Leather or pleather? Discerning real leather from convincing knockoffs is tricky. As leather goods grow in popularity, so does the market for synthetic duplicates. In this post, we'll share insider tips to help you determine if a bag is genuine leather or faux. You'll learn what clues to look for in texture, smell, markings, and more. We aim to help you become an expert at spotting the difference between real and fake leather. Armed with this practical knowledge, you can shop confidently and find long-lasting items that are worth the investment. Whether you're on the hunt for luxe designer bags or just want to pick up quality basics, our guide will equip you to recognize authentic leather when you see it. Let's dive in!
1. Drip test:
If water drips on the bag, it will look absorbent. If the bag is highly absorbent, it is obviously natural leather, and conversely, it may be artificial leather.
2. Tensile force and elasticity test:
Pull the leather surface of the bag. If it feels elastic, it is genuine leather. Natural leather has good elasticity and tensile strength. If it feels elastic, it is artificial leather.
3. Air blowing test:
You can aim at the back of the leather and blow with saliva. If there is leakage on the front, it is genuine leather. Natural leather has good breathability, and vice versa is artificial leather.
4. Visual identification method:
Patterns and pores can be seen on the surface of natural leather, and they are unevenly distributed. There are animal fibers on the reverse side, and the layers are clearly discernible in the side section. There are animal fibers in the lower layer, while fabrics can be seen on the reverse side of synthetic leather, and there are no animals on the side. Fiber, the epidermis generally has no pores.
5. Hand feeling identification method:
Genuine leather feels elastic. When the front side of the leather is bent downward at about 90 degrees, natural wrinkles will appear. When bent at different parts, the thickness and number of the creases produced are obviously uneven. However, synthetic leather feels like plastic and has good recovery properties. Poor, the thickness of the creases are similar when bent.
6. Odor identification method:
Natural leather has a strong smell of fur, and even after treatment, the smell is more obvious, while artificial leather products have a plastic smell and no smell of fur.
7. Combustion identification method:
If possible, you can ask the merchant for a small piece of leather. When burned with a lighter, there will be a smell of burning hair, and it will generally break into powder after burning.
8. Wiping method:
Wipe the surface of the leather with stain-removing oil and pay attention to whether there is any fading or peeling. This can avoid buying leather that has been recolored.
9. Cutting method:
Observing the cross-section, the dermal cross-section is composed of irregular fibers. After scraping off the broken skin fibers with fingernails, there is no obvious change in the cross-section.