LEATHER 101 | DALLAS FURNITURE STORES
LEATHER 101 | DALLAS FURNITURE STORES
Once you have made the decision to purchase leather furniture, it’s time to shop around. Most of the complaints about leather furniture are related to the type of leather selected. You never have that concern when you purchase from the Leather Sofa Company with seven locations to choose from including two Dallas furniture stores.
Unfortunately, furniture labels can be misleading on many brands. It is to the consumers benefit to learn all they can of leather before they buy. You can avoid the risk of poor grades of leather by visiting any of our seven showrooms in Texas, which includes two Dallas furniture stores.
Leather 101
Let’s look at the most common types of leather a consumer is likely to see when shopping for leather furniture Full Grain Leather – Full grain leather is the top grade and premier classification of leather. It has not been corrected and retains the natural character markings such as healed scars, wrinkles, and subtle variations in color. Full grain leather is the strongest leather available, and retains leathers “breathability”, meaning it will not be too hot, or too cold. Full grain leather lasts for decades, and rather than wearing out develops a beautiful patina and becomes softer. Full grain leather is the best leather available and is used on fine quality leather furniture. It typically last about four times longer than fabric upholstery furniture.
Full grain leather is one of the two premier leathers used at The Leather Sofa Company. We welcome you to drop by any of our seven locations to view our leathers, options and products. We offer two Dallas furniture stores for your convenience.
Tips-Many furniture manufacturers will use lesser grades of leather in the sides and back, you may even encounter vinyl or products with “leather” in the name that are not leather at all, “leather match” is one example that contains no leather. Ensure you receive what you pay for, boxed leather furniture should have a label revealing its true composition but many are misleading. Made with leather typically means not all of it is leather. Compare the feel and scent of the sides and back to the seating area. If there is a difference, you can count on it not be an all leather product. Visit reputable shops to learn the smell and feel of real leather. You are welcome to visit any of our seven locations, we offer two locations of Dallas furniture stores.
Top Grain Leather-Top grain leather is the second highest grade of leather. Top grain leather is for those persons who want a more uniform appearance in leather. It removes the imperfections of the hide such as scars, for example. It is frequently used in fine quality leather furniture and has a service life nearing that of full grain leather. Drop by and view the top grades of leather for comparative purposes. We offer two locations of Dallas furniture stores for your convenience.
By-Cast Leather – By-cast leather is the bottom layer of a split cowhide with a polyurethane veneer that adds color and strength. It is leather but tends to be firm and does not breathe like top grain leather, thus it can be hot or cold. It lacks the strength of full grain as it comes from the lower split portion of the hide.
Tips-In recent years a product has emerged called Bi-cast P.U. (polyurethane). It begins with a fabric backing with a polyurethane veneer applied. It is not as thick as By-Cast leather, nor does it contain any leather at all.
Bonded Leather – Bonded leather was developed in China from ground up scraps of leather mixed with epoxy and processed with polyurethane. It looks and feels like leather but has little leather content. Bonded leather quickly degrades with use.
Leather Match-Leather match is completely synthetic and manufactured to look like leather. It is frequently used by manufacturers for outside back and arms to save on costs.
Split Leather-Split leather is made from what remains of the hide after the top-grain has been removed. An artificial layer is applied to the surface and is embossed with a leather grain. It is less durable than top grain or full grain leather. Split leather is often called “Genuine Leather” and won’t last as long as top or full grain leather.
We encourage you to stop by any of our showrooms to see, smell and touch our premium leathers. Doing so will provide the best means of learning to identify premium leather from poorer grades and “fakes”. We offer seven locations including two Dallas furniture stores.
The Leather Sofa Company only uses the premium leathers of full grain and top grain. This takes the guess work out of shopping for leather furniture. You are assured of always receiving premium leather handcrafted one piece at a time by our experienced and talented artisans and craftsmen located in Lewisville, Texas. We provide seven showrooms in Texas for your convenience, including two conveniently located Dallas furniture stores.
