1.Louis Vuitton Hot Stamping
The main Louis Vuitton stamp is very important for authentication, and oftentimes it can easily allow you to determine that a bag is fake.
Fake Louis Vuitton bags emboss the trademark symbol while authentic ones use hot stamping. Authentic trademark symbols are evenly stamped while fake ones are uneven and use a different font.
Features to pay attention to:
1. The tail on the L is very short.
2. The O's are very round and look bigger than the L.
3. The T's are almost touching each other or are so close that it looks like it.
4. Lettering should be thin to somewhat thin, clear and very crisp.
5. Study the general font used and how it is aligned.
Notice how the first three fake Louis Vuitton stamps all have obvious errors. For instance, oval O's instead of round O's, the size of the O's, the space between the T's, and width of the imprint.
The last (4th) fake Louis Vuitton stamp is from a better counterfeit. Notice how this stamping does not appear to have any mistakes. Further authentication steps would be required to weed out this fake.
Also, observe how the counterfeit tag is roughly stitched on while the authentic tag has straight stitching with a slight angle. In any stamped branding, the “t”s will not touch. “O”‘s should be round and not like the number 0. Additionally, check the imprint on the inside of the bag. The “O” in a real Louis Vuitton will be an exact circle. The O on a fake Louis Vuitton may be closer to an oval.
2. Symmetry Monograms Patterns
The construction of any real Louis Vuitton bag will be impeccable: the monogram pattern will always be aligned symmetrically, the stitching will be flawless, not sloppy, and there will be no peeling or unnatural cracking to the material anywhere.
Authentic bags have even patterns that are well matched and proportionate. A bag with a pattern that does not match up with itself is likely to be a fake.
LOUIS VUITTON NEVER cuts off their "LV" logo (only-some vintage items have cut off "LV's", so make sure to check the age of the bag) Speedy bags logos are cut, but look for symmetry, the are cut at the same place so bot sides of a seem will match.
Look for upside-down LV's on the back. Not all authentic bags have upside-down LV's, but many do, especially if the design was made with one continuous, seamless piece of leather that wraps all around the bag. This is especially true of the Speedy styles, Keepalls, and Papillons.
Another indicator of a counterfeit bag is the number of stitches per inch (SPI) on the seam. SPI (stitches per inch) refers to the number of stitches in a single inch of seam. A high SPI count indicates greater overall seam strength, (and therefore a higher quality handbag). Authentic Louis Vuitton bags will have a higher SPI count than the counterfeits.
3. Construction : Material Make Up
The material used to construct any real LV bag will never feel cheap, but rather a combination of rich and sturdy, luxurious yet durable. Nothing will be glued on or feel like it can break easily, and nothing will feel artificial. A good example of this is the vachetta leather trim which Louis Vuitton uses on its bags—an untreated calfskin leather which develops a rich patina as it oxidizes with time/use. Many fake LV bags use a synthetic leather trim which does not darken the same way over time.
Make sure that the item you are looking at is correct, as interior. In brown Monogram canvas it is brown textile lining (in most cases, some have different lining-Manhattan, Viva Cite, Trouville, Bucket, cosmetic pouches, luggage, vanity cases), black multicolor is grey alcantara lining, white multicolor is red alcantara lining, damier canvas is red alcantara lining (in older models it was a light brown alcantara lining, so check age of bag), Vernis is textile lining that usually is the same color as the exterior of the bag, Epi leather is usually alcantara lining that matches the exterior color of the bag (some bags have bare interior-speedy-keepall).
Lastly, if you buy a fake bag then you will be getting a piece of junk that will fall apart soon. Real Louis Vuitton Bags last a life-time and retain their value.
4. Hardware
In general, most fake Louis Vuitton bags will have very poor quality hardware. In fact, some are colored plastic!
Observing how clean and precise the imprinting is on hardware will also be a giveaway for many fakes. Notice how clean and crisp the lettering and imprinting on the authentic hardware is compared to the replicas.
Authentic clasp is on the left, while the fake clasp is on the right.
Check if the zippers are not stamped with the Vuitton logo or insignia. Real Louis Vuitton zipper pulls are engraved lightly on the brass with rounder logo font (see above pic).
If the bag that you are looking at, has a required padlock, make sure that the brass is shiny and not a brushed finish. All LOUIS VUITTON locks that I have seen are a brushed finished brass and really cheap looking. There should be an "LV" embossed on the front of the lock, and read, "LOUIS VUITTON PARIS MADE IN FRANCE" on the back, and have the lock number embossed on the bottom beside the keyhole.
The date code contained within every authentic Louis Vuitton bag will consist of 2 letters and four numbers which indicate where and when the piece was produced (e.g., “SD0017”); this code will often appear on a small leather tab somewhere inside the bag, but can also be embossed into the material of the lining. Fake LV bags have date codes, too, but these are often asymmetrical or printed with a slightly different font than that used by Louis Vuitton.
All Louis Vuitton bags before the early 1980s did not come with a date code. But most Louis Vuitton bags still in circulation will have a date code.
Date codes can provide the date and place of manufacture of the bag. Because many datecodes provide the country origin of this bag, this can be another checkpoint for authentication. Again, this is another thing that counterfeiters mess up on.
For instance, the fake date code is MI 1920. MI means that the bag came from France. If the stamping on the Louis Vuitton bag states: made in U.S.A or Spain, you know that this bag is a counterfeit. The country signified on the date code must be the same country specified on the "Made in" stamping.
Countries and their Date codes:
Made in France- A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS, AH, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DR, DU, CO, CT, ET, FL, LW, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SD, SF, SL, SN, SP, SR, TJ, TH, TR, TS, VI, VX
Made in Italy- BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, RC, RE, SA, TD
Made in Spain- CA, GI, LO, LB, LM, LW
Made in U.S.A.- FC, FH, FL, LA, OS, SD
Made in Switzerland- DI, FA
Made in Germany- LP
Date codes are located on a piece of leather on the inside of the bag or on the side near a seam inside the bag. They can sometimes be difficult to find. Unless the date code has been rubbed down or the bag is very vintage, it should always be there.
Fake bags oftentimes do not have date codes.Keep in mind that the fact that an item has a date code does not guarantee that it's authentic since many counterfeit items have date codes. A valid and properly stamped date code is just one many parameters that are checked to guarantee the authenticity of a Louis Vuitton handbag.
Lastly, if you’ve read and understood the guide above, I bet you now know how to spot a real Louis Vuitton from a fake and then you can master this skill to justify your investment in LV Bags!
