Is this couch real leather?

[R SFraser Sr]

Since you are having such trouble determining the material.....

Just peel a piece off and set a match to it.

You'll soon find out if it is plastic or leather.

[Ed in Tx]

Gee, That looks like the leather in my Ford F150 Lariat. Garbage is the best description I can think of. Technically it is called leather but in reality it is "bonded leather" They shave off the thinnest amount possible of the hide and attach it to a piece of material with an adhesive. I am not even sure there could be a weight designation  given to the leather, maybe 1/4 oz??

[Art]

Bonded Whiskey is generally a good thing; Bonded Leather, not so much.  Real leather comes in hides and sides, Bonded Leather comes on rolls.  Leather Seats are now "Standard" in even some of the least expensive cars, a leather sofa made from real skins costs as much as my first new car; I'm Old.

Art

[impulse]

It's a case of buyer beware! I was looking at handbags in a shop recently to gain inspiration for new designs. There were some "brand name" bags which looked great for $$$. They had tags on them stating "Genuine Leather" BUT on closer inspection the only real leather was the tags themselves!!!

[HENDREFORGAN]

On 9/12/2016 at 11:21 PM, Ed in Tx said:

Gee, That looks like the leather in my Ford F150 Lariat. Garbage is the best description I can think of. Technically it is called leather but in reality it is "bonded leather" They shave off the thinnest amount possible of the hide and attach it to a piece of material with an adhesive. I am not even sure there could be a weight designation  given to the leather, maybe 1/4 oz??

Many of these  . . leather skins . . are a triple laminate construction.  The bulk of the overall thickness is virtually leather waste, often pulped and then extruded into guaranteed thickness's, in itself totally unable to provide "wear and tear".  So it gets . . plastered .  Top surface, being this is often only all the retail customer sees, is a plastic with a machine rolled grain and - unlike Henry Ford - customers can have it in any colour.  Underside is ironically often a very thin but genuine facing of leather, this is so that in applications like bags and belts the item looks and feels right .

I use a little dodge to tell if a new leather item I'm being shown is the pukka item.  Hold the leather horizontal between hands and then "flex" several times, almost as if you were trying to make it fly.  Now look at the top surface again . . does it now have clearly visible corrugations or even tunnels across it's surface?   If it does then almost certainly you've "lifted" the plastic top coat!  Homogeneous leather hide, no matter how it is split, will only have marks that will "iron out".

[kiwican]

On 9/24/2016 at 2:21 PM, HENDREFORGAN said:

I use a little dodge to tell if a new leather item I'm being shown is the pukka item.  Hold the leather horizontal between hands and then "flex" several times, almost as if you were trying to make it fly.  Now look at the top surface again . . does it now have clearly visible corrugations or even tunnels across it's surface?   If it does then almost certainly you've "lifted" the plastic top coat!  Homogeneous leather hide, no matter how it is split, will only have marks that will "iron out".

Ha! im off to the Mall to destroy inventory !

[HENDREFORGAN]

18 hours ago, kiwican said:

Ha! im off to the Mall to destroy inventory !

 . . . just be careful to ensure the market trader is looking the other way though? 

When you've done it once you'll find you've developed a certain . . compulsion . . to do it again? 

[HENDREFORGAN]

Quite by accident I found this supposedly "helpful video" on UTube . . I'm still laughing . . . during the course of her presentation the presenter proudly acclaims that anything with a GENUINE or REAL leather label has to be "real" leather as it needs to be at least 55% leather to be given that label.    55%    Now, call me Old Fashioned but isn't 55% almost only HALF? 

Maybe she was referring to the leather content of the label?  

 . . and the other tests?  Smell overcome by a wax spray so that the whiff of beeswax makes you think it's genuine hide.  Interior facing not being leather overcome by the tactic I mention above of a minute layer of leather stuck on to confuse you.  Pleased to see her advice on using my technique of, as has been wonderfully stated above, "destroying inventory" to be same as mine . . walk away.

I am looking forward to dusting off and refuelling my WW2 Ronson flame thrower and visiting our local nation wide dealership for leather furniture and applying the flame test . . .

[kiwican]

1 hour ago, HENDREFORGAN said:

I am looking forward to dusting off and refuelling my WW2 Ronson flame thrower and visiting our local nation wide dealership for leather furniture and applying the flame test

Glad to see that you would use an antique to do this!

[HazelB]

Technically, that couch may actually be top grain, but it means very little. "Top grain" and "genuine leather" are deceiving terms, and really mean nothing. Full Grain is the real stuff. 

Check out this article that explains leather types.  http://bestleather.org/leather-101-the-different-types-of-leather/