Having a bag made of genuine leather certainly makes us more concerned about maintaining it because we buy it at a fairly expensive price. However, there must be another concern, we have to make sure that the products we buy really come from genuine leather, with the many costs that have already come out, of course we don’t want to be fooled! Here’s how you can find out what type of genuine leather is in your bag. Keep reading to ifnd out!

Genuine leather products are not perfect, just like human skin, you will find differences in color, scratches or wrinkles. Imperfection is not a bad thing, in fact it is what makes leather products different from one another.

Check the smell

Genuine leather bags can be distinguished by the smell they produce. Genuine leather products have a distinctive aroma that cannot be imitated by synthetic or faux leather. Usually genuine leather smells like tannery materials such as chrome and vegetable tan while synthetic leather products will smell like plastic. To identify the smell, try practicing with some genuine leather products you already have.

Check the color

This one is a bit tricky. Genuine leather bags usually have good color quality and won’t leave color marks when rubbed with cloth. That’s because bags made of genuine leather go through a quality dyeing process that is durable and harmless.

Pay attention to the texture of the skin pores

Buyers who have understood the characteristics of genuine leather bags can immediately know the authenticity of leather bags just by touching the surface of the leather bag. Make sure the texture of the leather bag doesn’t go unnoticed. Try checking the pores of the leather, if it looks too neat and the pattern is regular, chances are the bag is an imitation. Genuine leather bags have an inconsistent and irregular pattern of pores, due to their natural nature. On the other hand, imitation leather has a consistent and repeating pattern. This is because fake leather is made and printed using a machine so that it has a neater pattern and texture.

Pay attention to the shape

Try placing a genuine and fake leather bag side to side. A genuine leather bag will stand upright, sturdy, and structured. In contrast to the imitation bag which when enforced has a fold, is not upright and unstructured.

Check the weight

When choosing a genuine leather bag, try to pay attention to its weight as well. Why? The weight of the leather bag is one of the indicators that can be taken into consideration to assess the authenticity of the leather bag. Of course, the weight of a genuine leather bag is quite different from the weight of a fake leather bag. Usually, bags made of genuine leather have a heavier weight than synthetic leather.

Check the edge of the bag

Also check the edges of the leather, if it looks untidy or there are still leather fibers, it indicates that it is genuine leather. Different from imitation or synthetic products which usually feel smooth or slippery like plastic. The texture like that because they use a cutting machine so that make it neat and clean. In fact, if the surface of the leather product does not have any of these things and looks the same throughout, it indicates that it is an artificial material.

Try pressing the bag

Pressing the surface of a leather bag can also determine whether the leather is genuine or not. Just like human skin, genuine leather is elastic and changes color when stretched. If you try to wrinkle it, the genuine leather bag will return to its original state. Even when scratched, genuine leather will return to its original texture. In contrast to imitation leather which, when tried to be wrinkled and scratched, will retain its rigidity or inelasticity.

Pay attention to the legality of the leather material

Generally, genuine leather bags are made of cowhide, sheepskin, snakeskin, bullskin, camel skin and crocodile skin. Unfortunately, even though they are made of genuine leather, not all of these materials have official legality due to the illegal way to get them. So that you are not deceived by fake leather bags, you should choose a genuine leather bag that has official legality. Legal genuine leather bags usually have the CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) logo on the back. In addition to guaranteeing that the leather is genuine, the CITES logo also guarantees that the leather collection process is official and legal.

Test with water (destructive!)

Genuine leather products absorb water, if your leather bag is exposed to water, it will be absorbed after a while. In contrast to imitation bags that do not absorb water. You can put a few drops of water on the leather surface and see if it gets absorbed or not. Skin that absorbs water will leave water marks, although it will disappear after a while but you still have to be careful.

Test with fire (destructive!)

One test that can be easily done is to burn the leather material using a fire for 5-10 seconds. But be careful because this will damage the material (if not genuine leather). Genuine leather products will only burn slightly and smell like burning hair. On the other hand, synthetic leather products will burn completely because they are made of plastic.

Another tip is to buy them at well-known sellers who already have labels and public trust. In addition, pay attention to the price, genuine leather bags generally have a more expensive price. If you find a bag with genuine leather frills for sale at an unreasonably low price, think again if you are tempted to buy it.