New leather furniture a challenge

[Phil Thien]

Our current living room furniture is almost 20 years old. It includes a leather sofa, loveseat, and chair, purchased from a local store. It has stood up well, but really needs to be replaced.

The problem is, I'm finding terrible reviews about new leather furniture. My concern is that so much of the leather these days is "bonded" or "sanded" or whatever.

Our existing set (the set I'm replacing) wasn't full grain. If it was, it would probably still be usable. But I think the split grain stuff from 20 years ago is better than anything being made today.

Not sure where to find replacement furniture in leather, that will be decent (doesn't have to be GREAT, just decent) quality.

Any tips?

[Andrew Joiner]

We bought 2 Natuzzi leather sofas 8 years ago. They had several in my wife's office that we loved, but in a commercial setting they showed a few stains. The store we go them from had 2 leather selections, Natural and Protecta.

The sales person said the Protecta was split leather sealed to prevent stains. The Natural was top grain but it shows stains and costs twice as much. The Natural was on the sofas at the office. My wife wanted sofas that didn't show stains. The Natural feels buttery soft, the Protecta almost as buttery but I could feel the difference. I got samples and tested them. Indeed the more expensive top grain stained easy. The sealed leather samples held up to lots of abuse and would not stain.

8 years later the sealed finish is coming off in 2 spots on the head rests. You have to look close, but the shine is gone there. Kinda looks like a scuffed area on polished leather shoes. Our sofa leather will probably stay acceptable for many more years . By then the stuffing may be beyond it's useful life.

I've since made some dining chairs and used top grain saddle leather. I showed my wife a 80 year old saddle that was treated with neatsfoot oil over it's life time. I said our chairs will look like that or better in 80 years. She was unimpressed but loves the chairs. After the first re-oiling the stains on the chairs kinda blend in, she likes that.

Bottom line if you want the best buttery soft feel and you can accept stains as patina pay for top grain. Sealed or coated split leather is cheaper,won't stain, but the coatings can wear off or dissolve as they age.

Bonded leather is not really leather. It does have a tiny bit of ground up leather scraps combined with ? to make a flexible sheet. It's like calling MDF made with a bit of Walnut dust walnut.

[David Weaver]

Wife and I bought two chinese made couches 8 years ago that are holding up well. I don't know what they are, I just know the salesperson told us they were made in the US, and when they showed up in their boxes from delivery, the boxes said CHINA in huge print.

Not a fan of salespeople.

[Andrew Joiner]

Not a fan of salespeople.

My best friend Bob bought a new sofa at our local, family owned, furniture store. He owned it for 3 years and it got stained. He asked me to look at his leather sofa to see how to remove the stain and clean it. It was obvious to me it was vinyl fabric. I said you know this isn't real leather right. He looked like he saw a ghost. He paid a lot for the sofa and his wife said " the salesperson said it was leather".

So we did a little detective work. Bob and I went into the store and did what he did 3 years ago with his wife. We were greeted at the door by a sales person who said " are you looking for anything special" Bob said" we're looking for a leather couch. The sales person said " Ok, we have this one and those 2 over there" as she pointed to some sofas that looked like leather. Sure enough nothing she pointed to was leather, it was vinyl. But she didn't lie. I said " you know those aren't real leather" The salesperson pretended to look shocked "really" she said.

Unfortunately Bob and his wife are trusting people. The sales staff knows not to say " we don't have leather, but we have vinyl ". Or it could be the store has a policy of staying silent on specifics and just pointing to items .

I believe the term "bonded leather" was developed by sales and marketing long before the chemistry was tested and developed. I can just hear them saying "then we could call it leather". Even though it's not leather at all "bonded leather" sounds so nice. It almost conveys "certified leather" or "guaranteed leather"

[David Weaver]

Yeah, I don't know that the guy who told us it was made in the US was lying, either. George has given a good dissertation on pure sales before, though this doesn't dovetail perfectly to this discussion.

