Antipyretics for children are prescribed by a pediatrician. But there are emergency situations for fever in which the child needs to be given medicine immediately. Then the parents take responsibility and use antipyretic drugs. What is allowed to be given to infants? How can you bring down the temperature in older children? What are the safest medicines?
Many tourists coming to Florence ask themselves the question “where to buy leather in Florence?”. Leatherworking has always flourished in the city and has been known far beyond the borders of Italy for many centuries. Today you will find a large number of shops and markets for leather goods. So where can you buy a leather bag or leather jacket in Florence? Of course, the quality of branded products differs from leather goods sold in the markets, but you choose depending on your preferences:
If you prefer quality and do not look at the price, then you should go to the famous boutiques on Via Tornabuoni, Via Strozzi or Via Roma, located in the very center of the city, near the Duomo and Republic Square. Here you will find original leather items from Italian designers, which have always been considered top class indicators.
If you want to save some money, then visit the San Lorenzo Market or the Porcellino Market. The goods sold in the markets are monotonous, the quality is not always high, but the prices will please you, and it is customary to bargain here.
If you want to find the best price / quality ratio, you should visit the shops of local manufacturers selling their brands.
-If you wish not to miscalculate in quality and be sure of the Italian origin of the goods, we advise you to visit a tannery, where you can see what kind of leather and how leather bags and leather accessories are sewn.
But it is not only the quality of sewing and finishing of a leather bag or jacket that is important, but also what kind of leather the products are made of: natural or artificial. Consider a few of the main signs by which you can distinguish natural leather from artificial:
1. Smell. Genuine leather has a natural, slightly noticeable scent, while imitation leather smells like synthetic materials. This smell is felt immediately.
2. Heat. Hold the product in your hand. If it has warmed up and kept your warmth for some time, then it is natural leather. Artificial leather does not transfer or retain heat.
3. In appearance. Genuine leather has a natural unique pattern, on artificial leather the pattern is repeated. However, it can be easily confused with printed leather, which has a uniform pattern.
4. To the touch. Real leather is soft and firm, it has a soft, uniform texture and when pressed and stretched quickly regains its shape. In places where it bends, natural leather does not change its color, while folds remain on artificial leather. The reverse surface of genuine leather is velvety and, in a sense, reminiscent of suede.
5. Slice. If there are open sections on the leather product, then the natural leather section can be identified by the fibrous structure, while the artificial leather section has a smooth surface.
6. Sample material. If a sample of the material from which it is made is attached to the product, then a simple rhombus denotes imitation leather, and a figured rhombus denotes natural leather. However, manufacturers can deceive you here.
7. Flame confrontation. Theoretically, when you bring fire to natural leather, it does not catch fire, but begins to gradually shrink and emit a smell similar to the smell of smoked chicken. However, due to the fact that leather products are treated with anil coating, natural leather can catch fire. Artificial leather, when the flame is brought up, flares out and begins to behave like a plastic bottle, sintering and producing a pungent odor and often black smoke. But be careful with such experiments so as not to spoil your leather product, as even real leather deforms with prolonged exposure to fire.
8. Water. When water gets on natural leather, it is absorbed and a small dark spot remains on the skin until the moisture is completely removed from the surface of the skin. Artificial leather does not absorb moisture. This method is more suitable when choosing a leather jacket.
So, following these simple tips, you can easily distinguish between natural and artificial leather. However, remember that each leather product has its own characteristics depending on the type of leather, its dyeing and processing, so do not get carried away by experiments, especially those that can damage the leather product, or entrust this business to professionals. Enjoy your shopping!
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Genuine leather is made from the skins of animals such as bulls, goats, sheep, pigs, as well as crocodiles, snakes, elephants, etc. There are three main categories of genuine leather: aniline, semi-aniline and pigmented.
Aniline leather of very high quality, without an upper protective layer and impregnated with organic dyes. This is the most natural looking skin. The skin is susceptible to mechanical damage in the form of scratches on the surface, easily absorbs moisture, and is prone to fading in the sun.
Semi-aniline leather is a natural material, the surface of which is covered with a protective layer of pigmented or transparent composition. This extends the lifespan of the leather and protects it from stains, moisture, while maintaining its natural look. The coating protects against UV rays, preserving the color of the skin.
