Leather Information – Do you know what you are buying?

Knowledge of leather will save you buying vinyl that looks like leather or inferior leather patched together and treated to hide it.  Where is it tanned?  What is under the leather, the sofa frame and the foam? Top grain leathers suitable for furniture can be classified in 3 main groups.

1. Aniline:  This leather has been dyed with aniline, a clear penetrating dye.  Marks on the hide are not covered at all with
pigmentation, which makes for beautiful, natural and rare leather. It is rare and is the most expensive leather because it comes from
very pampered cows in parts of the world where the environment protects their skin against marks from cuts, scratches, salt, bites,
burns and weathering. The big drawback is that this leather has little resistance to soiling, staining and sunlight.

2. Semi-Aniline: These are leathers that are dyed in penetrating aniline dyes and can be done in many colours. A protective coating
is added to protect the leather against fading and soiling. The natural top grain is left intact and they still hold much of the leather softness.

3. Corrected Grain Leathers: This leather is buffed to hide the marks and then embossed to restore a natural-looking grain pattern.
A protective coating and colouring is added to protect the leather. It is obviously lower in cost than the aniline leathers, but a big
plus is that it is very resistant to soiling, staining and fading.
There is a lot more to know about leather. I can help you find this information, or maybe give you the benefit of my experience.