In choosing the best faux leather fabric, you have to take into consideration many criteria, and this is what I’m going to talk about in this post.
The first important criterion is the cotton backing.
I’ve dealt with this one in many of my posts, but I always find it very important to talk about it again.
What do we mean by cotton backing?
It simply means that behind the faux leather fabric, there is a cotton lining, in other words, fibers which are going to back the faux leather fabric, this is very important because it’s going to keep it from cracking, peeling, and most importantly, tearing and over stretching.
And let me tell you that overstretching is the most terrible thing that can happen to a faux leather fabric.
Indeed, unlike real leather, faux leather will suffer tremendously when over stretched, so, my advice would always be to get a robust faux leather fabric that’s either backed by cotton, this is the most ideal situation, or backed by a synthetic thread, this will also prove very efficient.
Never buy faux leather fabric that doesn’t stretch very well, unless that’s your desired fabric, because it’s a bad sign you are not investing your money in a good and long lasting fabric, it will soon start cracking, which is terrible since cracks will be very difficult to get rid of.
The second criterion is the thickness.
Although there are many name brands that produce very thin faux leather fabrics that are still very durable and extremely strong, I highly recommend that you avoid thin fabrics because most of the time, it’s a sign of cheap quality.
In other words, cheap quality means that the faux leather is not going to withstand pressure and stretching a lot, and it’s going to end up cracking and peeling as well.
The third criterion to have in mind in order to select only the best faux leather fabric is the color.
I’m sure that you know that black faux leather is more resistant than white faux leather, if you don’t, then, let me enlighten you on this subject.
The more exotic the colors are, for example copper and other colors like silver, the more weak and stretchy the fabric is, this is the thing I’ve dealt with in my experience with faux leather fabrics, it’s because when adding the color to the chemical processes by which manufacturers make faux leather fabrics, they are going to influence also the molecule formation in the fabric which is going to increase its strength and also weaken it.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should deprive yourself from exotic colors, no, you should use them anyway, but please, just be a little extra careful when maintaining and working with them.
These are the most important criteria in order to choose only the best faux leather fabric, if you have a question or a comment, please post it in the comment section below, I will gladly discuss it with you.
In your opinion, WHICH TYPE(S) of faux-leather is closest to looking/feeling like cowhide leather? And, in your opinion, which distributors are the best to work with in purchasing the faux leather that best resembles cowhide?
I live in France, sorry, I don’t know where you live to give you specific addresses.
Hi, I live in the USA and am interested in making watch straps from faux leather.
important attributes to me are the thickness (I want thick) and a matte/oiled finish/appearance.
Due to sizes I also need to buy in small quantities.
Any ideas where I might order from (hopefully samples first)?
Merci beaucoup,
Cordialement.
De rien mon ami 🙂
Because you are living in the US, I really can’t help you, when I’m in California and want to work, I just order at Amazon, they have a great selection and because of the small quantity, I can’t work with wholesalers, I’m so sorry.