mechanical damage, like getting cracks on it because it loses some of it’s natural elasticity.
This is usually prevented by oiling it and putting various rain protection products on it.
deleted by creator
It is something people think they want because it is more expensive and in higher trim levels in cars. But when your car is parked in the hot sun the leather feels like it burns and in the winter is freezing to the touch. Leather also doesn’t breath so you end up sweating more and if your are not wearing long pants your leg will stick to the seat. Cloth is so much better functionally. Cloth also lasts longer than the fake leather they put in cars. Cloth won’t peel like the fake leather.
Any cloth i have seen in cars absorbs my swet, and is hard to clean up afterwards, unlike leather.
Mostly people like it because it’s expensive and it makes them feel rich. It is more durable than cloth but that hardly matters for most of the things it’s used for.
It is very useful for furniture and car seats and things like that. Waterproof and easy to maintain without absorbing too much scents or liquids from your body.
Hardly matters? Try having kids and a dog for 5 years with a cloth couch. The permanent stains and smell will be impossible to get out.
Real leather? Will hold up to everything and go for 10 more years.
Garbage leather? Will crack and tear the first time your dog gets on it.
Leather has issues (Ethical issues with how we treat cows. Elitists issues putting leather on every surface of their car whether it needs it or not, etc). But quality leather matters, and does make a difference in durability.
I dunno, we have had a non leather sofa in my family home for like over 5 years and it’s fine. Nothing wrong with it to me.
My best guess (not in the community or anything) is that leather does better at being durable—especially if you treat it well and condition it regularly?—than cloth and plastic-leather alternatives, which break down. I know leather is meant to be very durable and have good “properties,” but I can’t be specific.
I’ve had a leather belt for about 25 years now that I bought for like $10, wear it multiple times a week. In all those years I’ve gone through multiple other belts that haven’t lasted.
Far as I see it, leather belts are the most economical and better for the environment than constantly manufacturing lesser lasting belts.
It’s been designed by time. Why manufacture something that has been provided? Seems like an unnecessary step, and a large reason for much of our problems. My s.o. works leather as a hobby, and it’s really cool. All the stuff she’s made me is better than anything I’ve had before.
I bought a leather belt in Prague as a nice souvenir. Stil wearing it almost daily over 20 years later. I replaced the stitching but the leather is still rock solid.
I like how leather feels like and the unique look when it’s aged or beaten up. Works great with wallets, belts, shoes… but not so much your couch, especially when it’s hot and humid.
@BigTrout75 many people are sensitive to dust. A car with a leather interior is easier to clean. The dust cannot stick in the seats.
Let’s be honest here. The amount of people this applies to is miniscule.
@okiloki well, yes and no. The air feels cleaner when stepping into a warm car with leather interior, opposed to cloth
Isn’t house dust mainly skin and leather also skin? Admittedly leather is dead skin that’s not being replaced any more, so perhaps without a process of replacement it also somehow lacks the shedding?
Most cars that advertise leather interior aren’t even real leather, they are vinyl.
If you think about it, it makes sense. All they are saying it’s that is actually real leather which is the least you could say about leather.
To add to the naming fun: Corinthian Leather.
I had never heard of that, so that was a fun article to read lol
Don’t buy leather. Cows are sentient beings with their own subjective experience. Actions that inflict unnecessary harm upon others should be reconsidered.
If you downvote, you must have a justification for buying leather and I’d love to hear it.
Justification: I like to eat cows, they taste good. Might as well use the skin when the animal is killed anyway. Also leather is a really good material for a lot of things.
How is that a justification? You wouldn’t use that logic on humans.
Second. I am a carnivore.
I love meat, I like a good leather jacket. I want a world where we take good care of our animals, take no more than we need and then use the entire animal as efficiently as possible. Reality however is a lot more cruel and wasteful. It is everyone’s personal choice but I chose to stop purchasing cow and pig products.
You don’t need leather or meat. You are taking more than you need. You should really watch dominion so you can see that you absolutely don’t take good care of the animals. A personal choice does not inflict harm on others. We should aim to minimize cruelty and wastefulness.
If cows were given the chance, they would eat me and use my skin as pants, for when they go to the club.
so you pay others to kill cows to feel superior?
If a cow had the money to have me smoked or slow roasted, I’d say fair game that’s capitalism.
Every billionaire ever fyi.
