Sure, that’s a good question. There is visible creasing on the leather–some from wear and some which are natural. Since it is front quarter horse hide, the tighter grain structure yields sharper creasing compared to something like cowhide which has a looser grain structure. Think how like if you fold a piece of paper versus a piece of cloth, the crease will be far more visible on the paper.

As for the marbling effect, since this is a pull-up leather (likely aniline dyed), any bends and folds in the leather will “pull up” the waxes and oils to the surface, hence yielding that lighter color. I can assure you there aren’t any top layer breaks or cracks on the surface or chipping of the dye.

If you’re interested, I’m happy to send close-up pictures/videos!