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Have you ever been confused about the different Grades of leather? Without an explanation from a competent leather furniture professional (like you'll always find at Choice Leather Furniture), leather grading can be as mystifying as diamond grading. Truth be told, it's much more difficult to understand than diamond grading.
Why, because there is no standardized grading of leather. Leather Grades are used by factories to convey price and each factory selects their own means of grading. Factory A may use numbers; Factory B may use letters while Factory C chooses to grade their leathers with names. Now, if that's not enough to get any sane consumer confused consider what happens when Factory X and Y both use numbers for grades.
Factory X offers 10 different grades of leather, 1 being the least desirable (and least expensive) and 10 being their most expensive leather (notice I did not say it was the most desirable. Just because it's the most expensive doesn't automatically make it the most desirable- especially when you factor in the way you'll use the leather - more on that later). Factory Y also has 10 grades but they grade their leathers from 5 to 50 using 5 unit increments. So, if you try to compare the leather numerically between these two factories you'll think a grade 5 is the same when it fact, it's a mid grade leather for one factory and the base grade for the other. You may think you're getting a superior value when you see Factory Y's price for a grade 5 leather but the reality is you're comparing apples to gourds, yet both are Grade 5 leathers. Who wouldn't be confused? More importantly, what can you do?
Again, realize there is no such thing as standardized grading. The easiest way to get a handle on leathers is to break them into 3 categories represented by the anachronism P.A.N. The first letter P represents protected, pigmented or painted leather. This will be the least expensive leather because it has had more correction done to it than A or N leathers. Here's an interesting fact, the more you do to leather the less it costs. Now that sounds backwards doesn't it? The reason is because, like a diamond, a hide in pristine condition is so rare that it commands a much greater price than the hide of a South Texas cow. The hide of a cow from our part of the world is in so bad of shape from being outside in the weather with the bugs, barbwire, etc. that it needs it's entire surface "buffed" (sanded) then an artificial grain embossed back into the hide to make it look like genuine leather. Don't let this example scare you away from P type leathers; you can get some that have very little (or no) artificial graining along with minimal paint or pigment. These leathers have a nice hand (feel) and still are very child and pet friendly (easy to clean).
Next is the A leathers, this stands for aniline which is a chemical that opens the pores of the hide to let a vegetable oil dye permeate completely through the leather. These can be the finest of leathers; however that doesn't always make them the right leather for your lifestyle. The P leathers are the easiest to keep and are perfect for an active family room. "A" leathers are more natural and unless you have an optional protection applied they can be hard to live with due to possible staining. However, you can get what's called semi-aniline, this is an A leather with a very slight protective coating applied at the tannery. A good choice for anyone wanting better quality leather that will be used in an active room.
The last letter is N which stands for Nubuk leather. This leather has virtually replaced suede, which is the backside of the hide and extremely fragile. Nubuk is the top grain (top grain means it's the side of the hide that once had hair) that has had a brushing devise actually cut into the leather leaving it with a nap, very similar to velvet. Nubuk is more durable than suede but it's the least durable of the 3 types of leathers discussed here. Be very careful using Nubuk in an active room, it's very unforgiving. However, you can still purchase optional protection for Nubuk as well as protected and aniline leathers. Optional warranty protection packages are an excellent value and can give you a great deal of peace of mind.
There's no better value in home furnishings than leather furniture, if you get the right type of leather for your lifestyle. Visit with any of the leather professionals at Choice Leather Furniture and you'll be assured of getting the right leather for your lifestyle. |
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Choice Leather Furniture 210-824-8500 Phone |
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