There are types of leather fabric that have many similar qualities and do not differ much externally from each other. You can attribute nubuck and suede to them. Immediately a person will not be able to determine what the differences are, therefore, quite often it acquires not what he needs. Unscrupulous sellers may give out not too expensive materials for better analogues. Therefore, you should know how to distinguish one from another and buy the right thing, which can last a long time. It is also important to consider some of the nuances when caring for items of clothing and shoes made from such materials.
Characteristics
Suede is one of the most expensive and high-quality types of polished leather. It is made from the skins of large wild animals. This raw material is processed through fat tanning, after which the material acquires the following qualities: fineness and velvety, high soft pile. If the skin is secreted in this way, it is hygienic, it perfectly passes air flows, and it can be stretched without any problems. The material retains its original shape and aesthetic, neat appearance for quite a long time. Suede is not able to cause allergies, it is absolutely safe for adults, children and animals.
But there is a minus. The fabric is unstable to moisture, so items made from it should not be worn in the rain. You need to use special tools that can repel water. They should handle shoes and clothes so that they can protect things and allow them to serve the owner for a long time.
Nubuck is made from bulk cattle hides. The material is subjected to chrome tanning.Grinding also occurs with the help of small abrasive materials. Due to this treatment, the pile is not too long; the fabric is practically not stretched. The surface can become greasy quite quickly, especially without proper care of things.
Nubuck fabric has a porous surface, so the skin can breathe. It is also afraid of liquid, without the use of special impregnation it may lose its beautiful appearance.
There are several types of nubuck.
- Artificial. Externally, it can be confused with natural material, it serves for a long time, reliable and durable. But there is no "breathing" effect. Breathability is extremely low. It has a low cost. A good option for those who need an inexpensive, but rather high-quality thing.
- Nubuck Oil It has a fat impregnation that adequately protects the elements from getting wet.
What is the difference?
It is important to see the difference in materials on time, otherwise you can get completely different from what was planned. There are exact differences that will help you choose quality things. The texture of the nubuck is velvety, the surface is soft. It is created by polishing.
A few more differences from nubuck suede.
- It is necessary to evaluate the quality of the material. To perform suede, deer or elk skin is almost always used. Nubuck is made from cattle hides.
- As mentioned earlier, when making materials, various manufacturing methods are used.
- Fabrics are extremely similar to each other, but nubuck can easily be distinguished from suede items. Its villi are much lower than suede. Also, suede cloths are most often bilateral, and the nubuck is velvety on only one of the sides (front).
- Suede will stretch well, but nubuck is a dense material with little elasticity.
- Materials can be easily distinguished by hand. Manufacturers process suede fabric on both sides, so it will be softer and more tender than nubuck.
- Materials do not like liquid and moisture, they poorly tolerate contact with them, but nubuck is more sensitive to their effects.
- Suede retains its presentation longer than its counterpart.
- Nubuck should be handled more carefully, it serves less than suede.
- Nubuck has a low price, while suede is the most expensive type of leather.
You can easily distinguish velor from suede and nubuck. One has only to look at the structure. One side of the velor is smooth, the other has a pile (short and thick). This material can often be confused with suede fabrics due to pile, but lower quality raw materials are used for its manufacture. The manufacturing technology of velor is simplified. That is why it has a low price and short life. It is made from extremely thick types of skin (pig and cow) and raw materials that have been damaged.
How to care?
To ensure proper care guarantees a long life of the item, you should choose a good and high-quality brush for each of the materials. Nubuck webs are harder, therefore, if you use a brush for them when caring for suede, you can damage the soft fluff and make the item look less aesthetic and attractive.
A few more helpful tips and tricks for cleaning at home:
- Before using shoes, it is better to treat them with impregnation, which will repel debris, moisture and dirt. It is worth doing this several times, having waited some time to dry the shoes after each application.
- It is better to clean the material with special rubber brushes, which can easily be found in any specialized store. If it is not possible to use a brush, you should try to get rid of dirt with a simple eraser or fine sandpaper (nulevka).
- During operation, use sprays for care. Before applying, it is better to get rid of the dirt on the shoes with a wet sponge and dry things.
In order not to fall for the tricks of cunning sellers, you need to know about the qualities of a variety of materials. It is worth choosing shoes carefully and carefully, because it depends on how long it can last without losing its beautiful appearance.
About the features of caring for suede and nubuck, see below.
