Can this be leather?

[Gabardine]

Hi all: we have some beautiful old chairs we are thinking about replacing. They are from a longtime Canadian manufacturer made in 1956 and are in pretty good shape. The problem is, I am not sure if they are leather. There are definite markings on the surface, but I'm starting to think they are just painted on.

Would real leather crack and wear off as it does in these photos?

[IRISFurniture.com]

That could potentially be a "bonded leather" or a synthetic, however I'm not sure if that was prevalent at all in the mid 50s. It's really tough to tell by pictures. Your best bet is to call in a local furniture/leather repair company to take a look at it and give you an estimate for restoration. In working up the quote they will be able to tell you if it is genuine 100% leather or a bonded leather. Good luck!

-Jim

[drcollie]

That's real leather - it was never taken care of. That's pretty typical of leather that was never cleaned or conditioned, and you can see it was a Finished (Painted) leather as well. So much for being a 'protected' leather, eh? If this had been properly cared for, it never would have done that. Here's what I recommend:

Once a week - if you can - take a damp rag or paper towel and simply go over the leather very quickly where any part of your body contacts the hide. Hands, headrest, back of the knee contacts if wearing shorts. A quick wipe, takes 10 seconds, tops. Then 2x a year, take an approved cleaner and conditioner such as the product from Leathermagic and do a full clean and condition on the hide.

Do the above, and you will likely never have to replace the cover.