Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?
You are correct, Larry.... all leather shows WEAR with use, some do it better than others, and it also depends on how its being used. One of the terms I wish I could forever banish from the industry is PROTECTED and UNPROTECTED as that is so mis-leading. Folks think that PROTECTED means the leather has some kind of armor on it, when it does not - all that really means is that its a finished/painted/corrected hide with a topcoat on it. UNPROTECTED simply means its an aniline leather, dyed instead of painted.
What does paint do over time on most any surface? It wears away. To see a painted leather in action, you don't have to look any further than at your feet and check out those white leather tennis/basketball shoes you have on. What happens to them when they get to be a year or two old? The paint is worn off the toes and sides where its been subject to friction. Now, take a nice Coach Men's Wallet which is aniline. After a few years being carried every day it will shoe wear, but the color isn't coming off it, instead it develops some hues and patina - that's your unprotected leather.
A lot of folks are under the misconception that leather is wear-proof and its not. No matter which leather you buy, it WILL show signs of use and wear, and the first area to go on most any piece is the welt trim on a box cushion (Consider specifying a stitch closure instead of welt if you would like to avoid this). Cleaning and conditioning prevents deterioration of the hide but it does not stop usage wear. Leather outwears fabric at a 4 to 1 ratio, but it is by no means bulletproof.
I am a fan of aniline leathers. Yes they cost more, I can't help that. But they typically seem to look better as the years go by vs the painted or finished leathers as long as you control sun exposure to some degree and don't get a lot of chemicals on the hides like oil and cleaning products (ammonia, bleach, etc). Finished leathers usually cost less, and that's why they are popular and the very best advice I can give is to just enjoy your pieces and don't over-fuss on them when a small mark or some wear show, its going to happen.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
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