What is blended leather?

What's the difference between bridle and harness leather?

• I'm interested in full grain and top grain leather, and trying to find a belt that is going to last. I see a good number of belts calling themselves 'bridle' leather, or 'harness' leather, or 'latigo' leather, but basic Googling/Wikipedia-ing brings up nothing! Any leather experts care to enlighten? I'm most curious about their aging/wear -- is this grain corrected or bonded crap or is this grain-untouched, dyed and ready-to-be-broken-in beautiful?

• Answer:

  I'm going from memory here, so don't take this as gospel. Top grain versus full: the former grain is assisted in the tanning process, the latter isn't. Harness/bridle -- basically the same vegetable tanned cowhide, but the bridle may have a different stuffing (oils and fats) than harness depending on the tanner. And there's the rub, or at least part of it: some terms are somewhat flexible in their use and not strictly standardized, at least in part because the recipes and techniques are often trade secrets. One tanner's harness might be another's bridle, just (generally) thicker. Latigo is usually a mixed chrome/oil tan with similar characteristics to well handled veg-tan harness. Not as sharp/firm, and less likely to take on a personalized appearance through wear and handling. For a belt? How it's made is at least as important as from what.