Re: Warm brown (almost orange) leather option
We went to a H&M dealer earlier today who didn't appear to know a tenth of what is in these forums, and they suggested leathers like the Document collection, or insisting that Protected leather is really the only way to go.
This is a pretty common scenario and happens all the time. Many dealers selling H&M don't even know what "Protected" means, just that you better not buy an "Unprotected" hide or terrible, bad things will happen to your furniture! This is not the case at all. In a nutshell:
Protected = Painted Leather
UnProtected = Aniline Dyed Leather
This is a conversation I have at least ten times a week with customers in the store, so I'm pretty good at it. I personally sell about a 50/50 mix of both, each has its strengths and weaknesses.
Protected: Like anything that is painted, you are applying a pigmented topcoat to a sanded surface. The reason the leather was sanded is because it had too many flaws to become an aniline hide. So, not only are all natural markings removed, but you have a uniform, painted surface over an embossed grain pattern. All paint - no matter what its applied to (house, car, leather, etc) eventually wears off with use and time, its unavoidable. However, its excellent at shedding anything spilled on it and has significantly more resistance to sun (UV) fade.
UnProtected: Only 6% of hides worldwide are good enough to be vegetable vat dyed. All the natural markings are in place such as fat wrinkles, scars, moles, bug bites, etc. Grain pattern will vary as its left intact, not sanded away. The leathers are more supple, more interesting and more costly. Aniline leathers will build patina over time and the color will not wear off. HOWEVER - and this is a big HOWEVER - they are more susceptible to UV sunlight fade and damage, which will appear as a color loss when in reality its sun fade. Also, they are less likely to repel stains and body oils. Those can manifest as darker areas on the hide if the owner doesn't keep the piece cleaned and conditioned.
Which is right? Depends on three things 1) Your lifestyle 2) Your appreciation for finer goods 3) Your budget. If you are going to eat your meals on the sofa and treat the piece as a utility unit, then you will want a finished or painted leather. If you are willing to pay more for the pure aniline, have a lifestyle where food is eaten mainly at the dining table, and are willing to take steps to prevent UV damage from sunlight, then aniline pieces are tough to beat.
I have (18) pieces of leather furniture in my own home, as old as 30 years from three different makers. All are aniline, I don't own any finished leathers other than my office chair are work (which gets beat on). My kids were raised on aniline hide sofas and family room furniture with no ill effects. I clean and maintain my hides and though we have drinks and snacks on the sofas, we have a pretty tidy and clean home. I have solar window tint or Low E glass on all my windows.
Scratches: Everything will scratch. If you scratch through a finished hide them you get your paint out and repaint the area, just like you would on a car. With aniline, you rub a little leather conditioner in the scratch and that usually makes them fade. Pull up leathers are designed to show color bursts from pressure, which the un-informed refer to as "scratches". But a good pull-up leather is wonderful to own and develops its own unique patina, its something you appreciate as you get more into leathers.
Equestrian is a discontinued leather - your local dealer needs to pull their swatches and dispose of them.
Capri is wonderful, but expensive and fairly naked - not the best with kids, that's an adult ownership leather
Burnished leathers are very, very tough (Buckingham, Hyde Park, Imperial). They are pull-ups that have been glazed over, I have a lot of burnished hides in my own home.
Wade is very nice, almost a Capri at a GR 3 price.
Hope that helps
Last edited by drcollie; 12-25-2017 at 11:58 PM.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
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