American Classics Leather

In looking for a full grain leather couch I came across "American Classics Leather" in Hickory, NC. https://americanclassicsleather.com/ Upon visiting the showroom with their sister company, Leather and More in the Hickory Furniture Mart, the staff was very knowledgeable and helpful.

I liked what I read and heard. But I can find precious little about the company on the web. They are new, but not that new! Has anyone ever heard of the company? Or better yet, dealt with or examined their products?

~Robert

Deleted because I looked at the wrong company webiste. Sorry.

Assuming this isn't just spam... I've never heard of them and the website seems kind of vague. Like clicking on warranty just takes you to a page talking about an optional extra warranty from a third party company. The FAQ asking where the leather comes from avoids the question, and so on. They don't detail the construction method or show cut-aways or in-progress builds anywhere which is strange for a company trying to convince you to order their furniture online, so you'll probably have to see one in person to get an idea of the quality.

I tried a sofa at a local store that had springs in the cushions and I didn't care for it at all. Have you tried sitting on something like that? If I am reading it correctly it also seems to say that the 8 way hand tied springs are in the cushions only and sinuous springs are used in the base? That is not what an 8 way hand tied sofa means. Also, did you read this? Are you sure these are made in the country? What do you make of the language used in this explanation:

https://americanclassicsleather.com/...is-blog-post-1

"Spring down cushions - For us, it's not enough to look nice, our furniture must feel nice also. We use one of the softest seat cushions available on the market, the spring down cushion, which is made of high-quality blown fiber foam, coil springs, and blend down topper. We use this cushion for its longevity, stability, and comfort."

Honestly, the build quality sounds better than most of the mass produced furniture in stores, but you have to be comfortable with a newer company that could go out of business suddenly and that does not appear to offer any warranty on its products unless you pay extra for it. If you can't make the investment for the really good stuff, it does sound a little better than the junk that seems to be filling most furniture stores these days.

wow, I just looked at the prices on the website! They are just as high as H&M. Personally I would certainly be more comfortable investing 5000.00 in a Hancock and Moore sofa with their history of backing up their products, than this brand. You are the only one that can decide, but do you mind my asking why you are considering them over H&M?

I find the name of this company to be interesting (I've never heard of them) in that they took a hybrid of two well-known leather makers, "Classic Leather" and "American Leather" and created "American Classics Leather". Like one of those websites where you mis-type a character and get taken somewhere other than where you thought you were going. Nothing illegal about that at all, it's just that they appear to be piggy-backing onto the names of two well-known companies. Their "Leather and More" appears to be just a retail operation.

There are hundreds - literally - of small companies like these in the Carolinas that pop-up, come and go, and are not known to the industry as a whole. For sure they are not a major player, and they don't appear to show at the High Point Market.

In a lot of cases they turn out to be nothing more than a slick web site a retailer makes up to APPEAR to be a manufacturer when in fact they exist only digitally. They outsource the build and give the impression they are a direct-to-consumer builder. I didn't spend a lot of time on this, but looking around for their location they do not appear to have a factory. 1-800 number is the only contact and if you dig for the address of the factory you come back to the "Leather and More" location in the Furniture Mart.

caveat emptor

Thank you to all for the feedback. (I can assure you this post is not spam nor am I affiliated with the company in any manner.)

Their web presence, both on and off their website, is lacking. For a small start up company, that is not too surprising. I did find one video online (https://vimeo.com/312964715) that shows a build in process. This may address some of the questions above. We visited the store, and there was a cutaway chair to show the internals of the build. The 8 way hand-tied springs were in the frame, there was a zig-zag metal support in the back, and there was some type of pocketed coil spring in the cushion. (Also for the record: one of the men in the video was the fellow helping us in the store. Very knowledgable and passionate about his product.)

I visited in person and sat on various pieces of furniture and didn't notice anything particular, one way or another, about the cushions. We did like the full grain leather without a top finish. Scratches became a patina and there was not too much to worry with kids and dogs. (It's probably the full grain leather and the knowledge of the attendant as to their construction that was the most attractive. I like dealing with someone who knows their product and not just the buzzwords.) Leather and More did have one set of full grain leather furniture at the front of the store that "had been in the store for 6 years." It wasn't for sale; just to show how the leather wore. I couldn't age it alone and would not have guessed 6 years, but I could tell it had more character that an identical set in the back. (If not told, I would have accepted it as 'brand new' and just a different finish.)

