Side Trip Today....

Took today off to move my daughter into college at James Madison University (the whole family went) and that's why I've not answered any PM's or emails today because of that.....will get on them tomorrow when back in the store.

Stopped by one of the largest furniture stores on the way back home, Greenfront in Manassas, VA. A huge operation, with millions of dollars of inventory and I was shocked that I was the only customer in the store - and the only car in the parking lot. Lots of employees around, but it was so empty of people I thought the store was closed.

I'm amazed at how they display their goods. Furniture - much of it expensive - is just shoved into every available spot with no attempt to 'present' it. I spent nearly two hours in the place, carefully looking over the brands and construction. From what they carry, the Hancock and Moore, along with Southwood and Taylor King easily stands out. You can see the quality from ten feet away. I already carry H&M and Southwood, and decided today to pick up the Taylor King line as well. Its' well-made, and I like the way every piece sits that I tried out.

Two brands I thought would show better are Century and Sherrill. I was a bit disappointed in both. Covers were marginal, and comfort was mediocre to poor on many pieces. Workmanship was unimpressive. Another brand they had a lot of pieces with was Motioncraft, and it was equally unimpressive. The Seven Seas collection from B-Y was absolutely horrid, as i remembered it..

I saw a lot of furniture with "Made in Vietnam" on it. Guess its my generation (Class of '72), but I've got friend's names on that wall downtown in DC that died over there and I just cannot sell that, no matter how good the value may be.

OK, I've got a negative on H&M based on a piece I saw on their floor. They had a Hancock and Moore recliner there in Equestrian leather (Grade 3), and it was hugely noisy at even the slightest movement. Squeaky from friction on the motion furniture and it would drive me nuts....so from today on I'm going to suggest everyone NOT use Equestrian on motion furniture unless they can tolerate the constant squeaking of the leather.

Duane, I was in the neighborhood so I stopped into Green Front yesterday (on the way to the Nissan Pavilion). I sat in the recliner you referenced with the Equestrian leather. All I can say is there must be something wrong with that particular batch of leather. No way should H&M use that on ANY piece, not just motion pieces. Even without engaging the recline mechanism the crinkly, squeaky noise was awful. That particular cover would make noise and be very unacceptable on all types of chairs or sofas. In some ways it reminded me of the clear plastic used as protection to cover fabric sofas and automobile seats in the 60's. If this is indicative of Equestrian leather then H&M needs to drop it from it's offerings immediately. I suspect however that it's not the case, but rather there is a problem with this particular piece.

I asked about Equestrian on another thread with no reply. My question is whether Equestrian is a protected aniline leather since it has a service rating of 2 and is indicated as protected in a H&M booklet (about 4 years old) I have, but is listed as unprotected on their website. I don't know if this is a change in the leather processing or a misprint on the site or booklet. Your knowledge of Equestrian would be appreciated.

That is indicative of ALL Equestrian, and the squeaking is going to occur on any H&M motion piece, as Jimmy Moore insists on tight tolerances for all his product. The only way to get around that is to widen the gaps so there is no friction rub. You can take any two pieces of Equestrian leather from any swatch handle and rub them together and they will squeak, so its not defective or indicative of that one chair at Greenfront. This is going to happen across the line. Equestrian still will be a viable leather on pieces such as barstools and occasional chairs, but I am no longer recommending it on any motion furniture because of the noise factor. It's a Semi-Aniline leather with a protective top coat.