Experience with Document, Capri, and Quintessence leathers

[sacawa]

I have been following this forum for 5 months now and have obtained so much information through the expertise of Duane and the feedback from forum members. This is a wonderful avenue to obtain truthful and accurate info. Hopefully you will be able to offer some opinions to assist me in my dilemma.

First let me introduce our household. We are two retired 78 year olds married nearly 58 years and a 16 y/o cat without front claws. We have been researching H&M vs BY since last August and are days away from phoning Duane for prices and placing order for two H&M recliners. After obtaining samples what I really love the Capri or Quintessence unprotected for its luxurious look and feel. The third alternative is Document. If I understand correctly Document comes from China and Capri and Quintessence from Europe. Our dilemma is this: although we love the class 4 leathers obviously we are not making a decision on 25-30 years of use d/t age. Should we settle for Document and if so do we stand to be disappointed? What is the experience of the forum members of these three leathers. I am sure that there is a vast cost difference.

The chair styles we are considering are the: 1003 Sterling 1st choice in Capri navy leather. 2nd choice 1023 Addison available in the Document navy but without the full compliment of nailhead trim that we desire. Would the full complement of trim be possible to add to the Addison since it is the T&C program?

I would appreciate comments, opinions, and any experience you might have with the 3 leathers. Thanks so much. Hopefully this last hurdle can be overcome, pricing obtained and order in.

[graymar]

I have Capri on my sofa, chair and ottoman and absolutely love it! It gets softer and softer with time - quite luxurious. I think at age 78, married 58 years, you owe yourself the best!

[drcollie]

I can tell you this much....in all the years I have been doing this:

* I have never had a customer that buys Capri / Quintessence come to me and say later on 'I wish I had gone with Document and saved the money"

* I have about 50 customers tell me that if they had to do it over again, they would have bought a better leather.

My home office chair I am sitting in right now is in Quintessence. I don't own any furniture in Document, nor will I ever.

[hglaber]

I'll second that. I am perfectly satisfied with my Sadler in Portfolio (it was the T&C at the time). I think it was one of the more interesting married covers offered. But if that chair is stolen while I am at work today I will immediately order another recliner, but in a higher-grade leather.

Get the fancier leather if you can comfortably afford it. If you do, in a year you won't even remember how much more it cost over Document. However, if you get Document, you'll remember you could have had something like Capri or Quintessence for as long as you have the chair. When I ordered mine, I specifically didn't request samples of grade 4s, just for that reason. If Duane were less ethical, he could probably just "accidentally" add one or two grade 4s to every sample request and make a killing.

[morrison2951]

I'll third that.

I've just ordered an Austin High Back Tilt Back Recliner in Grade 2 Atticus Sable from my local retailer after having seen the chair on the floor in their store in T&C Document Tobacco and after alittle research on this forum and alot of arm twisting the wife. Ha ha ha

The extra price was worth it to me.