Looking for narrowish reclining loveseat

[dwainw]

One hour later, I decided to wipe off the Caress as there was no signs of penetration even after this time. In hindsight, I wish that I had left liquids on the Caress longer as it ended up completely unblimished. Notice that the oils in the Capri have already started to disperse slightly.

[dwainw]

After 24 hours, the oils in the Capri are really starting to spread out through the hide and the stains on the surface are fading noticably.

You will also notice in the lower left of each leather, I applied a small amount of rollerball ink (notorious for staining clothing) for testing.

[dwainw]

Finally, after 3 days, the staining on the Capri had faded to the point that it almost looked like it was part of the normal mottling in the leather. It continued to fade even more after this. The end result was completely acceptable, even upon close inspection. But I'm sure these oils did not evaporate, so they are still somewhere in the hide. I would certainly think that over time, repeated exposure to oils from hands/hair/etc., even when periodically cleaned off of the surface, would eventually build up to the point that a general staining in the area would be noticable. This is probably the main factor in patina (along with wear of any topcoat).

The remains of the ink that you can barely see are all that was left after one rub of a finger. The ink had been on the surface for two days. A little more rubbing with a finger after this photo was taken and the ink was essentially gone.

In the end, the general advice that an unprotected leather would be fine for certain uses is definitely true. But these results show that it would not be wise to expose it to normal family life every day and expect it to look anywhere near new after 10 years. The protected leather on the other hand was pretty impressive at keeping everything on the outside of the leather.

Finally, even 'unprotected' leathers are not created equally. For example Quintessence would look like the first Capri photo above after 2 or 3 seconds of exposure. Capri at least gives you some protection, and it makes it practical for many more situations than a completely unprotected hide.

I initially took these pictures for my own amusement. But after seeing how well they answered many of my own questions, I just had to share them.

[drcollie]

Well done! Impressive...glad you did that long-term stain test, Dwain. I've never done them over 24 hours, good to see that and its sure to help a lot of folks here in their decision-making process.

I have anilines in my home and some have staining on them. I find that after a period of time most all of it does indeed 'fade away' to where its barely noticeable.

<chuckle> I was just thinking that if you were to walk into 99 of 100 Hancock and Moore retailers and told them about your experiment they wouldn't have the slightest idea of what you were talking about and you'd get little more than blank stare for your efforts. Knowledgeable customers are empowered consumers!

[eft]

dwainw-great info, thanks for sharing!!!

[Odd I/O]

Thanks dwainw, this is good stuff!

What's the serviceability rating of Caress and Capri?

[drcollie]

Caress is a "2" (most durable rating for Residential use) and Capri is a "3". The most fragile hides are rated "4" (such as Lambskin and Deerskin)

[Damask]

This is an old thread but the "stain test" on these two leathers and Dwain's detailed description are timeless and I bet many would find it very useful! Maybe we should make a Sticky Thread "H&M leathers - spills / stains testing"? I'm sure many other members perform such tests on their samples. If you'd like Duane, I'll be happy to do it (start the thread and copy / paste / quote old posts regarding the subject). Let me know!

[Lloyd]

First I want to thank everyone for such an informative site. Living in a rural area quality shopping choices are limited, salesperson knowledge is rare, and prices are high. The only H&M "dealer" less than a 10 hour round trip primarily promotes Stickley (priced at 25% off MSRP) and Thomasville. Questions about Hancock & Moore basically go unanswered.

We have the nearly the same requirements as the OP, motion furniture up to a mid 60" width, traditional style, preferably with a low back for a small living room in an 1890's house. Are the dimensions of the Austin loveseat still the same as 6 years ago? Any other models? Is power an option?

Originally we were shopping only for a stationary chair and liked the Document Copper and Saddle colors. Are these satisfactory choices for motion? Are other options better? We are retired (gentle use) but I expect this will be our primary seating for watching TV. It is also the last time I want to shop for furniture so we want something which will last.

Finally has Bradington Young changed their design? One suggestion we got was for the Reid style 912 loveseat but the tiny designer showroom didn't have any BY motion samples.

Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

[drcollie]

Yes, Dimensions have remained the same on the H&M Austin series for a number of years, the # 9034-20PR would be the motorized Loveseat Full Recliner at 62" overall width. You can also get that in battery power if you wish to float it in the room. This is the full recliner model, so the back goes all the way down on it - that means it needs to be away from the wall about 5". If you want to get tight to the wall, then get the Incliner model, # 8032-20 as on that one the footrest come up, the back shifts a little, but does not recline. Its available as a manual model only, same dimensions.

As neither of those two units are in the Town and Country Promotion, I'd not recommend Document. I think you can get a better hide for your money in GR 2 pricing and would go with either Aspen, Cavalier, Atticus, Ryan, Kipling, depending on what characteristics you would like. You can even drop down to a GR 1 which is less costly and get one in Columbia - which I still prefer to the more costly Document.

The B-Y 912 series is about 25% less in price than H&M and is a decent piece as well. I would expect either to give you excellent service duty over many years. If near Wash DC, I have the 912's on the floor in both Manual and Power, and several of the Austin units. Feel free to PM me for a quote on specific frames and leathers if you like, include your city/state/zip for shipping charges. I can ship 48 state.