---
title: [TIPS & TRICKS]  Do you know how to distinguish a faux leather bag from a real one?
description: "Do you know how to recognize a real leather bag from a fake one? 
Here 5 tips to help you see the differences."
---

[Blog - Giardini Group ](https://blog.leatheredgepaint.com)

# [[TIPS & TRICKS]  Do you know how to distinguish a faux leather bag from a real one?](https://blog.leatheredgepaint.com/tips-tricks-do-you-know-how-to-distinguish-a-faux-leather-bag-from-a-real-one)

 Written by [Rachele Micucci](https://blog.leatheredgepaint.com/author/rachele-micucci) | Jun 26, 2019 2:35:24 PM

Did you ever spotted an amazing handbag on a store? You got closer, the design was great but you start having  doubts.  **Is the bag made with real leather? **

So how do you know if the bag in your hands is indeed a genuine leather bag, and not a close imitation? *Here 5 tips to tell if a bag is made with real leather or not.*

**

### **1 – See the bag up close**

Check the label. If the label says pleather or rexine or synthetic you know this is not the perfect fit for you.

Judge by the price tag. If it is **too cheap**, it **cannot be the genuine article**. Real leather does not come cheap.    
Take a close look at the geometric pebble-like surface pattern. Is it too uniform or is it random? As real leather is basically natural animal skin, it has minor imperfections. Real leather will have semi-random surface structure and unevenly spread pores like human skin. Fake leather lookalikes have evenly spread pores that just scream fake.

### **2 – Feel the bag.**

Run your fingers over the bag’s surface. Fake leather is too artificially smooth. Real leather is always a **little uneven**, somewhat irregular yet pleasantly warm to touch, like skin.

Weigh the bag in your hand. Discounting buckles, zippers and studs, **real leather is heavier** than fake leather. A decent sized real leather bag will never be a feather weight.

### **3 – Smell the bag.**

Pick up the bag and sniff it. Fake leather is made from synthetic material and has a smell reminiscent of glue or plastic. Real leather has a **distinctive ‘leathery’ scent**.

### **4 – Flame tests**

As you can understand for obvious reason, we do not recommend that you conduct these tests to check a leather bag on a store.

If you hold a lighter flame close to real leather, it will resist burning up to a point. However if the flame is consistent, real leather will burn but without a flame and emit a flesh burning smell. On the other hand, fake leather will catch on fire in seconds. Smelling like burnt plastic.

### **5 –  Buy the Bag from a certified seller.**

It takes years of practice to tell real leather from fake. If in doubt, buy your real leather bag from **certified sellers only**. That’s your best bet to get a genuine real leather bag

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