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I am trying to decide between the Hancock & Moore September sofa and the Kodiak. I want to take advantage of the Town & Country program but I am not thrilled with the idea of a leather from China. I like the Document Harness leather. Is that from China? Do you have an opinion on the September vs. the Kodiak? We are replacing a sofa and loveseat.
Thanks!
And therein becomes the rub, so to speak. The Town and Country program from H&M is primarily designed as a value promotion, and to offer price-friendly items they have to go with leathers that are presentable, but not costly. So the bulk of the pieces in that grouping (certainly not all of them) are going to be in either Cavalier or Document, two leathers that come out of China. Truth be told, its more a moral/societal issue than quality, as those leathers are very consistent and have a very low rejection rate when they arrive at H&M - compared to say the Italian leathers where they have to send them back for not meeting standards more often than not. Cavalier and Document are very stable, and we have very few issues with those hides. However, they can be rather boring when compared to the very nice anilines in the line at higher prices. Myself? I am a leather affectionado, and only buy fun, interesting hides that look and feel like natural leather and have outstanding grain and finish patterns to them. Leathers like Capri Butternut, Plaza Honey, or new Hand-Antiqued Sunset are what I order on my pieces for my home. I'm willing to pay more, because those hides define the Art of Leather, rather then being just functional. I keep my pieces an average of 20 to 25 years so I buy what I want. Having said that, balance price vs time of ownership vs what you really want when deciding upon a hide. If the leather you really want is $ 1,200 more on a sofa and you keep the piece 25 years, that's $ 48 a year....not even the price of a dinner out for two.
On September vs Kodiak, I'll give the nod to the Kodiak for comfort because of its higher (taller) back. While I like the style of the September, the sloping cushions near the arms means your head is rolling down the slope if you lean back into the piece while sitting next to the arm.
I currently looking at the Columbia Butternut or the Portfolio Tobacco. I also like the Aspen Saddle and the Aspen Tobacco but one is too light and the other a little too dark. We want a warm brown. Do you have an opinion on the Columbia vs the Portfolio?
Columbia is an excellent hide for a price grade 1, it looks/feels/performs like a more costly leather. Its a semi-aniline and one I recommend a lot (in fact, its the only price grade 1 leather I happen to really like). Portfolio is a bit more costly as price grade 2, and shows some pebbled texture, so be sure you like that effect before you order Portfolio - its also a Finished (pigmented) leather. Aspen is another favorite. It too is a finished leather but it looks and feels more like an aniline. The comments I get from customers on Aspen are "It's much nicer than I thought it would be", and as a dealer, that's exactly what I want to hear!
I think I've decided on the Aspen Tobacco leather. Is it a top grain, semi aniline? Also, if I go with this leather and I put it on either the Kodiak or September sofa is there still a pricing incentive to chose a Town and Country frame or because I am no longer using a document leather, am I paying what I would pay to put a grade 2 leather on any frame from Hancock & Moore?
Aspen is a Protected or Finished leather, which means it has been corrected (sanded, grain pattern embossed). Full Top Grain and Top Grain (mean the same thing) are natural hides that are called pure anilines, as only the hair has been removed from them and the top surface is intact with little or no sanding. Aspen is a PREMIUM Finished leather, however. It mimics the feel and luxury of many anilines.
Town and Country frames are the same as the regular line, what makes them a promotion item is that they are available in a specific hide as a reduced cost. For example, the Kodiak you mention can be had in Document Saddle at the best price in Town and Country Married Cover. Aspen would still go on the same identical Kodiak frame as a GR2 leather, but the that hide would cost 35 % more and the only difference is the cover. So you see, the Town and Country Program offers a considerable savings but you do have to like the leather offered in the series.
I ordered the Journey sofa and lounger from Duane in the T & C Document Tobacco cover. I really couldn't afford to spend more. The furniture arrived today (Sun Delivery, very remote location) and I'm extremely happy with the look and feel of the leather. I really wrestled with which leather to choose, I wanted Aspen Bordeaux or similar, but had to "settle" for the Document in the T & C program. I have no regrets, I now own Hancock & Moore, at a really good price.
I passed on your comments to the VP of Operations at Sun Delivery today, Dianne! I know they had to bump down a long dirt road to get to you! I agree that its far better to own an H&M in a program leather than say ... Bradington Young in a high end leather. Price of those two are about the same but the build quality on the H&M is quite a bit better. Good choice! Don't forget to register as the original owner of your pieces as doing so will get you free cushion cores years from now should yours ever need replacing. And THANK YOU for your business, its most appreciated.
I registered online, the hangtag had the serial number for each piece and said I would get a free gift for registering. My husband cannot sit in the recliner for more than 5 minutes without falling asleep. I'm even showing off the furniture to friends and family via Skype.
The delivery guys had to hoist the pieces over a 3 foot retaining wall and dodge the flagstone installers who are working on the front porch. They kept the items blanket wrapped until they were inside, and the sofa barely fit through the 36-inch door. They didn't even complain about the foot-deep potholes on the road.
God, I am so happy to hear that you like your Document leather in the T & C program. I was getting very depressed thinking that the H&M sofa and 2 recliners that I have purchased, in Document leather, and have not yet received are not going to be a bitter disappointment. Thank you for sharing your opinion!!
You won't be disappointed in the Document leather. We've had the sofa and chair for several months now and everyone who sees the furniture absolutely swoons. Even though the Document is considered a "lesser" of the H & M leathers, it's much better than other manufacturers standard offerings. I'm very happy with the furniture and I think you will be, too. Happy Holidays.
I have the September sofa and loveseat in Document Copper from the T & C Program. It was my entry into the Hancock and Moore line and I am happy with it. Since then I have purchased chairs, benches, and bar stools in several more adventurous and luxurious leathers from Duane. The Document leather is absolutely fine and you still get H & M quality. However, I wouldn't do it again. There are just too many gorgeous leathers to choose from!
I think that's an excellent way to describe the Document leathers. They're not a 'bad' hide, its just there are SO many nicer ones that really hold your interest (my current fave is Hand Antiqued Sunset Burnished, a GR 3 hide that is not shown on H&M's site nor yet in the dealers as a sample swatch).