Difference between revisions of "Imitation leather"
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== What is imitation leather? == | == What is imitation leather? == | ||
| − | + | It cannot be determined when artificial leather was invented. However, roughly 100 years ago, cases and surfaces of instrument handles and cameras were covered with coated textiles, which had the look of a [[smooth leather]] surface. Not all of these surfaces were made of imitation leather only to save money. At that time, this relatively new material was also processed for valuable items. | |
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<p> </p> | <p> </p> | ||
| − | Imitation leather is a material that looks like [[leather]], but can not be declared as such, because it is not leather | + | Imitation leather is a material that looks like [[leather]], but can not be declared as such, because it is not leather as per [[Genuine leather|standards]]. |
| − | Since leather is an expensive material and because of the [[Leather grain - Grain side|grain structure]] and [[Natural markings on leather|natural markings]] and the irregular [[Parts of the hide|outer contour of a leather skin]], the [[leather cutting waste]] costs | + | Since leather is an expensive material and because of the [[Leather grain - Grain side|grain structure]] and [[Natural markings on leather|natural markings]] and the irregular [[Parts of the hide|outer contour of a leather skin]], the [[leather cutting waste|wastage]] costs incurred during the cutting process is very high. Attempts have always been made to replicate the surface of leather by means of a substitute material. Synthetic leather is used in almost all areas where leather is used: [[leather shoes|Shoes]], [[leather clothing|clothing]], [[leather furniture|furniture]] or [[car leather|vehicle upholstery]]. |
| − | Visually, the manufacturers succeeded very well in imitating a leather surface. | + | Visually, the manufacturers succeeded very well in imitating a leather surface. However, the [[leather quality|technical properties]] of leather ([[Breathability of leather|breathability]], [[Haptic evaluation of leather surfaces|haptics]], water vapour permeability, etc.) cannot be satisfied by artificial leather. Therefore, imitation leather remains to be the inexpensive alternative to genuine leather. |
| − | But there are also areas where artificial leather is better than leather. A [[Leather saddle#Motorcycle saddle|motorcycle seat]], the [[Marine & Boat leather|outer cushions on boats]] or the seats of jet ski are more durable than the alternatives in leather. | + | But there are also areas where artificial leather is better than leather. A [[Leather saddle#Motorcycle saddle|motorcycle seat]], the [[Marine & Boat leather|outer cushions on boats]] or the seats of jet ski are more durable than the alternatives in leather. Constant contact with sunlight and water would be too strong for leather. |
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<p> </p> | <p> </p> | ||
| − | Also in the medical field (dentist chairs, massage beds, examination and treatment furniture) upholstery is more durable, if processed with artificial leather. Such furniture must be regularly disinfected. Disinfectants are mostly solvent based. This would cause the [[finish]] of leather to dissolve and to get brittle. | + | Also, in the medical field (dentist chairs, massage beds, examination and treatment furniture) upholstery is more durable, if processed with artificial leather. Such furniture must be regularly disinfected. Disinfectants are mostly solvent based. This would cause the [[finish]] of leather to dissolve and to get brittle. |
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There are many expressions for imitation leather. ''faux leather''', '''fake leather''', '''leatherette''', '''synthetic leather''', '''artificial leather''' or '''skai''' are just some of them. Artificial [[Fur - Fur skin|fur]] is called '''Artificial fur''' or '''Fourrure artificielle'''. Modern synthetic leather has a polyurethane coating instead of the PVC coating. Therefore the name '''PU imitation leather''' is also used. Some Chinese call imitation leather [[PU leather]] and the Portuguese call it [[Napa leather|napa]] and there are a lot of other expressions in other countries. | There are many expressions for imitation leather. ''faux leather''', '''fake leather''', '''leatherette''', '''synthetic leather''', '''artificial leather''' or '''skai''' are just some of them. Artificial [[Fur - Fur skin|fur]] is called '''Artificial fur''' or '''Fourrure artificielle'''. Modern synthetic leather has a polyurethane coating instead of the PVC coating. Therefore the name '''PU imitation leather''' is also used. Some Chinese call imitation leather [[PU leather]] and the Portuguese call it [[Napa leather|napa]] and there are a lot of other expressions in other countries. | ||
| − | There is also an intention to | + | There is also an intention to use names which hide that the material is not [[genuine leather]]. Names like '''Coskin''', '''like leather''', '''[[textile leather]]''', '''pleather''', '''[[vegan leather]]''', '''[[vegan leather#Vegetarian leather|vegetarian leather]]''' or '''Pellissimo''' and many more expressions are used to make the material sound more valuable. |
| − | == | + | ==Differentiating leather and artificial leather== |
| − | + | Differentiating [[genuine leather]] is not always easy, even for experts. There are good forgeries, which cannot be distinguished at first glance. In this case, it is generally necessary to check the material in the laboratory. The following are some of the main features, but this is just a rough guide and includes only the main points. Only experienced experts with daily use of these materials are able to quickly determine what kind of material is present in most cases. | |
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| − | ===The reverse of the material=== | + | ===The reverse side of the material=== |
