Real leather is an amazing fabric as it provides countless features which are really rare to see in one fabric and this is one of the reasons why there are a lot of fake leather products and differentiating between them can be a tough thing to do. There are some tips which you can follow to state the difference between real and fake leather.
- READ THE DESCRIPTION
Before you start inspecting leather items, be sure to read the tag carefully. If you come across terms like sheep leather, top grain, full grain, or cowhide, it indicates that the item is made from genuine leather. However, if you see labels like faux leather or genuine leather, it's best to put that item back, as they are not true leather.
- THE LEATHER MUST NOT HAVE THE PLASTIC FEEL
Leather is not something which should feel like plastic as it is a natural fabric and behaves like a skin. Wrinkles are a part of real leather. The texture of real leather can be rough or smooth, but it shouldn’t have any plastic feels.
- IT FEELS LIKE SKIN WHEN YOU TOUCH IT
As real leather comes from nature it is obvious that it will feel like skin and you should stay away from anything which feels or even smells like plastic or something unnatural because there are pretty high chances it will be fake or faux leather.
- REAL LEATHER HAVE THE PROPERTY TO ABSORB WATER
It is true that real leather can absorb water, but you cannot wear them in rain and make sure you're keeping it safe. In case of faux leather they just cannot absorb water and if it comes in contact with water then water won’t stay on it.
- COMPARATIVELY REAL LEATHER IS EXPENSIVE
Real leather requires more production as compared to fake leather which is one of the reasons why they are more expensive. The cost of production is pretty high, and no company or manufacturer can prove a real leather jacket at a pretty affordable price even on sales. If you come across someone selling real leather at an unusually low price, there's a good chance they may be attempting to scam you. Leather jackets are like investments as they are said to be with you for a long time.
- CRACKING A REAL LEATHER IS DIFFICULT
Real leather is crafted from animal skin, which can naturally develop cracks over time, just like human skin. After the animal hide is converted into leather it still has the features of a real skin. This feature of real leather does makes them more durable and long lasting. Anything which is not made from real leather will be more prone to get cracks and is less durable and long lasting and anything item which has cracks and flakes on the surface is not the best looking thing you can ever wear. Real leather is durable enough to stand strong in harsh sunlight without messing with the surface.
- THE FIRE
When it comes to fire, real leather just cannot catch it but in case of fake leather which is made from plastic and has petroleum which is pretty flammable substance. Fire cannot damage a real leather at a higher scale as compared to faux leather, yet you shouldn’t put your real leather item on fire. Fake leather will melt when burnt because it has plastic in it whereas real leather will not melt. This doesn’t means have the right to burn your real leather item as it is not needed.
- WRINKLES ON REAL LEATHER
If you have any leather item around you then you can just press them and if you see wrinkles then congratulation it is made from real leather and you don’t have to worry because pressing won’t have any negative effect on real leather. getting wrinkles when pressed is one of the properties of real leather. If a leather item shows no wrinkles, it’s a clear indication that it’s likely made from faux leather. Real leather is made from real skin which means it will have approx. all the properties a skin has whereas faux leather is made from artificial item who miss all the natural properties real leather has.
To check if the leather is made from real skin or artificial fibres you can follow the tips mentioned above but DO NOT burn your leather jackets just to see if it is real or not as there are other tips as well which are less dangerous and more effective.