I know my couch was made in china, it told me on the box. I also know the sales guy gave me bad information, but he's been selling furniture for decades. After that long, it's like a disease, telling the customer what you think they want to hear even when you may have no clue whether or not it's true. In the end, the guy doesn't really care if it's made in the US, as long as I don't try to bring it back.

I'll be inclined to look at the tag on the floor model next time, though 8 years on now, there is a lot less furniture made in the US than there was back then - there was still some moderately priced furniture back then that was assembled here from foreign components.

Mine is only leather on the front. surfaces. The sides and back are something fake.

You'll get the same dishonest (intentional or otherwise) answer if you tell the salesperson you only want furniture that's made of solid wood. When I got my bed about a decade ago (before I started woodworking), I asked to be shown the solid wood items only. Each one the salesperson took me to, I ran my hand along the bottom of the headboard and about 2/3rds of them were particleboard with a veneer.

I doubt many people ask them that question.

There's another place around here that has "solid wood furniture" listed on their door, and some other sticker saying something about being part of an alliance of dealers who sell solid wood furniture made of "real wood". When you get into the store, you find a whole lot of it is just plywood or veneered MDF with solid wood trim.

[Matt Marsh]

We bought our Natuzzi set back in the late 90s, and it's been tough as nails. We would definitely go Natuzzi again for the quality, but everything they offer now is too modern looking and so not our "country living" style.

[Jeff Monson]

I'll get in the Natuzzi line also, we have a sectional that is going on 13 years now, still looks great. Very well made furniture IMO.

[Greg Portland]

The best stuff you'll find at those "side of the highway" furniture stores has a plywood frame (with some hardwood reinforcement) and real leather on the seating surfaces. If you want a white oak frame + full leather cover you're going to have to go to a specialty store (and sit down before you start talking pricing).

[Ben Hatcher]

I found this place clubfurniture (http://www.clubfurniture.com/) when looking for the factory that made the Restoration Hardware Maxwell sofa. I haven't bought a leather sofa in a really long time so I don't know where $2,500 is on the high/low end scale but they do offer full grain leather, 8-way hand tied springs, 5/4 hardwood frames, made in the USA and down filled cushions.

Another is cascobayfurniture (http://cascobayfurniture.com/) but I'm not sure where their stuff is made.

[Phil Thien]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Here is a dumb question: If I find full-grain leather, which is apparently prone to staining, can I not treat it to reduce staining?

I know they make stuff for shoes and boots that seals them.

I'm just not sure what sitting in a thusly treated sofa would feel like. Maybe the oiled (or whatever it is) leather would feel like it is gripping my clothing?

[Matt Marsh]

Phil, for me, I prefer the stressed look of the leather. A few spots and scratches blend right in to the style of leather we have. We use a cleaner and a conditioner on ours about once every month or two, and that really freshens the look. It makes it a little slippery for a day or two, but not to the point that it's annoying.

[Ben Hatcher]

The issue isn't full grain or not but the finished versus raw leather. Old school Combat boots and work boots are both full grain leather, but one has a finish and the other does not.

My leather sofa has a finish that feels a bit plastic-like to the touch and is much stickier against damp skin than a raw leather couch would be, but it resists scratching, stains, and doesn't dry out as easily.

[Andrew Joiner]

I would get actual leather swatches of the leather your considering, Phil.

Test it with coffee, oily food , acidic food, any thing that's common in your home. Perfume was the only product that affected the Nattuzzi Protecta leather and only slightly.


Some top grain is sealed more than the Natuzzi Natural. Natuzzi Natural stained pretty easy in my tests 8 years ago. Not all top grain will stain easy if it has a coating on it. The less coating there is on top grain or split the more buttery soft it feels.

[Larry Gipson]

If the wood is still ok, you could just buy leather and recover the set. It's expensive. Surprisingly, Tandy Leather is still in business:
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com

I used to make wallets, purses, belts, etc when I was a kid.