How to Identify Genuine Leather

Modern manufacturing advancements have made it very difficult to spot fake leather. The market offers different types of leather, including Full Grain Leather, Top Grain Leather, Faux or Synthetic Leather, and Genuine Leather. Nevertheless, there are two main types of leather on the market: real leather and faux leather/vegan leather. 

Original or real leather is made from animal hides. The hides can come from different species of animals. While faux/vegan leather is made from synthetic materials like plastics and natural materials such as cork. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU), which are plastic-based materials, are the most common materials used to make synthetic leathers. Another name for fake leather is pleather, which comes from the term plastic leather. 

In order to prevent getting a fake leather product, here's how to make sure you're buying real leather.

What Is Fake Leather Fabric?

Fake leather, also known as synthetic leather or faux leather, is a petroleum-based alternative to real leather. While real leather possesses many of the same characteristics, fake leather lacks the luxurious feel of real leather.

The quality of fake leather is almost as good as that of real leather. If you don't check it carefully, it can be difficult to tell the difference between real leather and imitation leather. However, even the most inexperienced person can usually tell the difference between a plum and genuine leather by touch. Synthetic leather has a plastic feel, which makes it different from real leather.

Some customers might steer away from real leather because it's not a vegan material. Real leather is also more expensive and hard to produce. If you're looking for vegan leather, 100% PU leather is an alternative you should consider. It may be considered sustainable to use leather scraps and residual fibers in the production process. However, over time certain chemicals used in the process could be released into the environment. Fake leather is not a vegan product as it may contain up to 20 percent real leather. 

Verify Real Leather from Fake –

• Leather may be made from a real combination or a fake blend. Always check the label or tag to determine whether it is real leather. Whenever a company or brand labels its product as "manufactured material," it is definitely synthetic leather. However, if it does not mention anything at all, chances are it is not real leather. We always proudly present genuine leather, full-grain leather, and even top-grain leather when describing each of our leather products. 

• Take a look at the surface of the leather. A genuine leather product will have irregularities in its surface structure as well as blemishes and imperfections. Such imperfections are part of what makes leather so exquisite. There is often an indication that an item is machine-made when the texture pattern is very regular. If you imagine a polyvinyl chloride surface with a faux grain pattern applied to it, that's exactly how fake leather obtains the look of real leather. However, it isn't real leather. 

• Keep in mind that real leather is a natural material. When you run a finger over it, you don't feel it perfectly smooth. A real leather product will wrinkle under the tough, just like real skin. It feels unnatural even when you run your fingers over fake leather. Additionally, when your finger touches the surface, it does not act like skin.  

• Smell the leather, search for a natural, organic, skin scent that cannot be accurately manufactured. There is no reliable way to fake the smell of real quality leather. Remember, leather is just worked animal skin. Fake leather is made of plastic. It seems obvious, but real leather will smell like skin and fake will smell like plastic. 

• Since real leather does not split or peel, it will last a long time. Instead of wearing out, real leather develops a skate on its natural surface. It is true that fake leather is not as durable as real leather, but it will last longer than real leather. If the fake leather is not properly maintained, the color could fade in the sun, even without the use of a leather conditioner. 

How long does fake leather last compared to other types of leather?

Real leather is more durable and long-lasting, while fake leather does not wear out gracefully as it ages. However, it is far less expensive than actual, excellent leather because you will have to replace it constantly. 

Find out more about Salamanca Leathers. We manufacture our products ethically, keeping an eye on the environment and respecting workers' rights. The only passion we have is for creating timeless designs. 

As a company, we promise that our products will help you along your growth journey while enhancing your quality of life. Bags that are stylish, long-lasting, and present value for years to come ''Aging with Grace'' JUST LIKE YOU! 

In contrast to fake leather, it is possible to condition and clean all our real leather items for decades to come. Click to see our real leather business bags, Cross body bags collection and more.