How to distinguish natural leather from artificial leather? People are puzzled by this question when they go shopping for new shoes, a purse, a bag, a raincoat or a jacket. The times in which it was possible to identify an imitation passed off as leather only by looking at the product are long gone. It is quite difficult to distinguish modern analogues of leather from natural ones, which is what unscrupulous sellers take advantage of.
Detailed article on the topic Pressed leather and its difference from real leather
But, despite the high quality of artificial materials, they are not identical to natural ones. Differences between leather and substitutes can be detected when purchasing items, you just need to know what exactly to look for. Of course, it is also necessary to imagine the characteristics that characterize materials.
Advantages of genuine leather products
Products made from genuine leather look much better and more solid than those made from leatherette. In addition, they are durable and practically do not wear out during long-term wear.
Genuine leather is highly durable. For example, a travel suitcase made of leatherette may burst if you put too many things in it. This will not happen with natural material.
Products made from genuine leather are resistant to the environment. They are not afraid of temperature changes, wind, cold, snow and rain.
Easy to care for. Dark items made from dermantine can be cleaned just as well as those made from genuine leather. The same cannot be said about light ones. For example, a beige leather bag will retain its natural color. It is enough to wipe it with a sponge in soapy water. And the surface made of light dermantine will absorb dust and dirt, and after a while it will change color.
In terms of its qualities, genuine leather is significantly superior to leatherette. Therefore, before purchasing new things, be sure to take this into account.
Trial by Fire
You need to bring a lit match to the wrong side of the product. The artificial leather will begin to melt and sizzle.
Genuine leather does not deteriorate. However, it is worth remembering that leather products can be treated with special substances that begin to burn when exposed to fire.
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Genuine Leather
This material is an animal skin, devoid of fur and processed in a special way.
| Dressing method | Description of characteristic features |
| Shagreen | Classic leather treated with plant-derived substances. This is how the skins of horses, donkeys, rams, and goats are tanned. The processing method was formed in Western Europe in the early Middle Ages. |
| Kid | This is how the skins of goats, pigs and sheep are tanned. The products and the material itself have a rather rough “simple” appearance. Such skin is “worth a stake.” |
| Varnishing | A universal and common method of dressing. The material is given a shiny appearance, the leather looks as if it has been varnished. In addition to its original appearance, the material processed in this way also acquires strength; such leather is difficult to pierce with a sewing needle or damage in any other way. |
| Suede | Leather, which resembles velvet in appearance, is made from the skins of cattle and wild animals, such as moose. |
Natural material, of course, cannot have a fabric or paper base. If something like this is present, the product is not leather.
Substitutes
It is not so difficult to distinguish real leather from a substitute if you imagine the characteristic features of artificial materials.
| Material type | Characteristics |
| Rubber | Rubber resins are used to make “leather” soles in shoe production, and various souvenirs, jewelry and fragments of products are often made from rubber. For example, the weaving on the hilt of a souvenir sword or dagger may well not be leather at all, but rubber. |
| Polyurethane | This synthetic resin is used, like rubber, to make shoe soles. But, unlike rubber resins, polyurethane resins do not have a “rubber effect,” which makes it possible to produce fabrics from them, from which wearable items, haberdashery items, and much more are then sewn. Distinctive features of polyurethane leather are multi-layered, the presence of a woven base and pronounced shine. |
| Polyvinyl materials | These are “vinyl leather”, PVC fabric and others. They are easy to recognize; if the product resembles oilcloth, then it is made of polyvinyl. Synthetic fabrics are used for the base, but not always. Modern substitutes of this type are made without a woven base. |
| Ecological leather | A substitute popular among “animal activists.” The material is unusually similar to natural both in appearance and in properties. The only thing that gives a substitute is the presence of a fibrous synthetic base or cotton fabric used in this capacity. |
| Microfiber | This material is a real fabric. It is woven from polyester and polyamide fibers. It is not difficult to distinguish microfiber from leather; just feel the item. |
Substitutes are not much inferior to leather, and sometimes even surpass it. For example, shoes made from suede will become unusable after a couple of walks on the sidewalk sprinkled with reagents, but boots made from an artificial analogue will last a long time. But of course, such material must be of high quality.
