Pressed leather: photo, difference from natural

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Over the years of use, genuine leather has won the trust of consumers. In modern light industry, various leather substitutes are often used to reduce the final cost of the product and increase its availability to consumers. Among other materials, you can often find pressed leather, which, according to many sellers, is almost in no way inferior to natural leather. Is this true, and is it worth giving preference to saving when choosing shoes, clothes and accessories?

What is pressed leather

This type of material can be compared with sausages for clarity. From various substandard and very small residues, waste from the production of goods from whole natural leather, and often the same pressed under very high pressure, a homogeneous canvas is formed.

The connection of the components occurs due tothe use of binding synthetic fibers (polyester, polyethylene, polyamide, etc.). When exposed to high temperature, they melt, which ensures the bonding of small natural particles.

Synthetic thermoplastic resins are also involved in the production. Their function is to provide more reliable bonding of the components and make the structure of the web more uniform, and the material itself stronger.

However, these same qualities significantly reduce the moisture and breathability of pressed leather. And if a lower conductivity of moisture is preferable in some cases, then the lack of the ability to "breathe" can be clearly attributed to the disadvantages of the material when sewing clothes and shoes. In addition, the strength of products made from a material formed from many small components is low and significantly inferior to its natural counterpart.

Cons of pressed fabric products

Pressed leather is not suitable for the manufacture of all goods. And this is without taking into account the increased "harmfulness" of its production - the use of chemical resins, synthetic components of the fabric and high temperatures is negative for everyone involved in the manufacturing process. Add to this the frequent non-compliance with production safety rules and the lack of necessary environmental protection measures.

Bags, belts and other accessories, interior items made of pressed leather will be less durable, soft and elastic,than natural ones, but given the difference in cost, one can put up with this, and even call a low price a significant advantage.

As for clothes, and especially shoes, low breathability and moisture-carrying capacity can lead to excessive sweating, increased fatigue, diseases of the lower extremities and kidneys. In addition, such shoes, when worn actively, quickly lose their original shape, may crack or burst at the folds.

How to distinguish pressed leather from real leather

One of the easiest ways is to read the product description:

• in English, genuine leather will be called genuine leather,
• in Italian - vera pelle,
• French manufacturers will write cuir,
• Germans call it echtleder.

It is also useful to consider special characters that indicate what material the product is made of. Materials of artificial origin are marked with a classic rhombus, natural materials are marked with a curly, conditionally resembling a stretched skin.

However, often there is no such label, or there is a chance to encounter an unscrupulous manufacturer providing incorrect information.

Immediately, such long-known recognition methods as smell and the possibility of burning should be excluded from 100% reliable. After all, modern technologies make it possible to impregnate artificial analogues with natural leather flavoring, moreovermany types of synthesized canvas now do not melt, but are charred, like a natural material. And not every seller will allow the buyer to check the quality of the offered goods with the help of fire.

Inspection check

The source of the main part of information from the outside for the vast majority of people is vision. On examination, the difference between pressed leather and genuine leather can be identified in the following ways:

Fold product - if it's a shoe, better in the toe area. Or press quite hard on the skin with your fingers - if it is natural, then the small folds and wrinkles that appear in the process should disappear without a trace as soon as the product straightens

• Also, when changing the shape of the material, you should pay attention to its color in this place - it changes in genuine leather. True, this method of verification is not suitable for one of the most popular colors - black.
• Finishing seams. Manufacturers of products made from natural materials not only do not try to hide what the product is made of, but on the contrary, emphasize this advantage in every possible way. Therefore, the cuts of the seams of products made of genuine leather, unlike pressed, are usually left open - not processed and not bent.

• The wrong side of genuine leather will be fleecy, suede. Leatherette is often smooth, in most cases it has a textile base. However, it can simply be pasted over suede or imitation suede.
• The pores on the front surface of natural leather, unlike pressed leather, will be located in one direction, look similar and organic, but not identical, without repeated repetition of the pattern. In order to avoid baseless suspicions of deceit, one should not forget that genuine leather is heterogeneous in its natural color. Therefore, in some cases, it may contain areas of various tones and shades. When identifying the origin of a material, attention should be paid precisely to its structure.

Moisture test

Not every seller will allow you to wet an unpurchased product, but you should still be armed with a similar method of figuring out how to distinguish pressed leather from natural.

When moisture gets on genuine leather that has not been treated with special water-repellent compounds, the material will absorb drops and darken in most cases (depending on the color of the product). A pressed counterpart will do neither.

Tactile sensations

One of the main distinguishing features of genuine leather is the ability to receive heat. If you hold it in your hands for a while, it will warm up to human body temperature.

There is also the concept of "fullness" of the material - softness and elasticity, the difference in response to pressing and touching will be noticeable and very visual.

Smell

As mentioned earlier, this method does notis indisputable, especially if you focus on the natural aroma. However, often the synthesized canvas is distinguished by a pronounced chemical smell, sharp and unpleasant. According to this characteristic, it will not be difficult to distinguish pressed leather from natural. No matter how long the products that initially have such a smell are ventilated, a slight trace of it will still remain, and you can notice it by bringing the product directly to the nose.

Compressed material outerwear

The advantages of genuine leather shoes are obvious, but what about outerwear?

Cloaks, skirts, trousers and jackets made of pressed leather often look very attractive and dignified. The decision to purchase and use them is best made based on factors such as the amount available to purchase the product; how the purchased item will be used in the future; characteristics of a particular human body.

If leather clothes are intended for active constant wear and there is a desire to use the thing for a long time, then in case of limited finances, it may make sense to save money for a product made of genuine leather. You can look at the range of natural material is not the highest class - a little more rough dressing or less expensive raw materials (the skins of different animals can have a huge difference in value).

However, if the thing is trendy, designed for one season, or this outfit is inwardrobe will rarely be in demand - perhaps it is needed only for a beautiful photo - pressed leather will allow you to achieve your goal at an affordable price, without having any negative effect on the body.