Re: Hancock and Moore Columbia leather
There's a lot of confusion on leather grades, you're not alone. The important thing to remember is that a leather grade is a PRICE grade, not a quality grade. Its what H&M (or any other manufacturer for that matter) has to pay for the hide. A number of factors come in play to determine the price from a tannery.
* Currency valuations
* Labor costs
* Shipping costs
* Fineness of the Crust (leather before its tanned)
With Columbia, you have a South American leather vs. Antelope which comes out of Germany. Right off the bat, before we even look at the quality of the Crust, the first three items are higher coming from Germany than Argentina. Just the Euro vs the US Dollar can have a large impact of wholesale costs.
The general rule of thumb is that less expensive leathers are more durable. Finer leathers are more luxurious. Why? Because the less expensive hides have to be more processed to cover the leather flaws, and as such have more chemicals and finish applied. Finer, softer hides are in a more natural state, and in many cases more prone to absorb a spill or two.
Between Colombia and Antelope, I would expect the same lifespan of the hide. And what determines the lifespan is how often you keep your leather clean and conditioned....and out of direct sunlight. You can make that hide last 40 years, or use it up in as little as 7 years. The Antelope is going to present nicer (and it should for the extra cost) and feel richer, but only you can decide if that's worth the extra cost.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
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