Hancock and Moore is a definite consideration. By the time we got to one of their dealers that day the stores were closing and I was tired. Thus I didn't get the information I wanted. The Mrs. likes the chesterfield style, 3 cushions, and long enough to lay down on. H&M has a 77" model while "ACL" has a 96" model. If someone can give me an idea on a comparable size and full grain leather, I would be happy to know what H&M product to compare. (Mr. Collie, happy to deal with you if you can make deliveries into SC. Or will take a referral for someone down here.)

As to factory and location. I asked if I could visit the ACL factory and was told yes. It was about 10 (minutes or miles I do not remember) from the Leather and More retail store. Very likely we will visit both H&M and ACL on a return trip. My guess when I started this search was that there were one or two factories making all levels of furniture under various trade names. I cannot find any evidence of that though, and the thought remains speculation. Perhaps they have their own factory, or perhaps someone else in the area makes these for them. I don't know. If I do make that visit, I will definitely learn more: such as who's name is on the building.

I did find Leather and More on the NC SOS. ACL was not listed there. My guess is in line with Mr. Collie's observation: this may be a very local operation that is just now going 'national' via a web-presence. The factory may be under a different name: in keeping with the guess above. We all have to start somewhere.

Caveat emptor is the watch word. Hence why I have researched and looked at length for information. I would be happy to consider other brands, and would be thankful for an opinion on ACL quality as compared to other brands. They do show use of the key hallmarks of quality. But 'it ain't what you do it's they way that you do it.' Appreciating all of the input.

Curious what, if anything, they told you about the warranty issues.

I do not remember anything specific in the conversation about warranty. I had not read that section of the website and was not probing that area. (I agree that the write up for warranty is less than enlightening. My interpretation would be there is no warranty unless purchased separately. Probably not wholly accurate, but it is the way it reads.)

I can remember that the fellow made a point that cushion inserts could be replaced. I believe there was a zipper on the cushion, probably the underside. The underside also contained hook and loop fastner to hold it in location on the couch.

The cutaway model included a cushion cutaway to show how the insert was constructed.

As to why I considered / am considering them: They were the first company I came across featuring full grain leather. (I realize now there are others. But they were the first, and seem very proud of this feature.)

I would say that if you like the product, have confidence in the people selling it, and are pleased with the price, they why not buy it? They seem to have left a good impression with you Robert. The only real downside is if you were to change styles and want to sell it down the road, there is no name brand recognition and it would not bring much, however for most people that's not really a concern.

There are hundreds of companies selling "real" leather furniture. You may want to familiarize yourself with the leather terminology, as top grain leather is simply finished (painted) leather, full top grain is a (non-sanded) aniline dyed hide. Most every maker sells a range of both. I have an in-depth post here on the forum on leather that goes several pages that I think is a good read.

If you have the time, take them up on their offer to go do a factory tour and see how it's made. You can tell a lot at a factory by watching and listening as they explain things. If you want to take a tour at Hancock and Moore in Taylorsville NC then I can set that up for you as well (Mondays through Thursdays). Tours are great! I highly recommend them for companies that offer to show you their production process.

No one builds a Chesterfield sofa like Hancock and Moore, that's pretty much a given in the trade (not even their parent company Century). They have quite a few models, but not all will be under the term "Chesterfield". Do a general browse of sofas on their website and go by the photos. Yes, I sell nationwide.

Actually, spring down cushions is the best type of cushion you can buy. Another excellent one is spring poly. The cushions are not 8-way tied; 8-way tied springs, which they use, is part of the furniture piece under the cushions; it also is the best type of springing for furniture. While in Hickory recently I visited their store and was very impressed with what I saw (and felt) in their showroom. And if you sat in the sofa at the front of the store, for the life of me I don't understand why you wouldn't like how it sat. It is very comfortable. However, like some others, I don't seem able to find much about them, except for their own website. I would like to find reviews written by people who have actually bought their furniture. BTW, it is made in the U.S.A.