| − | + | Artificial leather usually has a textile backing, which is coated with smooth, grained plastic coating. Leather is fibrous on the back. But there are also artificial leathers, where even the [[Artificial leather with leather fibres on the reverse|back looks like real leather]] and also experts at first glance cannot identify the material as artificial leather. For the end user, it is therefore even more difficult to distinguish leather and artificial leather. With door panels or handbags mostly the back of the material cannot be accessed without de-assembling or damaging it. In case of velour fabrics (like [[Alcantara]]), it is not easy to recognise the difference to [[nubuck]] and [[suede]]. | |
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===The cutting edge=== | ===The cutting edge=== | ||
| − | When a synthetic leather is cut, the cutting edge is often smooth and clean. | + | When a synthetic leather is cut, the cutting edge is often smooth and clean.When [[leather]], is cut it has an almost linting like effect. Leather is a fibre structure under the magnifying glass. The [[Leather grain - Grain side|grain side]] has a dense fibre layer and becomes [[Looseness|more fibrous]] towards the centre and back. In the case of artificial leather, the top layer is very dense and without fibres and then usually a fabric. Even if there are [[Artificial leather with leather fibres on the reverse|fibres on the backside]], the cutting edge can be frayed and then fabric threads become visible. Sometimes the artificial leather only has a pure foam foil. |
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===[[Shrunken leather - leather shrinkage|Behaviour when heated]]=== | ===[[Shrunken leather - leather shrinkage|Behaviour when heated]]=== | ||
| − | Imitation leather melts at high heat and burns well while leather only glows and [[Shrunken leather - leather shrinkage|solidifies]] without burning with flame. For artificial leather the burn smell is like burnt plastic | + | Imitation leather melts at high heat and burns well while leather only glows and [[Shrunken leather - leather shrinkage|solidifies]] without burning with flame. For artificial leather the burn smell is like burnt plastic, whereas, leather smells like burnt hair. This test is not enough in case of mixed materials. |
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</p> | </p> | ||
<p align=center> | <p align=center> | ||
| − | ''Leatherette is | + | ''Leatherette is more [[Flammability and fire retardancy of leather|flammable]] then [[genuine leather]].'' |
</p> | </p> | ||
===[[Haptic evaluation of leather surfaces|Haptic]] and [[Dents - Over stretching - Sagging in leather|stretchability]]=== | ===[[Haptic evaluation of leather surfaces|Haptic]] and [[Dents - Over stretching - Sagging in leather|stretchability]]=== | ||
| − | Experts also note that synthetic leather is often thinner and stretches more when heated. An end user can hardly | + | Experts also note that synthetic leather is often thinner and stretches more when heated. An end user can hardly recognise this due to lack of experience. If the materials are glued on hard surfaces (e.g. [[Leather steering wheel|steering wheels]], [[Leather table tops|table tops]]), this feature cannot be tested. |
| − | Sometimes is argued that artificial leather | + | Sometimes is argued that artificial leather [[Haptic evaluation of leather surfaces|feels colder than leather]]. But there are exceptions. Good imitations with smooth or rough surfaces can feel warmer than bad comparative leather. The natural haptic of a thick [[aniline leather]] cannot be copied until now. |
===[[Leather smell|The smell]]=== | ===[[Leather smell|The smell]]=== | ||
| − | It is often | + | It is often said that leather can be recognised by the smell. Only very natural leather has a characteristic [[Leather smell|leather smell]] that is not transferable to artificial leather. There is not one "[[leather smell]]", but very different leather smells. Some artificial leather manufacturers perfume the material so that it smells like leather. The smell test is therefore only an indication among other indices and rather a test for experienced leather experts. |
===The [[Breathability of leather|breathability]]=== | ===The [[Breathability of leather|breathability]]=== | ||
| − | A distinctive feature is the [[Breathability of leather|breathability]]. Even [[finish| | + | A distinctive feature is the [[Breathability of leather|breathability aspect]]. Even a [[finish|heavily coated]] leather has more breathability than [[Perforated leather|unperforated]] artificial leather. In rubber boots you sweat more quickly than in [[Waterproofing leather|waterproofed ]] [[leather shoes|trekking boots]] made of [[leather]]. When you sit on synthetic leather surfaces for longer, you notice that you sweat faster than on real leather. But artificial leather can be [[Perforated leather|micro-perforated]] to make it more vapour-permeable. This test would not lead to a correct result in such cases. This test is also unsuitable for [[suede]] and [[nubuck]] and their imitations. |
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===[[Leather damages|Damages]]=== | ===[[Leather damages|Damages]]=== | ||
| − | If the leather or artificial leather is damaged due to its age and use, it is usually immediately clear to the experts what material it is. Synthetic leather often breaks and the fabric | + | If the leather or artificial leather is damaged due to its age and use, it is usually immediately clear to the experts what material it is. Synthetic leather often breaks and the fabric backing underneath becomes visible. Leather [[leather damages#Signs of wear on leather|suffers wear slowly]] all across and [[leather damages#Disintegration of old leather|damages due to aging]] have a different appearance. |
Revision as of 13:14, 19 December 2016
Contents
- 1 What is imitation leather?
