How to Identify Real Leather
Leather is one of the most sought-after materials when it comes to luxury fashion, yet it's one of the most imitated. If you're purchasing a product that claims to be real leather and has the price tag to match, you want to ensure that what you're buying is genuine. Despite this, a lot of people don't know how to identify genuine leather. There are multiple tell-tale signs that expose fake leather that you need to look out for. It doesn't merely come down to the appearance, but also the feel and smell of the product.
Many fashion products are made from leather, from luxury leather bracelets to trendy leather jackets. So, what should you look for when evaluating the authenticity of a leather product?
Check the Surface
The surface of genuine leather will contain small pores and imperfections, whereas the pattern of fake leather will be much more regimented. Leather is a natural material, meaning that its print won't be perfectly formed. Not only will real leather contain pores, but it may also have wrinkles, creases, and scratches.
As well as this imperfect appearance, leather will wrinkle when you apply pressure to it, like any skin. This won't be the case for synthetic leather as even the best imitations won't be able to act as skin.
Smell the Product
The smell of leather is greatly recognizable so this will be the largest giveaway of whether your product is real or fake. The smell of leather can be described as natural and musty, whereas the synthetic alternative will smell like plastic or chemicals. Though the imitations of leather a getting more and more convincing, the smell of leather is not something that can be created with manmade materials.
Use the Fire Test
This test should be carried out with great caution, and you should ensure that you only apply it to a small and unnoticeable area. When real leather comes into contact with a flame, it will char and smell slightly like burnt hair. On the other hand, faux leather will actually catch fire and smell strongly of burning plastic.
Therefore, if you have a suspicion that your leather product isn't genuine, you should probably avoid this method. At the very least, you should have everything on hand to extinguish a flame if need be. Ultimately, this should be your last port of call, after you have investigated every other feature and still haven't reached a conclusion.
Check the Edges
Due to the naturalness of leather, the edges will be rough as they'll be made of strands that will inevitably fray around the edges. In contrast, faux leather will have perfect edges, as it will have been crafted by a machine. In many cases, imperfection is what you're after when it comes to leather products.
Bend the Product
Genuine leather has a unique elasticity that can't be mimicked by synthetic imitations. Faux leather is typically difficult to bend and won't naturally wrinkle or change color when bent, unlike real leather.
Drop Water on the Product
Genuine leather will absorb small drops of water within seconds; this is something that plastic can't match. Even the best imitations will just allow the water to sit on top of the surface and eventually roll off.
Evaluate the Cost
One of the biggest exposing factors of whether the leather is real or fake is the price tag. Genuine leather doesn't come cheap so if the price seems too good to be true it probably is. Do your research about the typical cost of your leather product to give you an idea of what you're looking for.
