Let us talk about leather furniture. First, let us not forget that
all leather is second hand. The animal had it first, it is subject to damage
by its original owner, and it is common to find insect bites, brands, barbed wire scratches and so on. Sometimes people will think they have poor quality leather because of this but that can be far from true.
There are different types of leather that come from the same hide. The top grain
is the outer most layer of the hide and is the toughest and most commonly used for upper end leather furniture but tends to
show the blemishes. The split grain is the part of the hide closest to the animal,
is weaker and often embossed to give it a top grain look.
We deal with leather
in three classifications: aniline, pigmented, and nubuck. Of the three, pigmented is the most resistant to sun fading, which makes it ideal for furniture, is actually
cheaper to buy, and used most often for leather car seats due to its sun resistance. With leather, the more done to it the
less it cost and conversely, the less done (like nubuck) the more expensive. You will find most home furnishings made with
aniline due to its look and feel. It often has that comfortable worn look to it and feels warm in the winter and cool in the
summer. Nubuck has what many describe as a velvety feel and is commonly used in high-end leather furnishings and is the most
difficult to clean.
