There are 3 main grades of real leather, ranked according to the part of the hide it comes from and the treatment method.
At the top of the chain is full-grain leather. It refers to the top most layer of the hide that hasn’t been buffed out or sanded, so it still retains the original texture and markings. With its one-of-a-kind look and extreme durability, full-grain leather is widely coveted as the best and highest-quality leather money can buy.
The next best is top-grain leather, which has undergone light buffing to give it a uniform and ‘smooth’ finish. It’s one of the most common types of quality leather found in high-end goods - think luxury handbags and wallets.
At the bottom of the pyramid there’s ‘genuine’ leather, which simply put, is animal hide that’s been split many times, sanded smooth and stamped with an artificial grain pattern to look like high quality leather. It is not very durable and thus, not recommended for everyday use.