A lot of time people are terribly confused about pull-up hides, they don't understand them and will say "I don't want a leather that scratches". That's a sure sign of someone that is new to leather, because one of the coolest leathers you can buy is nice Italian pull-up. The term pull-up refers to a color burst (lighter) when pressure is applied to the hide. If you take your fingernail and scratch the leather...what is that but pressure? Truth be told, people in the business like myself buy pull-ups for their own home, people new to leather do not. However, they look better with time and are always changing, and in 10 years will look WAY better than that painted (protected) leather most people feel they have to buy.
Nothing like a pure aniline....
So here's this # 072 Campaign Ottoman from Hancock and Moore. I brought it new into the store in May 2012 and it looked like this new out of the box.
I used it to put all the H&M leather swatch rings atop. It did utility duty in the store and was constantly being handled and abused, in fact this was the single most used piece in the store. After 2 1/2 years of duty in the store, I decided it needed to go to my house in my great room, now it was broken in properly and looks 'just right'. This is the same ottoman. See the markings? Perfect...this is what you want your pull-ups to look like. And it will just get better and better as the years go by.
Not your look? That's OK, I wouldn't expect you to like a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon the first time you took a sip of wine, either..
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Definitely like the second pic, it just looks broken-in and comfortable.
Agreed. This is something a LOT of people have trouble with, they're afraid that a pull up leather will look terrible with use, but in fact, it looks better over time.
I think my one mission in leather-furniture-world is to try to educate people that they DO NOT need a finished or protected leather, despite what the vase majority of sales droids in the other furniture stores preach. Nothing beats a pure aniline hide.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Duane, I think you are succeeding with your mission and providing an excellent educational resource for consumers.
Fortunately, I began reading the forum a few years ago to learn more about furniture and leather after I purchased a set of "Made in America" furniture based upon a manufacturer's promotional literature and a sales pitch by a smiling salesman. Although I cannot find it on a map or even find it using Google, there must be a factory or small town in China named "America" since the back of the furniture I received was labeled "Made in China."
Fast forward a few years and although I did not purchase my first pieces of H&M from Duane, I gained a lot of knowledge reading his posts in this forum and I was able to resist the pressure from a few snooty so called "furniture experts" who lorded over their design center in a big furniture store. I refused to purchase protected leather and only bought aniline hide.
For my latest piece, I called Duane and he convinced me to try Quintessence on a tufted sofa (his aggressive pricing also helped). This leather is probably as close to the softness of kitten's fur as a leather can get. The only downside, if any, is I can't lay down on it without falling asleep within 5 minutes and then stay asleep for a few hours. Fortunately, I am not a rabid sports fan because I have slept through several football games.
Good post, Kevin!
You know there's something I've discovered in being in this business for over 30 years... "You never regret buying the Good Stuff". lol its true. You may have a little heartburn over the price, but that's forgotten over the years of enjoyment of use.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Very good post. My kids and dog are making sure I'm okay with some "wear" on the sofa, LOL. I call it character! However, it still looks beautiful.
How do you treat and clean a pull up leather without removing the waxes from the leather?
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Which leather was that ottoman in, Duane? It is gorgeous.
It's Tuscany Harness.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.