Is this what quality looks like?

[Gabardine]

I recently came across what (to me) looks like a great craftsman located an hour from where I live. Do any of the experts mind checking out their workshop photos and letting me know if there are any red herrings? They use Austrian leather, hardwood frames (?5/4"? i can't tell) and do eight-way hand tied suspension. Here's the link: Facebook page: http://is.gd/e69ugc

[Gabardine]

And perhaps I should have included a direct link to the workshop photos

[CMBAUR]

Everything looks good and solid to me frames look solid as can be, true 8-way hand tied, I think I have seen their product in Buffalo can I don't be 100% on that. I work for an Canadian manufacturer of high end leather furniture out of Woodbridge, ON. The coils in the seat backs looks like it's for a tight-back usually a "loose" back will be made of sinuous springs I'd double check to see if that back in construction was for loose backs as well. The cushions are the only thing that is unclear to me, top of the line would be inner-spring coil cushions. Theirs look a little flat and too small to contain springs. The biggest cost in good quality leather furniture is the leather. There are two types of ways to buy leather from distribution centers or direct from Europe/SA. When companies have the buying power to go direct they save 20-25% on the cost of the leather which gets passed on to the consumers.

[drcollie]

Looks good, obviously a small company. They have all the basics down right, only in some of the details are they off just a tad - certainly not enough to warrant steering anyone away from them. On the button tufted chair, they are doing a 'standard pulled tuft' and you can see there is not much padding in 'the diamond' or the area between the tufts. Compare to an H&M piece where the high/low in the diamond is twice to three times that. That is probably the most noticeable difference and that they are doing an interlocking webbing rather than single sheet - but both work.

If you like their styles, hides, and price point I think you'll do fine buying from them.

[Gabardine]

I just found out that 77 inches in their longest sofa (I'm looking for an extra long sofa, as long as 9 feet) so I'm out of luck. They stick to the designs they know which makes sense if they are a small shop trying to run efficiently.

[drcollie]

They look pretty small, and few shops do the big sofas. For ones in the 108" - 110" range, you'll probably have to go to Hancock and Moore to get any kind of frame selections.

[kazhuveri]

Several of the sofas have cowhide leather, which is considered inferior to steer-hide. Cowhide stretches more than steer-hide. H&M only uses steer-hide.