How To Grade Your Leather Furniture

Large furniture stores Such as DFS,Vitra,Harveys Furniture,SCS Sofas and many more Leading companies in the Market of leather furniture, Usually associate leather furniture mainly with leather sofas,looking beyong the leather sofa industry and soon we realise that leather dominated not only the market of sofas but all range of furniture pieces including office furniture, dining furniture,lounge chairs,bedroom furniture,and many areas of our modern interior designs..Leather furniture became part of our modern urban society and a multi billion dollar business around the world..Leather furniture industry bloomed in our modern age and reach a complicated level of leather materials with so many terminologies,terms and definitions,sometimes it is quite overwhelming and confusing to identify the grade of leather and its real quality..
So what are the real grades of leather and how do we identify the best quality of leather in our furniture pieces ??


Leather is the hide or skin of a mammal, cow,pig or goat which has been made pliable into top layer and inner layers and resistant to decay by a chemical treatment called tanning.The top layer of the hide is the highest quality of leather..

There are two types of processing the leather tanning : Vegetable tanning soaks the hide in tunic acid and chemical tanning soaks it in a solution of chromium salts.

Tanning stops the skins from decaying, makes them water resistant and keeps them pliable.

• Vegetable tanning is used for large heavy cow hides
• Chromium salt tanning for the lighter hides sheep, lambs, pigs,goats

                 **Know your Leather Grade Before you Buy**

We all love a high quality leather piece of furniture to enjoy and display in our modern homes,receptions and offices,Leather sofas in particular are a good investment as they last four times longer than the fabric sofas and usually provide a more clamour touch to our interior designs.Sofas manufacturers have applied so many techniques to create different grade leather furniture in order to make it affordable to a fast variety of customers at different prices..

It is very important to know the the grade of the leather before purchasing your leather furniture pieces as it will determine the comfort and quality of your leather upholstery and its resistance to tear and wear. 

                     **Grades of Real Leather Furniture**  
                      

1/ Full Aniline Leather :

The word Aniline is an industry term for transparent dyes that are used to colour hides.A very thin layer of polyurethane seals the hide and either oil or wax finish is applied as a protecting payer against spills and light scratches..

The Full Aniline Leather is the Most Expensive,attractive and soft natural leather cow hide..It is %100 natural  made from the outer portion of the Hide without no colour coating added to the surface of the hide and has a gorgeous look and beautiful feel..Full aniline leather has only a very light protective coating but is fully dyed so does not scratch like waxed hide. We recommend you apply protection cream to this leather at least three times a year.

Only 5 of every 100 hides produced are sufficiently defect-free to become aniline.  Because they don't have a top colour coating the leather breathes more easily and is cooler to sit on.these are the leathers that tend to develop a rich patina with age.
Key Features : Very ideal for office,reception and decor use..

2/ Semi Aniline Leather:

Also known as Top Grain Leather.It a pure aniline leather  made from the outer portion of the hide but is buffed with a small amount of pigment or clear Finnish  to get rid of any imperfections. This is the longest lasting leather because it is made from the outer portion of the hide and is treated to make it last longer..

Key Features : Very Ideal and functional  for home Use

allowing the natural characteristics of the hide to still show through while offering some of the benefits of colour consistency and increased wearability.

3/ Corrected Leather :

The corrected leather is the most basic type available and used by the larger furniture stores..While the Full grain leather is used from the top hide layer,the corrected leather is used from the split inner layers..It is made from the hides that can not be used as top aniline layers..Corrected grain has a coated finish that creates a very uniform feel with a strong protective coating. Corrected grain has a fairly soft finish but it is not a luxurious as higher grades..

4/ Natural waxed hide

Also Known as the Pigment Dyed Leather*..The Natural waxed hide is often used in classic, contemporary and modern leather sofa furniture. It is very soft,usually made from the inner layer of the Hide and comes with a protective coating. Natural features such as the original scars and changes in the hide are visible which adds most of the appeal. If you scratch the leather it will lighten when the oil or wax separates, but will return to its original colour when you rub it or apply a protective cream.With years of use, pigment dyed leathers may require you to touch up scratches that have penetrated deep enough into the leather to reach the natural hide, which would be lighter in color.

5/ Double thickness Hide :

Double thickness leather has a heavy grain, is twice as thick as normal leather, is durable and specifically protected so that it can withstand everyday use. It works very well when used for large furniture as well as square designed furniture.

 Double thickness hide has a heavy grain and is very well protected and exceptionally good for everyday/ heavy use..

What is a Faux Leather ?
Faux leather is a fake leather meant to imitate tanned animal hide--real leather. Frequently it is made from a polyurethane laminate. Faux leather can also be defined as "Naugahyde," a trademarked term for fake leather...
Accoring to Wikipidea : 
Naugahyde (sometimes abbreviated to Nauga) is an American brand of artificial leather ("pleather"). Naugahyde is a composite of a knit fabric backing and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic coating. It was developed by United States Rubber Company,

Tips and Warnings :

Do's

• Dust or vacuum regularly
• Use lukewarm distilled water for spills or stains to prevent watermark rings or stains.
• Use a soft cloth like a chamois or a soft sponge to prevent scratches or abrasions.
• Wipe lightly in one direction.
• Blot with a dry cloth and let the leather air dry naturally.

Don'ts

• Do not place furniture on or near heat sources. Heat can cause natural leather to crack and age prematurely.  
  Remember Leather is a natural product and requires some care to maintain the natural beauty of the hide.
• For minor or slight scratches on the surface, use chamois or clean fingers to gently buff the scratch.
• Not all scratches have the same depth so the technique may not work on deeper scratches. The friction and heat from the rubbing helps redistribute the wax in the surrounding area to cover the scratch.

To avoid disappointment when you buy leather piece of furniture, check the type of leather that has been used to manufacture the furniture that you are interested in, because good prices and images do not always come with great quality products..

  View our selection of  Designer Sofas and Chairs at Star Design UK..

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