Leather materials are found in almost all fields and categories of everyday life. They are organic materials that make up products such as leather jackets, coats, and capes, leather bags, wallets, and camera cases.
Artificial leather products made through weaving are types of fabrics produced from PVC materials and sold at more affordable prices. Depending on preferences, either natural leather or artificial leather can be used. However, there are various techniques to differentiate the two forms of fabric. The answer to the question "How to understand the differences between natural leather and artificial leather?" is in this article.
What are the properties of natural leather?
Authentic natural leather has different characteristics depending on the processing method and the qualities of the living fur from which it is obtained.However, the entire surface of natural leather is in the form of real leather, meaning textured. Although natural leather has a unique smell, there are always indentations on its surfaces.
Natural leather materials have a long-lasting use and do not easily deform. Effects such as wear, abrasion, and deformation are not easily visible. Natural leather materials are always soft.
What are the characteristics of artificial leather? Artificial leather, which is manufactured to be produced at more affordable prices and to provide an alternative variety, is made from PVC and polyurethane. These are fabrics obtained by passing raw materials from PVC through various chemical processes and thinning processes.
They are materials used in many products, such as bags, wallets, belts, jackets, coats, device cases. Compared to natural leathers, the wear periods are shorter. Depending on the production techniques, there are artificial leather materials in almost every category. With the help of technological machines, the real appearance of leather can be achieved to a large extent.
Artificial leathers can be manufactured in a wider variety than natural leather. In addition, the ability to produce it in different colors makes artificial leather the preferred choice.
How to understand natural leather and artificial leather? The form of real leather and the form of artificial leather can be understood by examining the structure of the fabric.In the textile sector, detailed information about the material used is provided on the labels applied to the interiors of clothing, bags, and other products. The use of natural leather or artificial leather in quality products and the raw materials from which they are made, which indicate the formation of the product, are specified in detail. It is very practical to understand the differences between natural leather and artificial leather through various testing methods. The methods are as follows:
Leather smell Authentic leathers always smell like leather, hide, and raw materials. The scent found in original leather is absent in artificial leather. The smell of artificial leather is largely a chemical smell of fabric, textile.
Leather texture Natural leather materials are soft and slightly flexible, can be easily folded, and do not create fold marks.In artificial leather, the texture is not very soft. Flexible fabrics that resemble leather are generally textiles produced from elastin fibers.
Leather manufacturing All technical processes in the manufacturing of natural leather ensure that the actual shape of the leather is not lost. The texture of the leather has micro indentations, asymmetrical lines, and thin thicknesses in certain areas.
Although it is smooth and flat in artificial leather, the stitching marks are almost never visible. On the other hand, in natural leather products, the stitching marks are not clear and completely symmetrical. It always has an original appearance and seems handmade.
Authentic leather test One of the most practical methods used to understand real leather is the flame test.Genuine leather does not burn and does not deform immediately when it comes into contact with fire. However, when artificial leather products come into contact with fire, they immediately begin to deform and burn. The smell and appearance emitted are completely different from each other.
One of the tests performed to understand the authenticity of leather is the scratch test. Once the first scratch is made on genuine leather, the scratch first forms and then completely disappears. On artificial leather, the scratch remains the same, even if it is wiped off.
What is the difference between artificial leather and natural leather?
