We have developed a kinetic equilibrium model that describes current sheet structure in the widely different plasma regimes found in the solar wind and in geospace. In this paper we review the techniques that we have used to validate our model. The generality of the model forced us to consider current sheets in various regimes. The validation process included observations of solar wind current sheets (ULYSSES and WIND) and of the magnetopause (ISEE-1 and -2 and AMPTE/IRM). The availability of a validated model describing current sheets under various circumstances allows us to make general conclusions regarding the existence and the structure of current sheet equilibria.