- 2 Imitation leather expressions
- 3 Differentiating leather and artificial leather
- 4 Special features on vehicles
- 5 Special features of furniture leather
- 6 Special features of bags and suitcases
- 7 Special features of clothing
- 8 Special features of shoes
- 9 Additional information
- 10 Instructions for the cleaning and care of artificial leather
What is imitation leather?
It cannot be determined when artificial leather was invented. However, roughly 100 years ago, cases and surfaces of instrument handles and cameras were covered with coated textiles, which had the look of a smooth leather surface. Not all of these surfaces were made of imitation leather only to save money. At that time, this relatively new material was also processed for valuable items.
A beautiful embossed imitation leather surface of a narrow-film camera of 1930 (Photos from www.mooi-leer.nl).
Imitation leather is a material that looks like leather, but can not be declared as such, because it is not leather as per standards.
Since leather is an expensive material and because of the grain structure and natural markings and the irregular outer contour of a leather skin, the wastage costs incurred during the cutting process is very high. Attempts have always been made to replicate the surface of leather by means of a substitute material. Synthetic leather is used in almost all areas where leather is used: Shoes, clothing, furniture or vehicle upholstery.
Visually, the manufacturers succeeded very well in imitating a leather surface. However, the technical properties of leather (breathability, haptics, water vapour permeability, etc.) cannot be satisfied by artificial leather. Therefore, imitation leather remains to be the inexpensive alternative to genuine leather.
But there are also areas where artificial leather is better than leather. A motorcycle seat, the outer cushions on boats or the seats of jet ski are more durable than the alternatives in leather. Constant contact with sunlight and water would be too strong for leather.
Imitation leather as boat upholstery material is more weather-resistant.
Also, in the medical field (dentist chairs, massage beds, examination and treatment furniture) upholstery is more durable, if processed with artificial leather. Such furniture must be regularly disinfected. Disinfectants are mostly solvent based. This would cause the finish of leather to dissolve and to get brittle.
Imitation leather on dental chairs.
Imitation leather is also used where surfaces need to be replaced frequently or is cleaned with stronger cleaning agents.
Imitation leather on train seats at Mallorca, Spain.
Imitation leather expressions
There are many expressions for imitation leather. faux leather', fake leather, leatherette, synthetic leather, artificial leather or skai are just some of them. Artificial fur is called Artificial fur or Fourrure artificielle. Modern synthetic leather has a polyurethane coating instead of the PVC coating. Therefore the name PU imitation leather is also used. Some Chinese call imitation leather PU leather and the Portuguese call it napa and there are a lot of other expressions in other countries.
There is also an intention to use names which hide that the material is not genuine leather. Names like Coskin, like leather, textile leather, pleather, vegan leather, vegetarian leather or Pellissimo and many more expressions are used to make the material sound more valuable.
Differentiating leather and artificial leather
Differentiating genuine leather is not always easy, even for experts. There are good forgeries, which cannot be distinguished at first glance. In this case, it is generally necessary to check the material in the laboratory. The following are some of the main features, but this is just a rough guide and includes only the main points. Only experienced experts with daily use of these materials are able to quickly determine what kind of material is present in most cases.
All synthetic leather objects. The distinction to genuine leather is not possible by just looking at it.
