According to the people working in the leather industry, the common questions which are asked on daily basis are the differences between artificial (Synthetic) and natural leathers, how we can distinguish them, and whether the Leather is synthetic or genuine.
This article is trying to answer those questions.
Most people read the product's tag to get assured of the quality of the bag or shoes because it is clear to them that the natural Leather is a sign of quality, genuine, and exclusivity.
However, they don't have such an idea about artificial leathers.
Synthetic leathers have progressed in recent years but are still far from natural ones.
There is a big black market for leather purchasers, and distinguishing between them becomes problematic. 
First, it is better to have a definition of them.
Natural ones come from animal skin, mainly cows, buffalo, sheep, and goats, and in a process called tanning, changes to the genuine Leather.
The philosophy of tanning is skin Strengthening against corruption and decay.
Artificial Leather is directly from the materials like PU and PVC with dried and wet methods.
For many reasons like price and animal rights, synthetic Leather gets worldwide, and there are different kinds of them in clothes, shoes, bags, furniture, etc.
Now, it is time to know how to distinguish them.
The first way is touching. Natural leather tactility feels like being alive, with warmth and softness.
On the contrary, the synthetic Leather tactility feels soulless, hard, and dry.
The natural one gets wrinkled by slight pressure on the surface and immediately backs to the primary shape.
However, there is no such elasticity in the Scientific ones, and it is hardly holed, even by a nipple.
Smelling is the other way.
The natural one smells like animals, distinct, sweet, and pleasant.
Observing is another way because the natural ones have the surface like animal skins and the vessels and lines are visible.
While the artificial ones have mountainous and unusual shiny faces, nowadays, with new technology, the new synthetic leathers have very similar shapes to the original ones.
Moisture test is another way, which is pouring some water drops on the leather surfaces and in case of absorbing, they are natural and otherwise, they are synthetic.
Bending is another way.
Natural ones get back to the primary shape easily because of their flexibility, in a way that the synthetic ones hardly have such ability.
Weighting is the last one.
Natural leathers are heavier than artificial ones.
The Durability of Natural Leathers
Another repeated question about comparing natural Leather and faux Leather is their durability.
Natural Leather is famous for its quality, and one of the main characteristics of being qualified is being durable.
There is a proverb that the Leather has not died unless its owners kill it. Everywhere is full of natural leather products, which sometimes belong to a long time ago.
One of the main ancient items in museums is Leather, which shows its durability.
However, some care is needed to increase their life. The main enemy of natural Leather is water (If, it is not waterproof).
It destroys the protecting layer of Leather and makes it vulnerable.
Stains (like ink stains) are nearly irreversible happenings, and removing them may harm the outer layer of Leather.
Dust and direct sunlight damage the Leather.
For that reason, the furniture should be away from the windows, and they should be covered.
For the leather jackets, they should be carefully hung and kept in a wardrobe and away from folding.
The leather (like shoes) products should not be scrambled because some marks and dust are gathered there and do not fade quickly. Like medicine, leathers should be kept in cool and dried places.
In the case of tearing and depending on its depth, the fixing is different.
Low-depth can be repaired, but the deeper ones leave almost no choice but to change the outer layer completely.
Walking in the rain with leather belongings is not a good idea.
Washing leathers are forbidden.
If the leather jacket is folded, one way can be putting it with the exposure to water steam. Olive oil can be helpful in such cases.
Is faux leather durable? Faux Leather is more durable than real ones and stronger than environmental elements.
However, it is not resistant to tear and friction like genuine Leather.
Now, it is time to ask and judge: Is synthetic leather good?
Advantages of Synthetic Leather
Using the Synthetic leather has many advantages, which are discussed in the following:
- Economy: it is less expensive than natural leather.
- Quality near the natural leather: The new technology can produce artificial leather close to the real one in quality.
- Easy Apply: Artificial leather cutting and sewing are significantly more accessible than real ones. The needle place is not apparent, and the thread compatibility is higher than the real one.
- Less need to repair: just the opposite of the real ones, the faux leather does require special care to clean. Just a little amount of money and a piece of clean cloth is enough. The artificial leather does not keep the water like the real ones and does not crack and peel.
- Consistent and resisting appearance: Artificial leather has a monotonous design.
- Being Fashionable: The ability to accept new designs and patterns and colors led to considerable progress in the leather industry.
- Durability: The artificial leathers are more durable than the real ones and more resistant to cracks and frictions.
Disadvantages of Artificial Leathers
- Their appearance is not normal.
- They lose their beauty shortly.
- They are not so resistant to holes and tears.
- Although more durable, their strength and integrity are less than the real ones.
- They cannot be used as apparel for a long time because of being allergic.
- Artificial Leather has no airway to breathe.
- They do not have enough elasticity and covering abilities.
- Synthetic leathers do not have good smells because of using the chemicals produced.
Conclusion Using different kinds of leather is a normal phenomenon in daily human life.
Since there are two kinds of leathers on the market, Natural and artificial, knowing and distinguishing their difference is necessary.
The article tries to explain them in detail, their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.
The contents are based on our knowledge and experience in trading different kinds of leather.