Norwood Furniture: What's the deal with LEATHER?!

I often get questions about Leather and the various types.

What's bi-cast or bonded? What's the BEST one for my needs?

It's important to be a well-informed consumer in order to make the most appropriate purchase for your budget, look, and comfort level. For those of you not intersted in the many details and just want a quick answer, scroll down to "The Point." For the inquiring minds who want to know, here's some detailed information on various leathers:

Full-grain leather refers to the upper section of a hide that previously contained the epidermis and hair, but were removed from the hide/skin. Full-grain refers to hides that have not been sanded, buffed, or snuffed (as opposed to top-grain or corrected leather) in order to remove imperfections (or natural marks) on the surface of the hide. The grain remains in its natural state allowing the best fiber strength and durability. The natural grain also has natural breathability, resulting in less moisture from prolonged contact. Rather than wearing out, it will develop a natural patina over time, with some cracking and splitting. The finest leather furniture and footwear are made from full-grain leather. For these reasons, only the best raw hide is used to create full-grain leather.
Top-grain leather is the second-highest quality and is most often used in furniture production because it is less expensive than full-grain and has greater resistance to stains. It maintains a high level of breathability and does not patina like the full-grain. It may be treated with wax or oil to protect the leather. If you do the "scratch test" on a wax treated leather, it will appear to scratch. What is actually happening is that the wax is being moved around. Often the wax can be reactivated by friction and rubbed back to it's original look. Generally, this type of leather will give you a more distrested look seen in southwestern or rustic settings. (Sometimes full grain and top grain are used interchangably.)
Corrected-grain leather is any leather that has had an artificial grain applied to its surface. The hides used to create corrected leather are of inferior quality that do not meet the high standards for use in creating vegetable-tanned or aniline leather. The imperfections are corrected and an artificial grain applied. Most corrected-grain leather is used to make pigmented leather as the solid pigment helps hide the corrections or imperfections. Corrected grain leathers can mainly be bought as two finish types: semi-aniline and pigmented.
Split leather is leather created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the top-grain of the rawhide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation, the grain and drop split are separated. Split leather isn't appropriate for use in the areas on furniture where you sit because it isn't as strong. It is most often applied on the outside arms and back sides of sofas and recliners. It gives the appearance of the top grain and can be dyed to match. It also saves the consumer money and reduces waste by making use of more of the hide.

The following are not 'true' leathers, but contain leather material. Depending on jurisdiction, they may still be labeled as "Genuine Leather." These are things the consumer needs to be aware of when shopping. They are appropriate in some applications for furniture, but not all, even though some companies choose to use them anyway, so BUYER BEWARE!

Bonded leather, or "reconstituted Leather", is not really a true leather but a man-made material. Some types of bonded leather are composed of 90% to 100% leather fibers (often scrap from leather tanneries or leather workshops) bonded together with latex binders to create a look and feel similar to that of 'true' leather at a fraction of the cost. This bonded leather is not as durable as other leathers, and is recommended for use only if the product will be used infrequently. An example for the use of this type of bonded leather is in Bible covers. The term "bonded leather" when used to describe upholstered furniture is a different product and construction. Bonded leather upholstery is a vinyl upholstery that contains about 17% leather fiber in its backing material. Hence, there is no leather in the surface of this product. The vinyl is stamped to give it a leather-like texture.Bonded leather upholstery is durable and its manufacturing process is more environmentally-friendly than leather production.

Bi-cast (or bycast) is a split leather with a layer of polyeurethane applied to the surface and then embossed. Bi-cast was originally made for the shoe industry and recently was adopted by the furniture industry. It is a slightly stiffer product that is cheaper than top grain leather but has a much more consistent texture and is easier to clean and maintain.

Because bi-cast and bonded leathers are mostly vinyl or thickly coated in polyeurethane, it is not breathable! If you see the super shiny leather used in office furniture and lower-end furniture stores, it may very well be one of these "leathers." I would not recommend it for use on the seats of a sofa or chair. However, it can be appropriate on ottomans, dining chairs, headboards, and on the outside arms and/or backs of a sofa or chair to create a leather-fabric combination look--anywhere that you don't traditionally sit. Some of my clients have purchased dining chairs or benches in bi-cast and bonded leathers and they have worked great. They are very easy to maintain and hold up really well.

THE POINT

Okay, so the above was for those highly technical types that want to know all the details--like me! Just ask my fiance. My analytical mind can kind of drive him nuts at times. Anyway, I digress. The point is, if you're looking for a leather piece to sit on for any length of time, go with top grain, full grain, or corrected grain. If you're concerned about a patina developing or stains appearing, avoid unprotected full grain. Don't select pieces in bonded or bi-cast leathers unless you aren't going to be sitting on them for a long time. If you just want a leather look but don't want the expense for a piece you won't be sitting on, then go for bonded leather. It looks great and saves you money. In the end, it's all up to you, your preferences, and your budget. There are a lot of beautiful leather products out there. It just helps to know what you're buying. If you have any questions about leather or would like to take a look at our pieces in the showroom, I'm here Thursday-Monday every week.

Happy Shopping!

Shasta