A leather handbag and its variants carry more than the classy and eco-friendly aura. It is a symbol of elegance and sophistication every woman should own.
Generally, bags made from real leather are expensive. Though I believe purchasing quality leather bags can be seen more as an investment. A real leather bag will be as good as new even when used for a very long period of time. Though, it largely depends on how you maintain it.
Unlike faux leather bags made from synthetic materials, a genuine leather bag is made from natural materials (hides).
Apart from their durability, leather bags have gone past the ‘trendy frenzy’ to a timeless piece. It’s highly fashionable and skin-friendly. These are some of the reasons we love the leather piece.
Now with our level of technology, it’s becoming more difficult to spot a real leather bag. Back then, you could tell a real leather bag from a faux one with a glimpse.
There’s really nothing wrong with a faux leather bag especially when it’s beautifully crafted. It’s just the problem of posing a faux leather bag as a real one. Sometimes one may not get the expected value for one’s money and this may only be noticed in the long run.
Through personal experiences and research, I’ve come up with 7 ways you can identify a real leather bag.
1. Look for rough edges and surfaces: Touching the surface of a leather bag can tell a lot about it. When you rub your palm(s) on the surface of a genuine leather bag, you will not have a completely smooth feel. Real leather bags are made from hides and skins of animals. So being genuine it would have grainy and coarse surfaces and edges. There will be sort of an incomplete uniformity.
Just like the human skin where the pores can be felt when touched, the same goes when you touch a real leather bag. Another similarity with the skin is the ability of the leather bag to crinkle and stretch a bit when tugged. It has good elasticity.
Faux leather will not have all of these features. This is a good identification method when shopping.
2. Check its structure: If you have seen the raw materials used for a real leather bag, you will notice how solid it stands. It also shows on the bag. It sits sturdily when laid on a surface. A fake leather bag will easily bend because of its synthetic make-up. It won’t look as solid as a real leather bag.
3. Trace the smell: This is a very handy identification method because an organic smell is not so easy to fake. A real leather bag will not lose its leathery smell during processing. It will have a natural scent. The faux leather bag will smell like chemicals.
4. Find the warmth: Again, it’s animal skin. Remember they are also used for clothes worn in lower temperatures. A real leather bag will have that cosy and warm feel, but a fake one will feel cold.
5. Take note of the zip: No one will want to use a bad zipper for a real leather bag. Or would they? A quality leather bag will have quality zips and other accessories. If the zip is giving you trouble, it’s most likely a faux one.
6. Burn it: Though this method is not advisable especially when shopping. A quality leather bag will not smell like plastic or burn with flames. It will burn poorly and smell like hair.
7. Label test: A real leather bag will not only carry a label but also one that says ‘100% natural’ or the likes. Though you could see fake leather bags with this description, don’t fail to go through other identification methods listed.
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