Pigmented skin is covered with a dense transparent or pigmented layer of paint or varnish. The pigments give the skin a rich, shiny color, which makes it look less natural. The pigmented coating provides durability and helps hide natural skin imperfections. The pigment coating provides maximum resistance to staining, wear and fading, and makes it easy to wash, clean and care for leather goods.
The faux leather is made from polyurethane on a fabric backing, and special processing methods give the material the appearance, color and texture of natural leather. Artificial leather exists to imitate real leather and is of low cost.
In our time of development of the textile and chemical industry, it is very difficult to distinguish natural leather from leatherette visually and by touch. It is important to be able to identify natural leather in order not to be deceived. The main differences between genuine leather and artificial leather are quality and durability. Artificial leather is not durable, is prone to cracking, is airtight and thinner than natural, and clothes and shoes made of artificial leather do not give warmth, cause discomfort and discomfort.
Pressed leather (composite) is produced from natural leather production waste using synthetic binders and materials. This material deforms at high temperatures.
There are several ways to identify natural material at home: drip water, check the wrong side of the material, try to stretch, or check the leather with a lighter. Basic methods:
1.By tags and labels on the product. For a product made of natural material, the manufacturer always encloses a small sample, the product label always indicates which material was used, leather, polyester or textiles. Sometimes the information on the label is unreliable. Learn to distinguish natural leather from artificial material, regardless of the information on the label.
2. Inspect the wrong side of the material. The seamy side of genuine leather is a flesh that looks a bit like suede, but is more porous and loose. The basis of the seamy side of the leatherette is textiles. If you bring the fire of a lighter or a burning match to the seamy side of the leatherette, then the material will begin to melt and an untidy smell of synthetics will appear, genuine leather will remain unchanged, since it hardly burns.
3 Checking leather with fire is the fastest and easiest way to test leather for naturalness at home, you need to bring fire to the material for a few seconds, there should be no traces on the skin, and a trace of fire and tan marks will remain on the artificial substitute. If you hold a piece of leather over the fire of a lighter longer, you can see that genuine leather does not burn, but smolders, and the leatherette starts burning with an unpleasant synthetic smell. However, the accuracy of this method is not high. Unfortunately, this method only works for unpigmented aniline leather and for the simplest leatherette or polyurethane. Modern leatherette is processed with a special compound that does not allow deformation, and the artificial material smolders in the same way as natural. Also, chemical impregnations give artificial leather the smell of natural leather. As for pigmented and patent leather, under the action of a high temperature of fire, the top layer of pigment or varnish can be damaged, while the leather itself does not deform.
The method of checking leather with fire is suitable for products painted with natural dyes, in this case the top layer of paint will not suffer.
4.Synthetic material can be easily stretched in different directions and is capable of draping, natural leather cannot be stretched.
5. Testing for the naturalness of leather with water, only aniline leather will give, since it is not protected by varnishes and paints. Natural leather will absorb moisture and change color. This will not happen with semi-aniline and pigmented leathers, and the artificial polyurethane material will remain unchanged.
If all of the above methods do not allow you to accurately determine the naturalness of a leather product, the only way to get a 100% result is to contact a specialist and have it checked in a laboratory.
Modern technologies make it possible to forge leather so qualitatively that it is almost impossible to distinguish substitutes from natural material. Experts have learned how to make not only the front side, but also the seamy side. As a rule, artificial leather goods have a specific smell, but some "virtuosos" interrupt it by adding crumb of leather. In order to understand how to distinguish natural leather from artificial leather, you need to know the basic subtleties and secrets.
How is leather different from substitutes?
In everyday life, a person is constantly faced with various leather products, so it is important to understand the difference between real material and artificial one. The first one passes air well and does not lose its characteristics from sudden changes in temperature values. This extends the life of the product and guarantees ease of use. But, naturally, the price of leather is much higher than that of its substitutes.
How to check the authenticity of the material in the store?
There are quite a few ways, but not all are successfully implemented in life. For example, they won't set fire to a product in a store. Therefore, you need to know other, more loyal methods of determining quality.
Smell
Artificial leather and natural leather have one significant difference - the smell. Natural material smells in a special way, and it is impossible to confuse this scent with others. Substitutes smell like oilcloth or plastic. But some unscrupulous manufacturers use special flavors that interrupt it. Therefore, relying only on how the product smells when buying is not enough. All signs must be assessed as a whole.