The reverse side of the material
Artificial leather usually has a textile backing, which is coated with smooth, grained plastic coating. Leather is fibrous on the back. But there are also artificial leathers, where even the back looks like real leather and also experts at first glance cannot identify the material as artificial leather. For the end user, it is therefore even more difficult to distinguish leather and artificial leather. With door panels or handbags mostly the back of the material cannot be accessed without de-assembling or damaging it. In case of velour fabrics (like Alcantara), it is not easy to recognise the difference to nubuck and suede.
The grain structure
The grain pattern is more irregular in real leather because artificial leather has to be embossed, resulting in a more uniform surface. This is also the case with embossed leathers. Therefore, this assessment is only conditionally conclusive.
The cutting edge
When a synthetic leather is cut, the cutting edge is often smooth and clean.When leather, is cut it has an almost linting like effect. Leather is a fibre structure under the magnifying glass. The grain side has a dense fibre layer and becomes more fibrous towards the centre and back. In the case of artificial leather, the top layer is very dense and without fibres and then usually a fabric. Even if there are fibres on the backside, the cutting edge can be frayed and then fabric threads become visible. Sometimes the artificial leather only has a pure foam foil.
Leather in oblique section and cross section. At the top, the fibre intertwining is denser and more stable.
The cut edge of artificial leather looks different than with genuine leather.
Behaviour when heated
Imitation leather melts at high heat and burns well while leather only glows and solidifies without burning with flame. For artificial leather the burn smell is like burnt plastic, whereas, leather smells like burnt hair. This test is not enough in case of mixed materials.
Leatherette is more flammable then genuine leather.
Haptic and stretchability
Experts also note that synthetic leather is often thinner and stretches more when heated. An end user can hardly recognise this due to lack of experience. If the materials are glued on hard surfaces (e.g. steering wheels, table tops), this feature cannot be tested.
Sometimes is argued that artificial leather feels colder than leather. But there are exceptions. Good imitations with smooth or rough surfaces can feel warmer than bad comparative leather. The natural haptic of a thick aniline leather cannot be copied until now.
The smell
It is often said that leather can be recognised by the smell. Only very natural leather has a characteristic leather smell that is not transferable to artificial leather. There is not one "leather smell", but very different leather smells. Some artificial leather manufacturers perfume the material so that it smells like leather. The smell test is therefore only an indication among other indices and rather a test for experienced leather experts.
The breathability
A distinctive feature is the breathability aspect. Even a heavily coated leather has more breathability than unperforated artificial leather. In rubber boots you sweat more quickly than in waterproofed trekking boots made of leather. When you sit on synthetic leather surfaces for longer, you notice that you sweat faster than on real leather. But artificial leather can be micro-perforated to make it more vapour-permeable. This test would not lead to a correct result in such cases. This test is also unsuitable for suede and nubuck and their imitations.
Creaking noise
It is argued that rubbing artificial leather would cause more creaking noises than leather. This may be valid for inexpensive artificial leather. But an expensive patent leather will also strongly creak and well-made artificial leather creaks as real leather. This test is unsuitable for suede and nubuck and their imitations.
Labelling of Leather
Normally, one can rely on the manufacturer's labelling. For online vendors, trade fairs or shopping abroad, however, be careful. Artificial leather must be clearly marked. If this is not done, the goods can be reclaimed.
Damages
If the leather or artificial leather is damaged due to its age and use, it is usually immediately clear to the experts what material it is. Synthetic leather often breaks and the fabric backing underneath becomes visible. Leather suffers wear slowly all across and damages due to aging have a different appearance.
Material mix
In case of furniture and car interior (but also other objects), sometimes identical looking leathers and artificial leathers are simultaneously processed. Usually, the contact surfaces (seat, back, armrest) are made of genuine leather and the body and the backs of artificial leather. In such cases, it is not sufficient to test only one area.
Special features on vehicles
In almost every car there are grained surfaces that are not leather-covered. These are hard plastic parts (dashboards, steering wheels, handles etc.) or synthetic leather-covered door panels or backs and lower parts of car seats.
For a lot of models of Jaguar, American, French and Japanese car manufactures, it is common to use genuine leather for the contact surfaces (seat, back, front of the headrest), but all other surfaces of the seat set are made of artificial leather. In contrast to the furniture sector, the qualities of the artificial leather are generally good. Incredibly robust was e.g. the MB-TEX from Mercedes, which generations of taxi drivers used to have. The new generations of imitation leather of Mercedes is called "Artico leather" with comment "man-made leather". This material description does not appear to be in compliance with EU standards.
