Bernhardt Leather Sofa

[mariemac]

Hi I am hoping someone can share some insight I am interested in purchasing 2 Bernhardt sofas in the Foster collection. After reading severalr comments about married leather and tanning being done in China for most leather pieces sold in the US I am concerned. Are there any know issues about the chemical treatment and bringing the furniture into your home? Am I better with upholstered instead? Any insight would be great!
thanks Marie

[drcollie]

There's a lot of Chinese-tanned leathers on the market, and like most things there are good tanneries and not so good ones in China. China doesn't have a cattle industry, so they import the 'crusts' or raw hides and do the tanning process, then ship the finished hides back to the USA (we have no more tanneries to speak of in the USA, they were all closed by OSHA and EPA in 2008 because they are gross polluters and tanning agents for workers are carcinoginic).

There is an international standard for handling the chemicals used in tanning leather. When done according to the standards, the hide is safe to use and presents zero health issues to the consumer. When a tannery does not adhere to those standards, active carcinogens can be left on the hide, and pose no issues unless a user were to use the furniture and were very sweaty, when they could enter the body through the sweat glands.

Does the source Bernhardt uses adhere to these standards? I don't know....who does? That's a hard question to get an answer to quite frankly. Its well known in the trade that not every tannery in China properly handles the tanning process. Hancock and Moore for example, only use ONE tannery in China for their leathers coming from that country, and they have been over there personally many times to inspect the plant. Its the only one that meets their standards. At one point I knew the name of the tannery and city in China, but it escapes me now.

I cannot imagine any large USA company that would not source hides from a tannery that doesn't adhere to standards. It would not be worth the cost of lawsuits to do otherwise. My instinct would tell me that I would have no concerns about Bernardt leathers for safety reasons - they're a large company and it would make no sense for them to use hides from a questionable Chinese tannery.

I'd be more suspect of little fly-by-night operations that have crummy little web sites and sell leather furniture direct on the internet. Those are the ones I'd be wary of.

[jarrodsmorton]

I have sold Bernhart Leather here at Furnitureland South for many years. They have made many changes in terms of quality and where they produce the goods. Just about everything they do now is done offshore. As Duane said though, they are an old reputable furniture company that does adhere to tanning standards. I have yet to have any issues with it.

[mariemac]

Thank you both you have eased my mind about Bernhart, but I think I will check out Hancock and Moore also.
This has been a huge help!
Marie

[drcollie]

Glad to help Marie....

Expect some sticker shock if looking at H&M upgrading from Bernhardt! I'll warn you ahead of time

[jarrodsmorton]

I would do Hancock and Moore if you are going to be using it daily. You will start seeing significant wear on the Bernhardt in about a year and a half to two years. The leather will last you forever, but the frame is composite and there is not a suspension system meaning your cushions will lose their crown affect in a short amount of time. You will spend less now on the Bernhardt, but you will be back on this forum in two years looking for leather again.

[mariemac]

Thanks I am going to look at H & M. If anyone knows of a good source/distributor I would like to hear about them. I live in NY
marie

[drcollie]

Best bet is to go to the H&M website and click on the DEALER LOCATOR, key in your zip code and you'll get a list of dealers. Before you strike out in the car, call the ones you are thinking of going to visit and ask them how many frames they have on the floor. There's a number of H&M dealers that might only show one or two pieces, you'll want to go to the dealer than has more than that. Good luck!