Black Leather Wallets: Which Type Is The Best?

When it comes to buying genuine leather wallets, most men typically think of black leather wallets, since they are, relatively, the coolest looking leather wallets out there. Black as a choice of color is one of the most appreciated amongst the customers since it is one of the most chic and charismatic options you can get your hands on. This, however, creates an issue as the cheap, undesired wallet producers know this and create their black leather wallets to trick you into giving your hard earned money for their possibly fake and definitely poor quality leather wallets. But don’t worry. After reading this, you will have a deeper understanding of black leather wallets and can be confident with your future purchases.

Different Leather Types and How Good They Look With Black

As most men can guess, wallets have a vast selection of different leather types to choose from. 

These range from full grain leather to corrected leather. As each different type of leather has different attributes to it, they tend to show some colors differently than the others. This is why we need to know more about each type of leather and how they affect the black look of the wallet.

Full Grain Leather Wallets

When leather is cut and processed in order to be used in the product of choice, there is an operation called sanding, which removes some of the imperfections and textures of the leather. The grades of leather is determined by how much polishing is done on this cut of leather before it is used on the product. In this first case, full grain leathers are literally what the name suggests: they are fully grained with no sanding and polishing done on the outer layer of the leather. This creates a natural feeling texture on the product while keeping the costs of production fairly lower than the polished ones. However, we do not recommend buying a black wallet with full grain leather, as they most likely won’t have any shine on it, stopping it from looking tidy and chic. We believe the best black leather should have a natural shine that will give it the ‘premium’ effect. Thus, you should reserve full grain leather wallets for colors like brown or dark green as they tend to look best with these colors, creating a natural look.

Top Grain Leather Wallets

Similar to full grain leather, top grain leather also has some imperfections and a nice texture on its outer layer. However, top grain leathers still go through the process of sanding and polishing, removing some of the imperfections and undesired textures on the top of the skin. This creates a nice balance between the water resistance and general durability levels of the leather and its visual appearance. With this leather, going back to the main topic of color black, the colors look much more pleasing to the eye compared to full grain leather wallets. You should still mind the fact that there are going to be some heavy texture and imperfections on it. Nevertheless, if this doesn’t bother you, you can choose them for a more natural, all black look.  

Genuine Leather (Corrected Leather) Wallets

Next on the list is the perfect candidate for colored leather wallets. Corrected leathers are leathers that have gone through more immense processes of sanding and buffing compared to the previous leather types we have mentioned, creating a way more polished and perfect look. They are smooth, soft to the touch and also resilient enough to be used without worry. As we have mentioned, having little to no imperfections, they can reflect the tone of the black the wallet has greatly, having a simple yet powerful shine with some character. They are your go-to type of leather if you are interested in buying a black leather that will look chic, charismatic or professional. 

Split Grain Leather Wallets

Split Grain Leathers are cuts of the lower parts of the hide that have been used for material. They are chosen from the lower levels of the hide, being closer to the flesh of the animal the leather comes from and being on a level lower than the full grain and top grain leather thresholds. The surface of these leathers are not as dense as other leathers such as top or full grain leathers, making it more usefull for crafts and paintings while not losing much on the side of resillance and longevity. This makes them a great contender against genuine leathers as they can show the blacks of a wallet as nicely as a genuine leather can. There is still one thing you should remember, however. This leather is still grained, meaning that it will have some texture and imperfections that might not be for everybody. So, choosing between a genuine leather and a split grain leather walllet comes down to personal preference of wheter liking the textured feel on your wallet or not. You can basically go to a premium store that will have wallets made out of both these materials and test them with your fingers in order to be more aware of your personal preference before finalizing your decision of buying a black leather wallet. 

Bonded Leather (Reconstituted Leather) Wallets

Last on our list is more of a warning than a suggestion. Bonded leather is a type of material that is made out of using different types of leather scraps, combining them with the use of various chemicals or processes in order to finish with a material that is not completely leather. The amount of leather in these types of materials vary from ten percent to ninety percent, but the gist of it is that they are not fully leather. They are, in a sense, recycled or reused materials that are made to be efficient and low in costs. Thus, if you want to have a premium experience and a look on your black wallet, then we suggest passing on wallets that are made out of bonded leathers.