Hello,

I have a few questions about patina on aniline leathers. My wife and myself are new to the world of aniline leathers and are close to getting our first aniline dyed sofa/loveseat. I have learnt a lot from this forum and perhaps some of my questions have already been answered. I apologize if the questions are a repetition of a post elsewhere on the forum.

1) Is there such a thing as a bad patina? What would cause it and how would one prevent it ?
2) As a newbie I always assumed patina to be a darkening of the leather. I am thinking that may not always be true. Are there circumstances that cause the same leather to darken in areas and become lighter elsewhere. Sunlight would cause fading but that would not be considered patina would it?
3) Can patina be slowed down or hastened up?
4) How should one choose the leather color suitability while buying furniture - by the color when it is new or by trying to imagine how it would look when it develops a patina?
5) I am assuming that the seat/backrest/arms would develop the most patina compared to the sides and back of a sofa/chair. Does one attempt to develop patina evenly over all surfaces of a sofa/chair ?
6) From what I have read pull-up leathers develop a good patina over time. How about other leathers that are more monochromatic to begin with ? Does burnishing leather affect how patina develops ?
7) Does patina depend on the type of dye used (color of dye/chemical or vegetable dye)? leather used (thick/thin) ? or both?
8) Is it easy to distinguish between patina, dirty leather and a discoloration of leather (due to chemicals etc) ?

Thank you in advance for your responses.