Left: Mercedes 280 SL Pagode from 1969 with imitation leather seats "MB-Tex". - Right: Modern Mercedes with "Artico leather" (they call it "man made leather") imitation leather interior.
Left: Packard from 1923 with new imitation leather. Probably the wrong track...
Corvette left: Inside leather, outside artificial leather. - Corvette right: Complete imitation leather. Typical for American vehicles.
Embossing in artificial leather of a Ford Mustang.
The VW beetle traditional had imitation leather. This one with metallic effect.
Better in case of bad weather: Motorcycle saddle and tractor seat of imitation leather.
Bugatti 38 Tourer from 1927, strangely with artificial leather with ostrich leather embossing.
Imitation leather with embroidery in a Tuk Tuk in Praia do Forte at Salvador in Brazil.
Special features of furniture leather
Imitation leather, where it is not obvious at first glance.
Especially in the low-priced furniture segment, there is a large selection of upholstered furniture, which is completely covered with artificial leather. As with car seats, there are also furniture, where only the contact surfaces are made of genuine leather and the rest is made of artificial leather. Synthetic leather is also often used in highly frequented areas, such as waiting areas in hotels and restaurants. In such areas, it is necessary to exchange more frequently because of the heavy use of the furniture and the constant need for cleaning is also easier to perform with artificial leather. In principle, this is not a quality deficiency, as long as the durability of the artificial leather lies within the expected parameters and the furniture was declared accordingly at the sale.
At first glance not recognizable as artificial leather. Reverse is textile and the material is very thin.
Artificial leather in the furniture area is always the "little brother" of genuine leather. In the case of very inexpensive imitation leather, unexpected early damages occur. On the seats and arm rests in particular, the coating often breaks within the guarantee or shortly thereafter.
Typical damage to artificial leather furniture in the contact areas (seat, armrest, headrest).
3 years old synthetic leather couch. Besides the sitting area, it also breaks in areas without burden of use. The artificial leather disintegrates without external influences.
Frequently, customers do not know that at least partial surfaces are made of artificial leather. Usually, this declaration appears hidden in small letters on long texts and is also often misleading explained: "textile leather", "leathertex", "leather imitation", "like leather", etc. These are always artificial leather. Dealers who do not declare the goods clearly and intelligibly should not be trusted.
Increasingly, artificial leather is offered, with leather fibres glued to the reverse. Such synthetic leather is not genuine leather.
In the furniture area is also offered an artificial leather with the name "Napalon leather". Since it is an artificial leather, the name is misleading without the indication that it is only a synthetic leather, and does not correspond to the obligation to label.
Special features of bags and suitcases
Many cheap bags and cases are made of artificial leather. But also in the highest-quality segment emerges artificial leather, which is also extremely robust. At Louis Vuitton’s bags, the large areas with the logos outside and the interior of suitcases are made of imitation leather.
Beautiful, but surprisingly, all the large surfaces are made of artificial leather. The handle is made off vegetable-tanned leather.
Special features of clothing
Synthetic leather is usually found in the lowest price segment in the clothing sector. Customers often do not realise that its not leather. Caution is particularly important in markets and on-line auctions. Especially in online auctions, misleading terms such as "coskin" and "textile leather" are used.
Artificial furs are often offered because genuine furs are expensive and are also critically discussed. Artificial fur is also characterized as "artificial fur" or "fourrure artificielle".
Belt and jacket look like genuine leather at first glance.
Imitation of a stingray leather at a motorcycle suit. The copy is well done and hardly distinguishable from the original. Since not declared as "stingray leather", it is also no deception of the customer.
A good copy of stingray leather.
Special features of shoes
In the case of shoes, there are clear rules for material identification. It must be indicated with a prescribed symbolism, which is the upper material, the inner material and the sole material.
What at first glance looks like a typical sneaker with suede as a top leather, is shown by the symbols as a synthetic fibre.
Additional information
- How to care imitation leather
- Genuine leather
- Artificial leather with leather fibres on the reverse
- Boots leather and artificial leather on boats
Instructions for the cleaning and care of artificial leather
-> COLOURLOCK - CLEANING AND CARE OF IMITATION LEATHER AND PLASTIC OF CAR INTERIORS
-> COLOURLOCK - CLEANING AND CARE OF IMITATION LEATHER FURNITURE
-> COLOURLOCK - PU LEATHER - BICAST LEATHER
-> COLOURLOCK - THE PROFESSIONAL COLOURING OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER AND PLASTIC
-> In German: www.lederzentrum.de
-> Rest of the world: partners worldwide
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