I am working on a degree in leather!! Duane, I have looked through the posts & I am still not understanding --the durability of the aniline plus in BY. Is this finished? is it near finished--the AP seems to feel better? is that my imagination?
It can be confusing. Let's recap:
Finished Leather: Hides need heavy sanding to correct flaws in the leather. The grain pattern is obliterated during this process, and is later embossed back into the hide. Then the hide is (these terms are interchangeable), FINISHED, or PIGMENTED, or PAINTED or PROTECTED with the color coat. Special effects may be (and usually are) put into the hide which means toning, shading, hi-low contrasting, etc. Finally a durable topcoat is sprayed on. PROS: Resistant to most stains and spills. Slow to fade in direct sunlight. Easy to Clean. Easy to Repair or touch up. Least Expensive of all furniture grade leathers. CONS: No natural patterns left in the hide, very uniform. Can be stiffer. Will always be satin to glossy. Will not have that leather smell or 'hand;.
Semi-Aniline: Is virtually the same as Finished, but is a hybrid. It requires less sanding and does have a vat-dipped initial color coat (aniline), but ultimately is processed as a Finished hide. Same characteristics as Finished, tends to be a bit softer and supple.
Aniline: Light to no sanding of the hide. Only the top 2% hides worldwide are good enough to be pure anilines. All natural markings and imperfections are left in the hide, making for a wonderful, natural piece. Vat-dipped for color, with a minimum of topcoating. PROS: The smell and buttery softness of fine leather. Rich Colors, Very soft and supple. Flat Sheen. Luxury. CONS: Expensive, Will fade in Direct Sunlight. May absorb some oil and acid based stains into the hide. More difficult to clean.
For most people, choose a finished or semi-aniline leather if on a budget and you have an active household, and want a 'wipe n' go' leather.
Choose Aniline if you want to experience the full richness of leather at its best. Nothing looks as good as aniline hides, or will give you more pleasure provided your lifestyle is such that you take care of your furniture and don't eat your meals on your upholstery.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
So the aniline plus is finished & is as cleanable as the finished ?
Yes. I personally don't consider Aniline Plus to be any different than Finished, nor do most in the trade. Its typically just a nicer - Finished - leather.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
We just watched the H&M video....very informative. While considering a Town and Country, we have not ruled out choosing another leather that is cut and sewn at the Hickory factory. The Town and Country just caught our eye, as it is significantly lower in price. This recap of leathers is very informative...We are wondering if a "finished" leather is grade 1, "semi-aniline" is a grade 2, and the full anilines are grade 3 and above. Is there a way to gauge it, or is this oversimplified?
We do feel as though we are pursuing a degree in furniture with a minor in leather. That's not all bad. We already have a degree in furnaces!
While I'm asking....I'd like your advice. We are looking at the City Sofa & matching chair because of its smaller depth...38" and its appearance. Other H&M sofas are much deeper, and too big for our space. However, we have read that it has a "formal" sit to it, and we are legs up with a book people. There are few H&M sofas to try in our area, so we are doing a lot of thread-reading. We looked at the Welch, but think it is too deep.
Thanks for your help!
Gus,
You can't really tell per se from the leather grade, though there are no anilines in Grade 1, and there are no finished leathers in grades 4 and 5.
I'd say it falls out about like this:
Grade 1: Finished 100 %
Grade 2: Finished 85 %, Aniline 15%
Grade 3: Finished 10 %, Aniline 90%
Grade 4: Aniline 100%
Grade 5: Aniline 100%
(I consider semi-anilines to be a finished leather)
The City series is a best-seller, and lots of folks buy that line. Its mid-size but not what I would consider a lounging sofa because its not that deep or high in the back. If you want an H&M thats built for comfort that has lines similar to the City, look at the Journey and Kodiak (which are in the Town and Country program as well).
Hope that helps!
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
We have the city sofa. My husband doesn't like nailhead trim and various other style details. It took us ages to decide on city.
We are casual people. My husband is 5'10 and I'm 5'4" and we have a son who is 6.
RE: depth and height for sitting, I think it's fine.
We are both fine taking naps on it individually.
When one of us cuddles to read or nap with our son, we pull off the back pillows and rest our heads on the arms.
RE: depth for 2 adults to lie down on it. Possible if you're both fit.
I've put on some weight and my hips have gotten too wide for my husband and I to both lie cuddly on it, like we did on our other sofa when we first married.
PS - the other one we narrowed down was Lennon.
Can't remember why we didn't go with it.
As I look at it now, I like its arms quite a bit better.
Wow! Thanks for the "cuddle factor" input, LoveSun! That is good information re: sofas!
We are now considering a couple of leathers: Columbus Molasses Grade 1, and Broadway Nugget, Grade 3. The Town and Country Grandview Mocha is just a too shiny for our tastes. Any opinions on the other two?
I meant GOOD information.