What is eco leather?
Artificial leather is a polymer film coating applied to knitted, fabric or non-woven fabric. Until recently, the most common polymer was polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the top layer of which was not breathable.
Eco-leather is a high-tech material; what distinguishes it from its predecessors is that it is breathable and made without the use of PVC. The film on it is formed by polyurethane. During operation, no harmful substances are released from the polymer film; it is environmentally friendly. It is literally penetrated by micropores, so eco-leather allows air and water vapor to pass through, but does not allow water to pass through.
The breathability of eco-leather is many times higher than that of genuine leather.
Eco-leather is warm to the touch; unlike natural leather, it is hypoallergenic. All in all, there are enough reasons to choose it. But if you prefer natural material, be prepared to carefully examine your purchase.
Product surface
Natural leather has a soft and smooth surface with small but noticeable pores and minor wrinkles. All this appears naturally, and therefore the surface of a leather product cannot be perfectly smooth.
Faux leather may have a slight shine, but it is free from porosity and wrinkles. Its relief is the result of machine embossing, so it will always be the same type.
How are leather items decorated?
Contrary to the widespread belief that manufacturers of things try to pass off artificial materials as natural, factories supply their products with labels that honestly contain information. In any case, this is what European and North American manufacturers do.
In the West, genuine leather is not only not held in high esteem, but wearing items made from it is considered bad manners, unless we are talking about classic and vintage items. But high-quality eco-leather and other high-quality substitutes are at the peak of demand. Therefore, there is no need to hide the true material.
Testing with water and fire
Water
If you drop a little water on the product, the natural leather will absorb the liquid and darken in this place. But water will drain from leatherette and the color will not change.
Fire
You need to light a match and touch it to your skin. The artificial material will melt, but the natural material will not be damaged. But this must be done with caution, since natural leather is treated with an aniline coating (for shine), which makes it flammable.
What should you pay attention to?
Despite the fact that the factory item is marked accordingly, you cannot blindly rely on the tag and label. Stores may well present counterfeits made from low-grade substitutes. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully inspect the product before purchasing it.
Attention should be paid to the following nuances:
- appearance;
- slice characteristics;
- tactile sensations;
- smell;
- strength, elasticity of the item and density of the material.
Of course, the choice of store is also important. In retail outlets that are intermediaries offering customers goods from a large number of manufacturers, the risk of purchasing an imitation product is very high.
Do you wear things made of genuine leather?
Not really
Appearance
How to distinguish genuine leather from artificial leather
So, let's look at some useful tips that will help us understand whether what is written on the label corresponds to reality.
Seams
Pay attention to the seams of the products. The seams on dermantine leather are usually smooth, while those on natural leather are slightly rough.
Naturalness
Genuine leather behaves like genuine (real) leather. If we squeeze it, it will wrinkle like our own skin. We may even see a slight color change. As soon as we smooth out the skin, it will return to its original appearance. Leatherette does not change its color and retains its texture under mechanical stress.
Thermal conductivity
Place your hand on a product made of genuine leather, after a while the material should warm up and become warm. Faux leather will not heat up and will remain cool.
Inner side
Please note that genuine leather always has two sides.
Although all of the above steps are focused on identifying a fake precisely by the outer part of the canvas, the inner surface can also show us something:
- Find the raw area on the wrong side. You will immediately see whether the film is glued on top or whether the material is solid.
- Study the edge: natural leather has an uneven and rough edge, while artificial leather has an even, smooth cut.
- On a cut of genuine leather you will see many intertwined fibers. If instead there is a fabric base, knitwear or non-woven material, then it is leatherette.
- The reverse part of natural high-quality leather is covered with short soft pile. If you run your hand over it, the color of the surface will change.
