Burnished vs. non-burnished pull-up leathers

Hi all - I'm considering purchasing two chairs for our living space, Tightmoore and Ashmore, and I'm trying to settle on the leather choice. I've narrowed it down to either a classic Italian pull-up like Tuscany Harness or a burnished leather like Hyde Park Brownie. I unfortunately don't have the ability to look at upholstered pieces in person, so I'm trying to get a sense for what these types of leathers feel like.

In general, how do non-burnished pull-up leathers like the Tuscany series feel in comparison with burnished leathers? I understand that burnishing starts with a pull-up leather, but then it gets sanded, toned, and sealed. Does this process give it a stiffer feel than the non-burnished pull-ups? Are they still comfortable to sit in? Can you still end up with a piece that has that "sink-in" comfort, or are these leathers best for a more firm seating experience?

I like the look of the burnished leathers more, and all things being equal I'll probably go Hyde Park Brownie. But since I'm buying sight unseen, I'd hate to find out that the leather is stiffer or more uncomfortable than expected.

I've noted Duane's previous advice here and will be using ultra down cores in either case in an attempt to offset any stiffness in these leathers.

Thank you - James

James,
Although we have only had our H&M furniture a few months and it is not broken in like others on the forum surely have, I can address your question about comfort....we have Kodiak sofa and chair and ottoman in (old grading system) grade 3 burnished leather (Remington Sapphire Burnished) and also have a chair and ottoman in a grade 4 (Markle Royal.) the Markle Royal is sinful....You don't want to get out of it....imagine you were a mouse laying around on a lady's expensive winter glove.....that is what the leather feels and smells like....the burnished leather is not stiff or uncomfortable...it is very comfortable and you can tell you are sitting in quality leather. Imagine plopping down in the great leather chairs in the Men's Grill at the rich Uncle's country club (sans the cigar smoke smell..) It makes a bit more noise when you move around and the dog or cat will raise their head and look at you when you move around in it, but it is really comfortable too.....You cannot go wrong with either....get one of each if you are getting 2 chairs....they are different but both awesome !

I'll let Duane talk about the process, but I don't think there is a sealant on Hyde Park. I don't really know the lingo but I know it's unprotected. We have the West End sofa in Hyde Park Brownie Burnished with Ultra Down seats and backs that we bought from Duane in 2012, delivered spring 2013 (I think ours is one of the first non-sample pieces they made in it. We picked it out at the High Point Market in Fall 2012 and it was brand new then). I can't imagine a sofa much more comfortable than what we've got. I don't know what non-burnished Grade 4 feels like so maybe Duane can give you a comparison, but ours is definitely soft and super comfortable. I can't remember if it made any noise when we first got it, but it definitely doesn't now. I own some very high end gloves in peccary, carpincho, and similar leathers and this isn't quite that soft but it's mainly because it's thicker and made for furniture. The Hancock and Moore website description of it being like "lambskin gloves" is pretty accurate. I wouldn't use the word "stiff" at all. Hope that's helpful.

Burnished leather start from a Pull-Up "Crust". or they will take a standard wax and oil infused Pull-up hide and lightly sand it, then burnish it. Burnishing is simply hand-tinting a piece of leather with a toner coat, then apply a sealer over it which adds some gloss and prevents the burnishing from coming off. Most pull-ups in the line are GR 3 and all Burnished are now GR 4, too allow for that extra labor charge to work the tinting. I have both in my own home and it's really just a matter of preference.

Burnished leathers tend to be louder or noisier when you sit on them. They are also prone to sun fading (as are pull-ups). They generally are more handsome that most pull-ups. They don't show scratches easily and pets don't stain them in my experience.

Pull-up Hides are classic. They earn their stretch marks and color bursts with use and time. If you have an aversion to leather showing pressure marks (scratches, etc) then Pull-ups are not for you. Because they are infused with layers of oils and wax, they naturally tend to repel any spills better than any other aniline leather.

There is very little comfort difference in a burnished hide and pull-up, they feel about the same. Now when you go into a supersoft Luxury hide like Markle, then you can really feel the difference (Markle has a mild pull-up effect). At my store, I tend to sell more burnished than pull-ups. Hope that helps.

Thank you all, it's really helpful to hear that the pull-up and burnished leathers have similar feel, and I can expect both will be about equally comfortable. I'm not as interested in the supersoft, buttery-feeling luxury hides (and they wouldn't really work with our lifestyle anyway). If non-burnished pull-up vs. burnished really does just come down to aesthetics, it makes the decision a lot more straightforward; I'll just go with whatever looks best in our space.

Thanks again.

I have another question. What are your thoughts about Pelham burnished? The description says H&M is using a new water-based process? Any thoughts on overall quality, color, endurance? Also, worker conditions matter to me. Might this be a safer way of applying burnishing for the artist working in the leather? I realize your answer about safety is probably a guess.

"Pelham" is a new series of burnished leather and the swatches have not been sent to the dealers yet - so we have not seen it.

All burnished leathers are done over a (usually) Italian Pull-Up category, lightly sanded, then hand-burnished at Hancock and Moore using water-based toner materials. It's a safe as using latex paint in your home. You can see Melissa burnishing leathers in this photo that I took of her working in May of 2021, and she loves her job. She has one assistant and they do all the burnishing, she is a very sweet lady and always has a smile on her face. If you ever take a factory tour, you will meet her!

Attachment 14258

Love it. Thank you.