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synthetic leather

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3 comments

  • rufe-snow
    No offense! But any time I see the words SYNTHETIC or COMPOSITES, I want to roll on the floor and bust a gut laughing. I use to work in the aerospace industry, those are the weasel words they used so they wouldn't have to say plastic. They didn't want to tell folks that a lot of the parts of the planes they were riding in were made of plastic, so they would pass them off as being SYNTHETICS or COMPOSITES.
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  • asphalt cowboy
    Yup, plastic. Most ussualy vynle.

    The problems with leather arise from using chromium salts tanned hide. Leather that has been vegetable tanned won't itself cause rust. Most any reputable manufacterer will state that their products are made with veg tan or oak tanned leather.
    I have seen some who actually manage to sell products claiming to use chrome tan leather.
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
    No offense! But any time I see the words SYNTHETIC or COMPOSITES, I want to roll on the floor and bust a gut laughing. I use to work in the aerospace industry, those are the weasel words they used so they wouldn't have to say plastic. They didn't want to tell folks that a lot of the parts of the planes they were riding in were made of plastic, so they would pass them off as being SYNTHETICS or COMPOSITES.


    Yeah, "synthetic" leather is just plastic, aka "PLEATHER".

    There are different types of material used for this purpose, some better than others.

    The vinyl-based fake leathers usually suck (eg Naugauhyde), but there are polyurethane-based ones that are a little permeable to air and can "breathe" a bit (eg, the now obsolete Corfam). Polyester based fake suedes can be reasonable for certain applications.

    Incidentally, there is a difference between a "synthetic" (which is any man-made material) and a "composite" (which by definition contains multiple materials stuck together). "Composites" can offer real benefit combining different properties from two different materials. The classic example of a composite is concrete (stone + cement).

    As to which fake leather is good to carry guns in, I don't know. I'd want a COMPOSITE [;)] with a soft interior (to prevent scratches and reduce bumping), but a tough and breathable exterior (eg cordura nylon) to prevent wear from abrasion.
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