The difference between utilizing objects created with leather and other materials is chalk and cheese. From durability to quality, everything about leather objects is a selling point. That’s why despite being expensive, everyone prefers leather over other materials.
The only problem is that you can’t get the finishing, durability, quality from the fake leather items easily available in the market. Moreover, the seller can pull the wool in your eyes by selling artificial leather objects at a high cost because of the lack of knowledge.
Hence, if you don’t want to waste money on things made up of artificial leather, then stick with us till the end of the article. Because we’re going to explain how you can save your money by identifying real vs. fake leather in eight different ways.
Choose High-Quality Leather
The first thing you should consider while purchasing is the type of leather you want. Though all leathers are composed of animal skin, only specialists know that there is a large variety of leather.
Sometimes salesmen play with words and say that the product is created with “Genuine leather,” which is also a type of leather but not a luxurious type. Besides, if you only want to buy genuine leather, then always choose the full grain and top grain leather for durability and quality.
Check the Product
Ever wonder what the difference between things composed of expensive leather and inexpensive artificial leather?
It’s the finishing and quality. Although real leather doesn’t have perfection and finishes like fake leather. Still, premium-quality sewing, natural finishing, rough texture, and high-quality accessories in a product are enough to indicate genuine and artificial leather.
The Surface of Genuine Leather
Checking the surface of the leather is the best way to find whether the leather is original or not. You only have to remember the specific pattern difference between pure and artificial leather. The surface of artificial leather is uniform with evenly spread pores. In contrast, pure leather doesn’t have a consistent pattern on the surface.
The Look of Pure Leather
If you think that the pure leather looks perfect with a smooth texture, you’re overshooting the mark. Since pure leather is made from animal skin, you can easily see creases and wrinkles on it.
So, don’t reject clothes, furniture, bags, or anything just because it doesn’t meet the requirements of perfection. Also, always choose an item that looks imperfect and has tiny pores, an inconsistent pattern on the surface.
Smell the Object
You can also identify fake leather by smelling the object. Just don’t forget that it’s not easy to recognize pure leather by smell, particularly if you are buying leather for the first time. You can easily get confused after smelling several products. Consequently, it is better to know the smell of pure leather.
- Real leather smells smoky or a little bit burnt.
- Fake leather smells like plastic.
The Weight of Pure Leather
Checking the weight while buying leather objects is an excellent way to identify fake leather. Don’t forget that fake leather is lighter than pure leather as it is made of plastic. At the same time, pure leather is heavy because it is produced from the animal’s skin. So make sure to hold the object and compare the weight before purchasing.
Don’t Buy Cheap Leather
You can find many sellers in the market who claim the thing you’re purchasing is made up of genuine leather, and they’re selling you at a low price. Don’t fall into their trap because:
“Buy cheap, buy twice.”
In the end, it’s a salesman who wants to sell the products, and quality doesn’t matter to them. The only thing they want from their customers is to make the purchase again for profit. Plus, real leather is expensive, and no store owner sells their high-priced products at a low price.
Test the Object
If you’re still confused about the procedure of identifying real vs. fake leather. Then these two tests work amazingly. With these tests, you can quickly distinguish between genuine and faux leather.
Test with Water
- Hold one side of the leather object.
- Place water on it.
- If the product absorbs moisture, then it is genuine leather, otherwise don’t buy it.
Test with Fire
- Hold a small piece of the product.
- Use a lighter and flame up the piece for up to 10 seconds.
- If it catches flame and burns, then it is fake leather.
- If it only burnt a little bit and didn’t smell like plastic, it is real leather.
Note: Do fire test only if you own the product.
Conclusion
Undeniably, leather objects are ideal to utilize because of their amazing features. Even though it is expensive, it’s still worth your money. After all, you’ll get the durability, quality, finishing, all features in the product. Just make sure that you’re buying items made of real leather.
If you have any queries about identifying real vs. fake leather, write in the comment section below.