Unique Characteristics of Leather
Leather material has its uses in almost every application one can think of - seats, jackets, and other accessories. Although it has been used for many centuries because of its utility, contemporary attitudes towards leather has shifted its meaning to a material used for higher-priced items. What does this all mean for the motorcyclist shopping for leather riding gear and accessories and how will it affect their choices? How does one tell real leather from imitation leather? (Interesting fact: BMW cars without the "premium leather" option have "leatherette" - imitation leather made of a vinyl material)
The primary advantage of leather versus cloth is the durability. Treated well, an item of leather is likely to outlast a comparable cloth item many times over (this is an important point for motorcyclists!) A motorcyclist will ideally be sporting a riding jacket constructed of leather material thicker than 1.2 MM.
Another useful trait of leather is its breathability. This will keep cleaning times to a minimum as well as keeping the rider well ventilated while wearing it. Perforated leather offers even more airflow over traditional leather.
The exceptional flexibility and suppleness of high quality leather offers comfort that is second to none. The material will easily take the shape of a wearer's body and keeps him or her looking stylish while being safe.
Real Leather or Synthetic Leather?
Testing a piece of leather riding gear for its authenticity is a simple process. The first thing to do is to simply check the material composition tag. If an item is not real leather the tag is required to state so. However if there are still doubts- simply smell it. The aroma of real leather material is very distinct and most synthetic leathers will be exposed just with the smell test.
Another feature to check is the seams (where two or more pieces of material come together). Synthetic leather may have threads visible at the seams but real leather will not.
The third easy test to conduct is the saliva test. Wiping a small dab of saliva on the potentially fake leather product should reveal it's authenticity. Real leather will absorb the saliva due to its breathability whereas synthetic leather will not.
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