Leather is a popular material of choice for many products. And that’s for some well defined reasons. Leather is durable, easy to maintain and when treated and coated well, it is usually stain-proof and waterproof as well. Leather also gives off a classy and luxurious feel.
However due to the high cost of genuine leather many industries, both in fashion and furniture, like to compromise the use of genuine leather for the synthetic one.
At FOXHACKLE, we often get asked about our prices. Some have trouble believing that our genuine leather products can be so affordably priced, while others question us about the quality and type of leather used. While we are always happy to help, this small guide below should hopefully serve as a teaching tool to some of you.
Difference between Genuine and Synthetic (faux) Leather
The most obvious difference between genuine leather and faux leather lies in the durability and longevity, with the genuine article far outstripping the manufactured one.
However, in term of appearance, genuine leather and faux leather can look very similar. This can be confusing when you want to purchase genuine leather and you don’t want to be scammed or confused into buying faux leather instead. To be able to distinguish them, you will have to pay attention for small and minute details in the leather itself.
The Texture
This is one of the easiest things to check. Real leather, due to being a natural product will have varying texture from coarse to smooth. Faux leather on the other hand, due to being a manufactured product will have an extra smooth feel to it. If you get the feeling that you’re running your hand through plastic, then it’s more likely that the product is made out of faux leather rather than genuine leather.
The Scent
Leather has a distinct scent – one that comes naturally from the material. Fabric, however, due to it being treated and manufactured doesn’t have such a natural scent. Sniff the leather to catch the scent and you can tell whether it’s genuine leather or not.
The Pores
They say that Mother Nature is the truest artist there exists, as no two of her creations will be the same. As such, genuine leather will rarely, if ever have two pieces with the same pore patterns. Faux leather, however is mass-produced and therefore will have an evenly spaced pore patterns.
The Bounce
Faux leather may stretch wider than genuine leather does. However it is not as elastic. That means that genuine leather will always spring back to it’s original shape after being deformed. A simple way to test this is by pressing your finger onto the product. Genuine leather will spring back to its original shape easily. Faux leather, however, will retain the shape of your finger for some time.
While the final decision to buy leather, whether faux or real, is up to you, we hope that this guide will help you distinguish between the different nuances of each type. Both types have their merits and demerits. If any confusion persists, or you’d like to learn more, we would be more than happy to assist you
You can contact us at info@foxhackle.com
