December 10, 2007
As we saw in our last article, there can be some confusing issues when trying to purchase leather furniture. Here we will tackle another of the issues that are confusing to many consumers; the grading of leathers.
Which grade of leather is the best? Well, that’s the problem. Believe it or not, there is actually no standard grading system for leather. That’s right. There is no A,B,C or 1,2,3 system of grading leather.
I am sure you are wondering, “How can this be? I have been to stores where everything had a number or letter and a price difference associated with it.”
Yes, when you go into a store they will explain to you an A,B,C,D type of grading or a 1,2,3,4, etc.. system. But think about this for a second: if you go to the most expensive store in town who tells you they have an ABC type of grading and the cheapest store also has these same grades, obviously something is wrong. There is no way a sofa with an A grade that sells for $5,000 is the same quality as one that sells for $500, no matter what letter or number they assign to it.
So, what are these grades and what is their purpose? Grades to leather are given by either the manufacturer OR the store that is selling it.
While there are a few exceptions, generally this is why there is a number or letter assigned to the leather:
If the manufacturer has applied a grading system, they are using the numbers/letters to tell you either a) what type of leather was used or b) how the leather was finished or a combination of the two. For example, they might give a lower grade to furniture using leather match which is where the back and sides use a synthetic material that “matches” the real leather used on the seats and arm and give a higher grade to furniture that uses 100% genuine leather everywhere. OR, they will give a higher grade to all of their hand finished leathers and a slightly lower grade to their leathers that have a traditional finish. In that case, both leathers are the same quality but since the hand finished ones take more time, they cost more money to produce them. In other words, in that example there is zero difference in the quality even though there are two different grades assigned. The grades don’t tell you the quality, just that one costs more to produce than the other and therefore have different costs.
Generally, a manufacturer will assign lower grades to leather that have very even consistent finishes and higher grades to leather that have more texture and tonality. This is usually because it costs more to get a leather to have these additional features and textures. It does not necessarily mean that there is a difference in quality of the leather.
If the store has assigned different grades, it is usually an issue of marketing or pricing. For example; they may carry two brands that cost them less and two that cost more. To keep things simple for their salespeople, they will assign a “grade” to the product that costs them less and a “grade” to the product that costs more. This helps the salespeople direct you one way or the other without having to be an expert of leather. Most salespeople are not trained in details and this helps them help you without having to spend months learning the details of how each piece is produced.
Does this tell you the quality? No, it doesn’t. While price can sometimes be an indicator of quality, it many times is not. I am sure you have seen automobiles that were way overpriced for what they offered and others that offered way more for a lot less. Furniture is no different. There are some manufacturers that offer great quality at great prices and others who don’t. That is the nature of all businesses and furniture is no different.
So, now we have a problem. You now know that grading systems really don’t tell you much when it comes to determining price or quality as the entire system is completely made up and helps the manufacturer and retailer far more than it helps you. How do you choose what to purchase?
The simple answer is this: know what quality, not what grade, of leather you need. While we will have more articles in the future that give greater detail, here’s the short version:
Leather match: This is for people or rooms on a budget. By using a synthetic material everywhere your body doesn’t touch, it saves a lot of money in the cost of materials and this savings is passed on to you.
Bonded leather: This is a synthetic material that has leather blended in. It is not genuine leather. It is a very inexpensive material and thus is seen on very inexpensive sets.
Leather Splits: This is where 100% leather is used everywhere. Splits are the second layer of hide and can be used on the sides and backs of the furniture while top grain leather is used everywhere else. The advantage is that all of the leather is dyed the exact same color and there is some savings in using the splits in places where you won’t touch.
Full grain-Top grain leathers: Very simply, the best quality and usually the highest cost. It should be noted that it is not uncommon to use a great full/top grain leather with a split on the sides and back, giving the customer the best of both worlds; great leather and some savings in cost.
