Split leather is the bottom part of the hide, i.e the flesh side, it’s not the same qualities of the grain side by any means. Visually it can be deceiving as it can appear to an untrained eye to be corrected or leather that’s been embossed.
Due to its qualities it’s used a great deal in non wear areas. In very thick hides, the middle split can be separated in to multiple layers, this can be used for bicast leather or for suede, suede is buffed and sanded, where as bicast has a pu coating applied to it.
When split leather is used on sofas is more commonly on less expensive leather sofas or in ares that do not get as much wear like the sides and backs.
You can tell the split quickly due to its finish failing, it can have a great deal of cracks in the leather like hair line cracking, and stretch out of shape. Splits surfaces are manufactured to produce a grain like structure to them, when damage occurs on splits it can remove this grain fully making it very difficult to reproduce this correctly.
Cleaning of Splits is exactly the same as pigmented coated leather skin. With a split leather hide being very weak in structure its use in non wear areas, when its finished in a tannery, its given a false grain pattern and is fully pigmented coated.
With a water test you will find that the water just sits on the surface, so a pigmented form of restoration can be carried out with care, it has to be with care due to its weak structure after being split from the bottom of the hide.
Always keep the leather protected to avoid unnecessary damage taking place. You can also have a leather stain protection system applied to the split leather finish
