Leather items are of a higher quality than those made with any synthetic fiber, by virtue of their rich and elegant finishes. Nowadays there are various synthetic materials with a leather-like appearance on the market at a much cheaper price. There are also products that are only partially made of genuine leather, but which are labeled as "real leather" or "made of real leather": ambiguous terms used by sellers to deceive customers. If you are going to buy a high-quality - rather expensive - product you need to be able to distinguish genuine leather from synthetic on your own.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Distinguish Genuine from Faux Leather
Step 1. Be wary of products that do not expressly claim to be genuine leather
If you find the indication "Artificial product", it is certainly synthetic material; however, if you do not find any indication, there is a very good chance that the manufacturer wanted to conceal the fact that it is not real leather. Obviously, second-hand products may have lost the label, but most manufacturers boast the quality of their product and label it accordingly as:
- Real leather.
- Real leather.
- Grain or full grain leather.
- Made with animal products.
Step 2. Check the grain on the surface, the small "pebbles" and the pores, looking for imperfections and peculiarities:
excellent real leather indicators. Imperfections on the leather are a good sign: remember that it is animal skin, therefore each item is original and unique, like the animal it comes from. Regular, symmetrical and similar veins often characterize a machine made product.
- Genuine leather may have marks, wrinkles and wrinkles - these are all positive characteristics!
- Remember that as manufacturers specialize, they become better and better at imitating real leather. Therefore, shopping online, where you can only rely on photographs, can be risky.
Step 3. Apply pressure to the leather to look for wrinkles or wrinkles
Genuine leather creases to the touch, just like skin does, while a synthetic material usually collapses under finger pressure, but retains its stiffness and shape.
Step 4. Smell the leather, for a natural old-fashioned smell instead of the chemical smell typical of plastic
If you have no idea what the typical smell of leather is, go to a leather shop and examine some bags and shoes. Ask if synthetic leather items are also available and try to smell them - once you know exactly what smell you are looking for, the difference will become obvious.
Remember that real leather is simply processed animal skin, while faux leather is made of plastic. It may seem obvious, but in the first case you will smell of leather, while in the second of plastic
Step 5. Use the fire test, bearing in mind that you may partially damage the product
Although there are some circumstances in which burning an item may be preferable to not testing it at all, this experiment works if there is a small hidden area on which to test, such as the underside of a sofa. Bring the flame to the designated area for about 5-10 seconds to test it:
- Genuine leather will slightly blacken and have a faint smell of burnt hair.
- The faux leather will catch fire and smell like burnt plastic.
Step 6. Check the edges, as genuine leather has irregular edges, while faux leather has perfect and symmetrical edges
The machined leather has sharp and precise edges, while the real leather is made of different fringes that fray naturally along the edges. The faux leather made from plastic does not have such fringes, that is, it has the edges cut with precision.
Step 7. Fold the leather, checking if it changes color slightly, as the original one does
As with the "wrinkle proof", when folded, real leather has a unique elasticity and changes color by wrinkling naturally. On the contrary, imitation leather is much more rigid and regular and folds with greater difficulty.
Step 8. Pour a few drops of water on the leather product, as real leather is able to absorb moisture
If the product is not authentic, the water will simply collect on the surface; on the contrary, the original leather will absorb a small amount in seconds, thus showing you its authenticity.
Step 9. Remember that genuine leather products are rarely cheap
A product made entirely of genuine leather is quite expensive and is usually sold everywhere for the same price. Go shopping and take a look at the prices of items in genuine leather, imitation leather and synthetic leather to understand the differences. Among the leather items, those made with cowhide have the highest price due to its particular resistance and other properties derived from tanning. Split leather, which is a separate substrate from the surface leather, is less expensive than full grain leather as well as strap leather.
- If the price is so good that it doesn't seem real, then it probably isn't authentic material - genuine leather is expensive.
- Although all genuine leather products are much more expensive than fake ones, there are some types of genuine leather at the most varied prices.
Step 10. Pay no attention to color, as colored leather can also be original
A leather furniture item in a bright blue color may not look natural, but that does not mean that it is not made of real leather. Colors and dyes can be added to both natural and synthetic leather, so do not focus attention on this point, but stick to the tactile sensation, smell and texture to establish its originality.
Method 2 of 2: Knowing the Different Types of Genuine Leather
Step 1. Know that "real leather" is just one of several types of real leather on the market
Most people are mainly concerned with distinguishing real leather from fake or synthetic leather, but experts know that there are different types of real leather, of which "real leather" is only the second least valuable. From the most precious to the least refined, the types of genuine leather are:
- Full grain leather;
- Grain leather;
- Real leather;
- Regenerated leather.
Step 2. Buy full grain leather only for the most exclusive products
It is a type of leather that uses the most superficial layer of leather - the one in contact with the air - which is the most resistant, long-lasting and appreciated. It is left incomplete, which means it has unique features, creases and color. Due to the smaller amount of leather present on the surface and the difficulty of processing due to its resistance, the cost is understandably high.
Be careful, as some manufacturers claim that a product such as a chair or sofa is "made of full grain leather" even if only parts of it are. This is another reason why it is rarely recommended to buy a product without having seen it
Step 3. Look for full grain leather for a high quality product at a more reasonable price
The most common type of fine leather is the grain one, which includes the layer of leather immediately below the full grain, lightly worked to eliminate imperfections. It is smoother and more homogeneous than full grain leather, but also easier to work with, therefore less expensive.
While not as durable as full grain, it is still a tough and well crafted type of leather
Step 4. Know that “real leather” usually has a suede or softer side to the touch
This is achieved by removing the more expensive layers of leather from the surface, then using the softer and easier to work layer underneath. It is not as durable as grain or full grain leather, but it is much cheaper, as it can be easily worked and made into a number of different products.
Remember that real leather is just a specific layer, not the definition of real leather. If you request a genuine leather product in a leather shop, you will be presented with a specific type of product
Step 5. Avoid bonded leather, which is made up of ground and glued leather chips
Although it is still leather, it is not a regular and homogeneous piece of animal hide, but a collection of shavings from all other layers that are collected, ground and mixed with an adhesive liquid to create a single piece. Although it is cheap, it is of poor quality.
