Bradington and Young v Hancock and Moore, Seeking recommendations

Duane,

I am glad I found your site. It is very informative and helpful. I know nothing about furniture but I do like doing some research before a I make any significant purchase. Our cloth sectional with recliners wore out (flexsteel) after 11 years and we are going to purchase two leather sofas for our family room. (We found no one liked sitting in the corner of the sectional.)

My wife and I want to purchase sofas with recliners that will last at least 10 to 15 years. I use the sofa quite a bit to sleep on because i often fall asleep late at night on the sofa while watching televsion after a long day at work. Thus, I am looking for a sofa that can accomodate long term use in that regard.

I have narrowed my choices to Hancock and Moore and Bradington Young. Today, I reviewed a couple of stores for comparison. The Hankcock and Moore sofas were around ,$3,200 a piece plus a 10% manufacturers discount for the month of September. The Bradington and Young sofa we liked was a 601 model for $1,300. However, I am a bit concerned about whether the double row of stitching on the seat cushions will hold up over time given my intended use. I can appreciate and believe one gets what one pays for but at this price discrepancy I can buy another Bradington and Young for the same price I can pay for one Hancock and Moore leather sofa.

Duane, what is your recommendation given my proposed use and the price differences? I am also interested in getting a quote from you. I am going to buy two sofas within the next day or so.

Thanks for your help and terrific forum.

You should get FAR more than 10 to 15 years out of either brand if you simply clean and condition the leather 2x a year. I have Bradington Young and Hancock and Moore in my own home that are 25 years old and far from being used up. H&M is the superior piece, but also more costly. However, that has nothing to do with durability of use. Both will be pretty much equal given reasonable care. H&M defines the 'Art of Upholstery' where as B-Y is more what I call a 'functional' grade.

The # 1 cause of failure on this category of leather is failure to clean the leather. The # 2 reason is sun fade. Both those are controllable by the owner. Mind those and they will last many, many years.

There is not any manufacturer's discount for September on H&M. There was an August promotion from H&M, but it ended Sept 6th. Next one most likely will not be until Feb. 2012

The BY # 610 is a discontinued model, but that's a fine price for $ 1,300. Most likely that's a floor model clearance and cannot be ordered. Good luck!

Thanks a lot Duane; again this is a really cool forum. Terrific consumer educational site.

Another convert. I was in Duane's store the other day with a friend. He's thinking about a new recliner. He starts out shopping by price. However, after some exposure to H & M's nice, soft, caressable leather, AND DUANE'S EXPERIENCE, he is now intrigued by having a chair custom made in just the color of blue he wants. Another convert, Duane.

Knowledge is Power!