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How do you tell the difference between real and pretend leather furniture?

1 reply

donna123 · 26/10/2011 18:27

I bought some furniture through the classifieds the other day. I only wanted the sofa but the lady said I had to take the armchair too or forget it.
I went to the auctioneers and they said that they could probably sell the armchair for me. If it was real leather it would probably fetch £50. If it was pretend (?tercel?) then only £10.
I have no idea if it is real or not. How do I tell? There are no labels, other than the fire safety one.
Confused

OP posts:
donna123 · 26/10/2011 21:38

Found this on the net

Step 1
Look for a label indicating that the product is leather. Sounds obvious, but it's the most sure-fire way. Real leather products will proudly sport this fact, whereas you know it's a fake if the label reads, "Man made materials." Don't buy a product without a label. (oops. failed there!)

Step 2
Study the edging where the fabric has been cut. Real leather will have a rough-around-the-edges look and feel to it, but fake leather will look and feel like foam or plastic. (I thought that we didn't have any edges but then I realised that the cushions were zipped so I looked inside.)

Step 3
Feel the fabric. Fake leather has an artificially smooth, often plastic feel to it. Depending on the type and quality of leather, real leather can range from coarse to silky smooth. But the texture will generally be less consistent than fake (since you can't regulate the real thing) and have a suppler feel to it.

Step 4
Examine for pores on the surface of the leather. Pores on the fake will be in a consistent, repeating pattern, whereas pores on the real thing will be more irregular.

Step 5
Take a whiff of the product. If it doesn't have that distinct "leather" scent, you can be sure that it's a fake. (I disagree with this one. I know that some manufacturers spray on fake scent.)

Looking at the reverse-side and the raw edges of the cushions, I think I can say that my leather furniture is leather. Phew.

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