Want to boast a luxury appeal of your belongings? There’s nothing better than exuding a real leather jacket or a bag for an extravagant impression.
But if you think you’re getting real leather at a reasonable price or from every hook and corner of the market, give your purchase a second thought. Why? Because real leather isn’t easy to find at every store. And if you do, most chances are it is fake, and the shopkeeper is simply making money from fooling you.
Leather products, whether apparel or accessories are luxurious and well-crafted and, thus, expensive. So, if you plan to invest a hefty amount in leather, ensure you’re buying the genuine one to avoid purchasing the fake types, which are easily available.
In this blog, you will get a comprehensive guide on how to identify real leather.
Types Of Leather
Before we tell you some tips on distinguishing real vs. fake leather, you must spare a few minutes to focus on each real and fake type.
Real Leather
Real leather is the top or full grain leather, which is the real deal. Made of animal hides, mostly of cows, this is the only leather you can truly call genuine and authentic. Today, other than cow hides, real leather is manufactured using buffalo, crocodile, deer, and ostrich hides.
Faux Leather
Many faux leather manufacturers, nonetheless, employ some misleading words to label their goods and prove them to be made of authentic leather. Instead of the words “faux or fake leather,” you’ll see some of the following terms used:
- Vegan leather
- PU leather
- Pleather
- Leatherette
- Synthetic leather
- Piñatex leather
- Ocean leather
How To Identify Authentic Leather?
There are many ways to determine whether the leather you have in front of you is authentic. Some of them are as follows:
Check The Label
The easiest way for you to check the authenticity of the leather is by checking the label. Both genuine and fake leather types will be marked and labelled; if you see anything written like vegan leather, synthetic leather or the terms mentioned below, it means it’s not real.
Be aware of the fact that fake leather is often used to sound as if it is real when, in real, it contains meagre quality leather infused with other materials and binders.
Smell The Product
Although it is awkward standing at a store smelling their handbags or other leather-made goodies, it is one of the biggest indicators of determining whether it’s real leather.
If you have been using real leather, you’d agree that the original leather has a distinct smell that cannot be mimicked in fake leather products. And even if you’re not, practice with some original leather products frequently, and you will realize as time passes.
Examine The Appearance
Likewise, you can examine the appearance of the leather product to identify whether it’s genuine or not. If you look closely at a leather pencil case, you will find it’s made of fake leather and a machine-made piece.
On the other hand, genuine grain leather has natural imperfections, such as rough edges and a different texture. On the contrary, fake leather typically has a steadier pattern, perfect edges, as well as a uniform texture.
Feel the Fabric
Amongst many qualities of leather is its fabric, which is the primary factor in recognizing its genuineness. For example, if you are familiar with real leather, take anything made of it and perform a touch test to identify if it’s also made of real leather.
Those habitual of using leather goods can tell by touching the mere fabric whether it’s real or not. But for your information, genuine leather is soft and slightly stretchy to feel. Holding a piece of genuine leather will warm with your body heat and will remain flexible.
Unlike real leather, faux leather feels cold and plastic-like. Also, it doesn’t stretch.
Look At The Pores
Last but not least, don’t forget to check the pores of the leather. If it’s perfect, then definitely it’s too good to be true. Real leather has a consistent pattern of pores because it’s organic. However, the manufactured or synthetic leather has fewer pores and a seamless design.
Other Things To Consider
Still sceptical about whether you can identify real vs faux leather? Keep in mind the following pointers to help you identify genuine leather.
Genuine leather is more costly
It is true that the price of certain products actually determines if it’s what it’s being told. Remember, natural leather is way more expensive than synthetic leather. Reason? It’s superior quality and the exceptional craftsmanship involved in its production.
Genuine leather is waterproof
Try doing a water test by sprinkling a few drops on your leather product. The real one, which hasn’t been waterproofed before, will readily absorb water, while the faux leather will repel it.
The back of synthetic leather looks like paper
If possible, try looking at the backside of the leather product. If it is fake leather, the back would appear as paper or fabric. In addition, the back of a faux leather product would be slightly different in colour in contrast with authentic leather goods.
Genuine leather is not as rigid as faux leather
Take a leather piece and mould it. It will curve easily, wrinkle easily, and change its colour slightly. In fact, there would be elasticity in genuine leather, which cannot be found in synthetic ones.
Don’t be persuaded by colour
Both of them can be dyed well. So don’t let the colour influence your decision. Use other ways, such as its fabric, feel and so forth, to identify its genuineness.
The Key Takeaway
In short, leather items are an expensive investment and, thus, demand extensive research on whether it is fake or real. With people fooling around about your lack of awareness, it is crucial today to distinguish between fake and genuine leather before spending huge bucks on purchasing leather items.
Using the tips mentioned above and constant practice, you can find whether you are about to purchase a natural or synthetic leather product worth the cost. Knowing so, you’ll save yourself money and problems when buying leather goods.