So, there are small hairs on the inside of natural leather, sometimes the texture resembles suede.
Synthetic leather does not have this effect. The only thing we can find on dermantine is small threads and knitted fibers.
Water experiment
It is often advised to check the skin for contact with moisture. Allegedly, natural leather will get wet, and water will drain from artificial leather. True, no one says where to get water in the store, or what the seller will say in response to an attempt to wet a product costing several thousand rubles.
But if you have already bought the item and want to test it at home, apply a few drops of water to the item. If water begins to be absorbed, this means that in front of you is a thing made of genuine leather. Water will simply drain from the leatherette.
Mechanical impact
Scratch a leather item with your fingernail a little and a characteristic dent will remain on it. Nothing will happen with high-quality leatherette, but with low-quality leather, the top layer will most likely come off.
Test by fire
For security reasons, we recommend that you perform the last final step only if you have already purchased the product. After all, if you damage an item in a store, the seller will definitely not like it and you will most likely be forced to compensate for losses or be forced to buy this item.
So, select a small piece of material, hidden from view, and direct the fire of a lighter or match onto it for a few seconds (up to 10 seconds). What will happen to natural leather? Practically nothing, it will not burn and will not change color. The only thing that can happen is a slight deformation and the release of gas with a mild odor. But artificial leather should quickly set and begin to burn or melt.
The above steps will undoubtedly help you accurately distinguish a fake from an original and choose high-quality products that will serve you for a long time. Also, when choosing products made from genuine leather, you should take into account that the price tag for such things is quite high. Don't chase low prices and discounts. This creates the possibility of falling for the bait of an unscrupulous seller.
External differences
There are many ways to distinguish substitutes from genuine leather. Differences can be found visually and experimentally. Of course, no seller will allow you to set fire to or cut material in a store, but anyone has the right to inspect the product being purchased.
Quality of stitching and internal seams
It is best to start your inspection from the reverse side. To do this, you need to find a sewn sample of the material from which the item is made. If a piece is not found, you should look inside the shoe, bag, jacket and find the stitched seam.
Features of genuine leather:
- there should be no threads, textile lining or base sticking out from the area where the parts of the product are connected;
- natural material does not delaminate;
- The inside is rough to the touch and has traces of underpainting.
Reference! Natural things are more expensive because parts from them are more difficult to sew. They are thicker and denser than artificial material.
Material thickness and edge
Faux leather is thinner than its natural counterpart. Artificial material is usually thinner. It has a smooth and even edge.
The naturalness of the material is confirmed by its rough edge.
Elasticity and color when pressed or bent
A fake is usually revealed by its creases when folded and its smooth standard shade. The substitute usually changes color at the bend.
Natural material quickly takes shape after deformation. It has a unique pattern and slight porosity.
Relief and pores of the material
Take a closer look at the texture of the product. If you do not see the pores or notice their identical and symmetrical arrangement, then this is artificial leather. Natural material has random porosity and small wrinkles on the surface.
Backing (fiber or fabric)
Leatherette has a textile or knitted base. It can be smooth and well-made. Natural has a fibrous inner surface.
Do you need to focus on the price tag?
Is it possible to find out what a product is made of by looking at the price tag? Paradoxical as it may seem, price is not a guarantee of naturalness. For example, the prestigious Italian shoe brand San Marino in Europe has been using ecological patent leather, that is, a substitute, for the manufacture of boots, shoes, ankle boots and other products for a decade now. And these shoes are expensive, much more expensive than, for example, Zenden products made exclusively from natural materials.
In other words, the cost of a branded item made by a Western brand is not an indicator of naturalness, rather the opposite.
But with Russian manufacturers things are different. Russian people are not ready to give up wearing natural things, which is why domestic manufacturers value this material several times higher than their artificial counterparts. For example, a typical women's leather jacket without insulation, made in Russia, made of leather, costs from 10,000 to 12,000 rubles in the Snow Queen chain.
