H & M Leather Classes

Duane (or other H&M Expert),

I have been looking for a definitive answer on this and I cannot find it on here or Garden Web (If it is already up somewhere then if you could point me to it that would be great!). I am wondering what information Hancock and Moore uses to give a leather its Class. I know you have mentioned it relates to what it costs the consumer, but is there anything you can tell about an H&M leather just from the Class?

It would be easy if Hancock and Moore had something like a 5 point description, or similar, regarding their classes (For example: a Grade one = Finished; Protected; from __,__, or __ Country; Softness, etc). Do they have anything like that?

Thanks!

-Chris

It appears that the H&M class system tells you only what the leather costs, both for the consumer and indirectly for H&M. Each class, particulary classes 2-4, has a pretty wide variety of leathers in terms of look, feel, durability, etc. The H&M catalog lists each line of leather and briefly describes them with a four point system (Softness, Service Grain, Special Effect, Serviceability -- see http://www.hancockandmoore.com/leath...?productid=955 for a brief description). That info is also available in a free H&M brochure that they will mail to you if you fill out this form:

http://www.hancockandmoore.com/contactus.asp

I've also seen the same little blue booklets lying around for customers at a couple of H&M retailers, including The Keeping Room in Alexandria, VA (do you allow plugs here, Duane?). I would think sooner or later this info will be added to the H&M website as well.

I'll always take a plug <G>

Leather class is nothing more than a pricing grade, as dwainw states. Cost of the hide is determined as much by currency prices as anything else, so its not indicative of quality as an absolute.

Some givens in the trade: European hides are the most expensive. Workers earn more there, the Euro is strong against the Dollar and the finest leathers come from there as well. All all that together and most the Euro hides will be grade 3, 4 or 5.

Pacific Rim hides will be the least expensive. Labor is cheap in countries like China and Indonesia and Vietnam. Leathers from these countries tend to all be in the finished categories, grades 1 and 2.

Country of origin is specifically left out, as its sometimes dynamic and suitable to change. H&M wants to be very careful and accurate and does not want to misrepresent. Take Kipling leather for example....(one of my favorite Grade 2 leathers). The main tannery is in Italy for Kipling, however they also have a satellite operation in China. When H&M orders Kipling, it may get the batch from either country and they have no way of knowing until it arrives. So they are reluctant to say Kipling is an Italian hide, because some will come out of China and they don't want to be sued for misrepresentation.

I can tell you with certainty that the only two leathers that are exclusively Chinese are Document and Cavalier, however.

There's another reason as well that you don't see this. H&M has no desire to become an internet company or have you as the customer buy on-line. They want you to support and learn the leathers at the local dealership, where the sales team can advise you of which leather has specific characteristics and the like. For that reason, you will never see too much information on-line on their website. It took a lot just to get the photos of the leathers put on there this past year! Nothing works as well as going into a showroom and being able to try out the various frames and handle the 400 + leathers on the rings in person. Of course, there folks that don't have dealers nearby....so that presents another side of the issue as well.

In the end, nothing works better than having the sales expertise of someone who knows the nuances of each leather in the line to advise you.

Hey Duane!
Is there another link to this info (4-point system)? also, where do I go to get a quote from you on a sofa? Tina

There is no 4-point system in 2020. Quotes have a section here on the forum.