Ushsla.org Domain Acquired by TheQuintEssentialMan

The website ushsla.org was merged with thequintessentialman.com in 2021 when the latter acquired the domain. Archived USHSLA content continues to be available through QMan to promote the North American leather industry, as well as leather as a durable, sustainable, quality material.

About Ushsla.org

Founded in 1979, the United States Hide, Skin, and Leather Association (USHSLA) was a trade organization devoted to providing members industry information, resources and support. In 2020, USHSLA and the US Tanning Association (LIA) merged to form the new Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA), which continues to support dozens of member companies across the US and around the world.

Leather is a billion-dollar industry, but not all leather is created equal. At QMan, we believe in promoting standard best practices for the leather industry, including traceability back to the point of origin and quality control. We strive to be as transparent as possible when promoting goods on our site, and this includes differentiating the grade of leather used in production.

Types of leather and what they mean:

Full-grain leather (Top of the hide; full grain details remain intact; leather ages beautifully with time)
Top-grain leather (Top of the hide; buffed and pigmented to look uniform; wipes clean easily)
Split-grain leather (Bottom of the hide; artificially grain embossed and pigmented; no breathability)
Genuine leather (Bottom of the hide; heavily processed; lower quality but lower price)
Bonded leather (Not real leather; combination of plastic and fiber content with a ground-up leather backing; no breathability)

Check out some of our leather product round-ups here:

At QMan, we strive to only spotlight quality products from quality brands, and to be as transparent as possible when providing our readers with product information. This includes leather quality. Whether it’s in a pair of boots, gloves, or a duffle bag, leather is a sought-after material, and our readers can rest assured that considering the quality and type of leather is a part of our review process.

Karyn

Karyn Gray is a Montreal-based editor and writer best known for her self-published book Black Sheep through her company GraySide Projects; her time as Managing Editor of both Canadian arts & culture magazine ION and the niche bi-annual graffiti magazine Under Pressure; and her tenure as a localization editor for several major Hollywood studios. Her likes include the ocean, the Sunday New York Times crossword, globe-trotting, Gothic novels, and her lordly chihuahua, Faux Mulder.