H&M leather decisions...decisions

[Studdabaker]

H&M leather. Oh my...the choices. I have read and read post after post about leather in this forum. I am a complete novice when it comes to leather but I think I know is what I don't like. First, I don't like leather with high elasticity that will sag significantly over time such as back cushions looking droopy and puddles on the seat cushions. (Duane, you had picture of your sofa that you have had for years and the leather looked fantastic...was still relatively tight...do you know what leather?) Second, leather that will squeak/noisy. Third, leather that is hard, not very pliable Fourth, leather that is shiny, over processed, fake looking. If I spend thousands of dollars on a sofa I want to know that i am sitting on "real" leather.

Here is what i have gathered by reading the posts so please correct me if wrong.
1) Gr1 & 2 seem to be dominated by sanded, highly processed, protected leather with the two best being Columbia and Cavalier. Are there any in this category that is Aniline dyed, pliable, tight, and natural looking? Columbia and/or Cavalier?
GR3- the most recommended leathers seems to be aniline, pull-up leathers with a burnished finish? I am not sure if any of the leathers fit my characteristics in this category? Are the pull-up and burnished leathers squeaky and prone to sagging? I like the look of burnished but when it ages will I like it? Is it prone to have greasy looking spots from the wax and/or human oils? Do either of the Weston or Tiburon work? One better?
3) Gr4- Seems like Capri/Quintessence would be the holy grail for my tastes but not sure if it works into the budget? Is there a "poor mans" Capri/Quintessence?...from S. America or China? My business acumen has me believe there has to be a similar leather out of S. America/China but cheaper due to everything being more expensive in Europe (ie land, grain etc). I understand the geographical aspect of no fence/bug scars , but I can live with some scaring as long as I get the pure aniline, soft elegance of a Capri for the price of a Gr2 or Gr3.

I know I need to request some samples but since I have a narrow scope, i want to limit resources and people time as much as possible.

I know you cannot post prices but as a "ballpark figure" what is the price differences between each leather grade for a H&M sofa(excluding the T&C promo)?

Thanks so much!

[drcollie]

- heh - If you wanna play in the world of 'real' leather you gotta pay. What you described in your first paragraph is Capri, GR 4. And that is going to hurt your checkbook a bit.

I would say in the current lineup of leathers, 2015, that the best aniline hide going for the price is the ATTICUS series, though there are not many colors. It's a GR 2 hide, and most people that order it seem to like it. I know that as of this posting, it has a long lead time as the next several batches are sold out in all colorways. It could take 4 to 5 months build time to get pieces in that leather as of Feb 2015.

Columbia/Cavalier are decent, but won't give you a natural look, you can tell both are processed.

All pull-up and burnished leathers will squeak and be slicker to sit on. They have sealers and waxy top surfaces. When Burnished leather ages it gets hundreds of worn looking 'stress' marks in it, which I like. Very English pub-looking. Weston and Tiburon are waxy and show pressure marks, but ae excellent leathers in their category.

No substitute for Capri/Quintessence/Arizona luxury hides. They use different cow hides and totally different processes that are not developed in other country's tanneries. If I can use a couple of analogies, its like wanting a Porsche and trying to see if something like KIA or a Toyota will suffice. Or desiring a Rolex and hoping Seiko makes one that is close. If you want the real deal, you have to bite the bullet and make the financial jump to it.

As a general guideline (VERY general - don't hold me to this).... every time you step up a grade in H&M its about 15% more on average and that gap widens to 20 % between GR 4 and 5.