Softness and elasticity
Usually natural material is not as hard as artificial material, but modern technology makes it possible to make a very soft substitute. The skin stretches smoothly and elastic, although the tension in the areas is uneven. The artificial material looks more like rubber. By pressing on natural leather, you can feel its density and elasticity, and the dent quickly disappears. The artificial one practically does not push through, and the fingerprint is visible for some time.
The real material is painted over completely, therefore, at the fold, the product should have the same color or lighter. Not knowing how to distinguish genuine leather from artificial leather, you need to pay attention to the seamy side. Substitutes can be based on fabric or other material. The inside of the skin is fleecy and looks like matted plush, only short. A quality product always comes with a piece of material from which it is made.
Fire check
The toughest but most effective method is the fire test. You can light a match and touch your skin. If it is real, then nothing terrible will happen, but the artificial material will certainly suffer: it will immediately begin to melt.
Naturally, such an experiment cannot be carried out where necessary. It is necessary to find a suitable place. This is due to the fact that some manufacturers treat the leather with substances that make it flammable.
How to choose quality shoes?
Today, even experienced craftsmen cannot always determine how high-quality shoes are. The easiest way is to look at a small sticker with graphic signs on the shoe. It indicates what the sole, lining and surface of the shoe are made of. If an emblem is drawn that repeats the outlines of an animal skin, it means that the shoes are real. In the case when a diamond is depicted, then synthetic materials are present. The mat indicates that there is a textile component. But the lettering is not the only characteristic of the leather, so you need to look at the cut.
Material structure
The cut of the product is a very important indicator, since you can see the structure of the material. Edges should have a "raw", unprocessed appearance, which is not the case with substitutes. Their cuts are smooth and resemble plastic.
The basis of many products made from artificial materials is textiles or polyamide, so you can see protruding threads. The folded edges of the skin are thicker and more rounded.
When thinking about how to distinguish natural leather from artificial leather when choosing shoes, it must be remembered that the pores of substitutes are uniform and repetitive, in contrast to natural materials that have an uneven pattern.
You should not focus on the area that is located next to the "zipper", some manufacturers specifically add a small strip of leather there to give the product a natural look.
Appearance
To make it easier to figure out how to distinguish natural leather from artificial, you need to pay attention to the surface of the product. As a rule, substitutes are highly polished to hide imperfections.
Conclusion
In any case, no matter what shoes are purchased, it is imperative to take a receipt from the seller, certified by the store's seal. This will allow you to exchange goods or return money if the shoes are of poor quality. But despite the advantages that natural material has, artificial leather also deserves attention.
It is significantly inferior to natural in reliability and quality, it reacts worse to temperature changes, and becomes unusable much faster. Unfortunately, they often try to pass it off as natural.
If you buy some expensive product in a large store, a miniature animal skin must be attached to it, and the appropriate symbols must be indicated on the label. The skin pattern indicates that the product you are holding in your hands is really made of genuine leather, a small diamond indicates synthetic material, and the matting image indicates that the product is made of textiles. Unfortunately, such labels can be faked, so when choosing, you need to pay attention to some nuances.
Natural leather always has a fairly strong odor, it should be strong, but not harsh or unpleasant. In some cases, manufacturers treat artificial leather with a special compound that mimics this natural smell, but usually it is harsher and slightly different. If possible, when going shopping, take with you a leather item that you have, which will allow you to compare the smells.
What should you pay attention to?
Always inspect the raw product sections very carefully. They can be found in your pocket, zipper inset, seams. If the cut is fluffy enough, unlike fabric, and at the same time does not exfoliate, most likely in front of you is natural leather. If all sections are hidden and processed, this indicates a fake. The fact is that the skin does not require additional processing, since it does not crumble and does not deform at the cut points, but artificial materials cannot boast of this.
You can try to determine the origin of the material using fire, but this is unlikely to be done in a store. Genuine leather will not light up, it will just start to smolder. Unfortunately, many manufacturers of fake leather began to treat artificial leather with a special compound that prevents it from catching fire.
Instead of fire, you can use water, just drip a little on the surface of the skin. Natural high-quality material absorbs a drop of water and darkens a little, artificial leather makes water easy.
You can try to check what is in front of you with the help of heat. To do this, just put your palm on the leather product. If after a short time you feel the surface under the palm begin to give off heat back, this means that it is natural. Faux leather stays cool at all times and sweats after you remove your hand.
