I'm not aware of this little trick but surely it's a danger that you set fire to something and have to buy it anyway?

You can tell leather because it smells of leather. Also, they have such plentiful supplies of it, many shops with all manner of any goods you could want, that I doubt that anyone would attempt to sell synthetic disguised as real.

they do it all the time in the markets (not in the shops) to prove something is leather when you tell them it isnt! There is many a time when I could swear blind that a bag isnt leather yet they get the lighter out!

most of the bags have a leather veneer so the lighter would show its leather still dont mean its good leather..... but everybody knows what they are buying dont they

ah hah so it could be all plastic on the inside???? I know my leather when I see it but when someone is trying to tell you a plastic one is leather and wont haggle much on the price its a pain. Just wanted to check out the lighter trick!!

Real or synthetic (leather or No leather)

Synthetic leather: There are woven based synthtic leathers which are mainly used in upholstry purpose.They will have cloth backing in the reverse side so it is easy to find out. But the difficulty in finding bewteen leather and non woven leathers is great

Today the non wowen PU based leather making is so perfect that even leather professionlas will find it difficult to tell a product wheather they are fake or real leather with out disecting the product.

No synthetic leather is as breathable as Real leather. The Naked real leather will 'absorve' moisure (test by just applying a bit of your saliva) where as in fake it will float.

Pull the leather strongly you will see the hair roots of the animal (if it is not a corrected grain leather) where as in fake either the print will refuse to disappear or can see only 'bald' grains

lastly if none of these works for you, try to burn the corner of the material by lighter. Leather will burn without flame and give the flesh burning odour. where as all synthetics will catch fire (flame) because they are all polymer based (PVC/or PU)

so its not as easy as it looks telling the difference then

In actual fact though, if it looks good, it feels right, the price suits you, what does it matter?

normally thats exactly how I look at it - the trouble comes when you want genuine leather!