No they would not. If you don’t want someone to skim you, why would you do it to someone else?
Also the fact that cows obviously don’t wear pants and they are herbivores so they would not eat meat anyways.
the harsh truth of this existence is that some life kills other life. its just the way it is. from the cellular level all the way up to orcas killing seals. its natural and fine imo. of course we shouldn’t go out of our way to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering. but if im going to eat a cow which i do regularly, then im also going to use every part of the cow because its the right thing to do. including its skin to make myself a nice leather knife sheath or a nice pair of leather boots. leather is an excellent material for all kinds of things humans can use.
Why do you think it’s wrong to waste part of a cow? It’s clear you think they deserve moral consideration, but you don’t need leather or meat, so it is automatically unnecessary pain and suffering. Many terrible things happen in nature, rape and killing and eating babies etc. We don’t use what happens in nature as moral justification.
We are part of nature.
Right so we still have to decide whether or not rape and murder are morally okay considering it happens elsewhere in nature. If someone else does something, does that make it okay to do it to another person?
is it morally right to destroy thousands of acres of land to grow soy? what about the animals that used to call that place home? the only way to live a life free of any moral infractions is to die on the spot. i choose my moral infractions as wisely as possible. my meat comes from a local butcher that practices circular agriculture. is it perfect? no something must still die so i can live. but something must die so you can live as well. i just don’t sit on a high horse and pretend im better than others.
edit: im also currently in the process off acquiring a firearms license as i live in northern Ontario and the hunting is good here. so pretty soon i will be acquiring my own meat in what is in my opinion, the most moral way possible. i will hunt for my own meat. the animal will have lived a beautiful life in nature where it belongs, right up until the moment i kill it. i will use every piece of the animal to feed myself, my family, and my friends.
77% of the soy grown is fed to livestock. If the world went vegan, we could reduce total farmland by 70%. The other thing is as science develops, with perfect farming methods, vegans would cause zero deaths, whereas animal farmers are always going to be killing animals intentionally. You should minimize the harm you cause. A cow doesn’t care if it was murdered locally or not. All these businesses that pretend to sell an ethical animal product are scamming people with trivial labels. The animals you murder are living their own lives, why take that from them? Deer have families too. Hunting is also totally not practical for a significant portion of the population to do. Farming plants can feed the planet without destroying the it. The animals you kill are living beings with their own experience.
I thought “genuine” was the middle grade, with “bonded” being the lowest. Bob’s Furniture used to market “genuine bonded leather” sofas which I found both clever and infuriating.
Bonded leather is less than 20% real leather and made from scraps and fibers of genuine leather combined with binders. It’s generally not as durable as genuine leather.
It’s like leather veneer, in most cases.
That’s bonded leather.
Not exactly true. “genuine leather” is a specific grade of leather product.
Here’s a decent breakdown of leather types: https://bosca.com/blog/types-of-leather-a-glossary/
“the real lpt is in the comments”
love to wear animal flesh
deleted by creator
Wear, not so much. Mostly to sit on!
plant based leather exists
Is it really leather, though?
One for the philosophers.
I can’t believe it’s not leather!
-Fabio
is soy milk really milk, though?
nope.
do I care?
nope. love the stuff.
That’s fine, but if you’re going to advocate for an alternative product, you should believe in it enough not to pretend it’s the thing it’s supposed to replace or that the people you’re trying to convince are too stupid to notice the difference.
If you enjoy it great.
Except for a few specific cases, indo not enjoy them at all… Oat milk is okay if the milk is not a major player in taste. Coconut milk is good if you want a coconutty taste.
Personally I prefer soymilk and almond milk for cereal, but I’ll stick to regular milk products for most sauces/cooking.
Dark chocolate almond milk is my favorite splurge.
The “leather” made from cork is pretty amazing.
Yeah I have a cork-leather wallet, it’s awesome. Lasting better than my prior two supposedly leather ones. Not sure it would work as a belt though, idk
Well yes but my wallet is cool and on a chain
is it a genuine metal chain?
Leather’s gross anyway. Who wants to be like buffalo Bill? Haha
Me! I’d fuck me!
In one of those 70s Fat Albert episodes, I think it was Rudy who one day showed up wearing a jacket of “genuine imitation leather”. That term has stuck with me for decades.
I forget what product this was, but there was a supplement once that bragged about its “genuine placebo effect”.
