H&M Town and Country question

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMR

Duane,

Are the married covers for the T&C program cut and sewn in China or the US?

To the best of my knowledge, all Married Cover is cut and sewn off-shore, typically China. Non-Married cover is cut and sewn in Hickory, NC.

What would pricing be for the restoration sofa (4275), chair (4274) and ottoman (4273) in Kipling Cognac?

I'll have to get prices when I'm in the store, sorry

Would this take you out of the T&C pricing?

Yes. If you look at the Town and Country post (stickey) at the top of this category and scroll down into it, you will see a spreadsheet of all the town and country items and applicable leathers in the program. For the frames you are looking at, Columbia Molasses is the program hide, and its quite different from Kipling. Kipling is a class II hide and would be priced from the main price book on those frames.

Also, do you have anything that describes the H&M 4S's grading system? Exactly what do the numbers mean for each S?

A simple rating system referred to as the 4S's has been devised to indicate each leather's rating in four different areas-Softness, Surface Grain, Special Effect and Serviceability.

Softness: This is the essential and defining characteristic of leather. The overall comfort and cost of leather is directly linked to its softness. This level of softness is also reflective of its quality.

Surface Grain: This mirrors the softness category. The less the surface grain is manipulated, the more natural and soft the leather's surface. As degrees of surface grain are removed, the cost is lowered.

Special Effect: Countless varieties of leather are available, many achieved through Special Effects. The cost of the uniquely processed leathers is in direct relation to expertise, effort and difficulty.

Serviceability: Leathers range from easy care with high resistance, to those focused on fashion and style. It is important to match your lifestyle with serviceability.

1 is low, 4 is high. The one I use the most is Serviceability, the others you can pretty much tell from looking at the sample and trusting your senses.

1 Serviceability is commercial grade. No H&M leathers are 1.

2 Serviceability is referred to as 'wipe and go'. Resists most oils and spills and is perfect if you have kids/dogs and want to spread your buttered popcorn around on at game time.

3 Serviceabilty takes you into better leathers, most are anilines. They may say they have no protection on them, but they still have a light teflon topcoat. Resistant to most non-oily spills, but there are certain things that MAY soak in and be absorbed by the leather. Oils and grease should be kept away in most cases.

4 Serviceability are the most fragile. Typically Lambskins, Nubucks, and other specialty leathers. Keep food and drink away from these hides unless you are prepared to live with the staining consequences.

I never knew leather could be so complicated. Thanks in advance!

That's why I made this forum, to learn the ins and outs of fine furniture and to help everyone get an education on it. Selecting a hide is really a function of two things: 1) Your budget, and 2) Your lifestyle. And it pays to choose wisely, as good furniture has very strong frames and durable interior components, which means it will last a long time. You will probably own your Hancock and Moore longer than you'll own the next three cars you buy!

JMR (Jim)

Glad to help