Leather Choices Question

[excringency]

I have read the guide to the classes of leather for Hancock and Moore. The question I have is a little more specific. In your opinions, what is the best H&M leather in each class I through IV? I believe I have decided on the 6155-3 French Curve Sofa. However, I don't have and experience with Hancock and Moore. I'm looking for your aesthetic choices. Which leathers do you prefer? Lastly, of the four choices which one would you believe is the best value for the money spent? Is a $1000 difference worth it? If it is I wouldn't hesitate to go up (or down) in class.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[drcollie]

Leather grades are pricing grades, not quality or type parameters. They are based on the sq. ft. cost of the hide. So it would be like going to a restaurant and saying "Which food you like that is $ 6?, which one that is $ 10? Then another at $ 20, and finally the meal you like at $ 40?" I tink a better criteria is to figure out what leather type you want (Finished, Pull-Up, Burnished, Aniline, Super Soft Aniline, etc) and go with one that suits your lifestyle. What's your decor, what look or feel are you trying to achieve? What is your lifestyle and your family (if any)? Do you tend to take care of things or view a sofa as a utility piece? That sort of thing.

[excringency]

Whatever my final decision would be I would purchase two of the appropriate Leather Solutions kits at regular intervals. I like the idea of protected leather, but maybe not at the cost of a boring monochrome appearance. That leather smell, whether from a new sofa or new car I find to be aroma therapy. I'm leaning toward the darkest of red or green in color. I would like a couch to be pleasing not just to the nose. I'd like to appreciate the beauty of the leather every time I walk into the room. Having gone an and on about all of that, I expect to be all over a couch. As in feet up, feet down, laying on one side and then flipping the the other. I would need a leather to stand up to that (just me and my partner, no kids but dogs in the future). I'd like to narrow down my considerations before asking for leather samples to be sent. As it stands I'd need about 100 to choose from. I'd like to get that number down for around five. I guess what I'm asking for is what do you believe are the most attractive values from the different classes. I'd rather not have leather from the lines that are duller and tanned in China. More of what, in your opinion (with your experience and eye after decades in the business) are the better choices within the classes?

[drcollie]

Have you read through this thread yet? This will give you good insight into the kinds of leather you can get. Also, a "Protected" leather is a painted leather, and most of them (not all) come from China. Like iPhones and TV's China puts out some really good finished leather product, I think you do yourself a disservice by eliminating a group of hides based on country of origin.

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...-FORUM-lt-READ

There are no samples to be send out, sorry. Hancock and Moore is closed down due to Covid 19, an even if you did place an order now, it would not go anywhere but sit in an email inbox. I have (1) French Curve Sofa in my store in Hyde Park Merlot Burnished with custom lace arm trim, and that's about the only one available for the foreseeable future unless you can find another one in stock somewhere. This one:

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...t=french+curve

If you want to look at one hundred leathers, then you'll have to get to a store to select from the handles, no other way to really do that.

For Finished/Protected leathers, I like Angelo (China) and Champion (Italy). Dark Greens and Dark Reds are not in style right now, not many choices in those colorways. Do a search on H&M's website and you will see the few they have in those colors pretty quickly.

Finished or "protected" leathers don't have nearly the leather aroma that a naked aniline does because at the end of the day they are a painted leather, and paint is not porous. The best leathers for that classic buttery-sweet smell are the Capri and Markle series, which are price grade 4.