Hi Mary, and welcome to the forum! I'll address what I can and plead ignorance on what I can't answer ![Smile](images/smilies/smile.png)
I have to preface by saying I've not studied the Ralph Lauren pieces in detail. I'd need about 15 minutes of poking around one them to render an opinion, but I can tell you I've sold a number of Chancellor sofas and they are exquisite. Let me tell you what to look for in Button Tufting on Leather and then you can compare/contrast.
Button Tufting is the hardest single operation to do in leather upholstery, and like in most things there is the right way to do it and the cheap and easy way. The highest skilled workers do button tufting pieces, and they are also the highest paid in the shop. Its a difficult operation and time-consuming to do it correctly. When I was at H&M last fall I saw (8) men doing the button tufting and not a one of them was under 40 years old as I recall. They were definitely experienced at their craft.
To properly do a button tuft, it has to be sewn-on, and a very long needle is passed back and forth through the back webbing many times to attach a button. Sewn on buttons don't pop off. The cheap way to do it is with a tagging gun, similar to fabric taggers that attach price tags on garments. The gun shoots an expanding barb into the back webbing and the button stays on as long as the barb is intact. They frequently fail and then the buttons pop off.
Look at the 'diamond' between the buttons. It should be full and have a resilient cushion to it. Only H&M that I know of places and extra piece of high density foam in that diamond area which makes it look far more attractive and sit better as well. I know the other brands of leather I carry skip that step.
Also check the leather folds in the diamonds. They should match on all corners and be pulled tight. Once again, H&M does them better than anyone.
I know I sound like a shill for Hancock and Moore, but they do deliver a consistently good product and sweat the details. There is H&M at the top, and then everyone else in tiers below them. They will customize as well...and make virtually anything a person can write the check for. Some custom options are very reasonable, others you will pay dearly for.
As to leathers, they have some terrific hides in the upper classes of III, IV and V that will more than meet the test of warm/blunt. Capri and Quintessence at Class IV are right in there and worth checking out.
Look at the R. Lauren button-tufting and see how its done using the guidelines above. Also check all around the piece and see if you feel the square edge of the wood anywhere on the piece under the hide. When its done right, you should not be able to grab a hard edge.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
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