Eight Way Hand Tied Seating Systems: are they the best?

It seems whenever a store wants to justify the high cost of a sofa, loveseat or chair, they will invariably say that that set has an eight way hand tied seating system and that this is very expensive and the best seating system and thus the high cost. Is this true?
Well, it is and it isn't so let's dissect the truth from the well, let's say, urban legend.
Before answering whether it's the best or not, you have to first determine what kind of 8 way hand tied you are talking about. That's right; there's not one but two types of 8 way hand tied. Salesperson didn't tell you that did he? The first type is the traditional 8 way hand tied. It is built right into the deck (or bottom) of the frame. As such, the coils are attached directly to the frame. Then, each steel coil is tied at eight points to the surrounding springs so that they move together to give great support. Each piece of furniture has a unique pattern of springs, tied at different heights, designed to provide the best support and the most comfortable sit. These coils are very similar to the coils in a mattress and as such give great support. It's all done by hand and it is very labor intensive.

So, what about the other kind of eight way hand tied? Well, since manufacturers and retailers know that most Americans believe that eight way is the best, they sought out a way to do it for a little less and still give the comfort and quality of an 8 way system.. What they developed is a drop in system of coils. What does that mean? If you can imagine, they litterly build a square box and put the coils inside the box and then attach it to the frame deck of the furniture.  Is this bad? No, it is still a good seating system and very comfortable.  Would we reccomend owning a set of furniture with a drop in 8 way system? Yes.

We just feel that it's important to note that there are two types and for you to let your salesperson know that you understand the difference.

How can you tell which is which? The simplest way is to ask how is this 8 way system constructed? If they do not know or can't explain it as simply as we've just done, you need to do your own research. Check with the manufacturer or distributor. In most cases, they will have a website that should tell you, especially if it's the original 8 way hand tied.

Now the most important part: the answer to the question. Is 8 way hand tied the best seating system for furniture? No, it is not. But it is one of the three best. If you get a set with a genuine eight way hand tied seating system, you will have a seating system that is of the highest quality and comfort for years to come. An 8 way hand tied system, a Pirelli seating system and some but not all sinuous spring seating systems are equal in both quality and support. We will address sinuous and Pirelli in later blogs.

Discount Leather Furniture

Nothing says elegance like a piece of leather furniture. Quality and designer style are adjectives used to describe sofas and chairs covered in this exquisite material. There are several reasons beyond style and ambiance that make leather such a popular consumer choice for homes today and with a little information, consumers will be glad that they made this selection for years to come. So, if the feel of natural rawhide that has been perfected with softening processes is calling, then read on and discover why this is such a good purchase and how to get the most of the pieces chosen.

First and foremost, the bottom line for buying leather furniture is that it is just basically, a good investment. This natural material is much more durable than the standard fabrics found on sofas and upholstered chairs on the market. Some manufacturers claim that rawhide is up to four times stronger than man-made fabrics, lasting for years to come. Even families with children will find that this material stands the test of spills, climbing, and all sorts of rough-housing activities. Man made materials and fabrics may be difficult to keep clean, but the pieces made of these natural products clean up with a damp cloth, easily. When purchasing true, all natural hide, the life of the furniture can last for generations. The only repair that may be needed is wood work on legs and accessories or cushions that may need to be refilled at some point. Like a favorite and quality leather coat, a sofa covered in this material will only improve with age.

Leather furniture is in such great demand, there are numerous discount leather furniture resources selling this high-quality product at great savings.

This natural material also works well in a variety of style designs. Today's manufacturers are making sofas, love seats, and chairs to match just about any aesthetic scheme. Small, modular pieces are dyed in colors that fit into the cozy cottage look, and large-scale, masculine items are manufactured for the dark and rich feel of a formal library. Consumers do not have to assume that the choice of processed hide is solely for formal or large ornate rooms anymore. There is a piece of furniture in this product for every room in the home! It will be a good idea to measure the square footage of a room before buying any piece, especially a sofa. All sitting pieces should reflect the scale of the room and the over-all size of the home.

When purchasing a piece of leather furniture, be sure and have facts about natural hide in tow. The material covering the sofa or chair should be top-grain, which is the best level. Top-grain will generally cost a little more, but there are discount leather furniture places that offer it at affordable prices. Top grain means that the piece covering the object is whole, and not split with other portions of hide attached. Split sections will not wear as long and may require more maintenance than top-grain. There are also different color dying processes for leather goods. The aniline process of dying is completed in a drum that allows for the richest color presentation and yields the softest material. Semi-aniline is drum dyed as well, but a protective coating is added at the end of the process. And, pigmented hide is colored with dyes that have been applied to the surface. Pigmented process will offer the best protection, but will not be as soft to touch.

There are many resources for buying discount leather furniture. Most community and retail showrooms keep several grades of hide covered pieces on their floors, offering a diverse price range. There are even furniture stores that specialize in leather pieces. The Internet can be a great place to conduct comparison-shopping when looking for just the right sofa or love seat at affordable pricing. Just be sure to ask about how the hide has been processed and about the stability of the furniture frame. Also, speak with salesmen or Internet customer service reps about guarantees and return policies, should a sofa not work properly, or prove to be in poor quality condition.

When buying discount leather furniture, keep in mind how God has provided for the every need of His people. He even provided the first natural-skin clothing for Adam and Eve. In Genesis we find the account of the fall of man, and how God himself then provided the first sacrifice and the actual clothes for Adam and Eve to cover themselves with. "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them." (Genesis 4:21) It will not be a silly thing to offer up praises to God in thanks for a new sofa, chair, or any other necessity. He is the maker of all things.

In review, we've found that buying leather furniture may be the answer to many different furniture needs. However, consumers should take their time in determining what style and what quality of pieces will best suite their families. Discount leather furniture may be a great buy, but consumers will need to carefully inspect all pieces before purchasing to assure that they are getting a product that reflects the price.

Article Courtesy of: ChristiaNet.com

The Best Leather for Pets and Kids

February 7, 2008

A common question that we get is which is the best leather for furniture when you have pets and or kids?

The answer may surprise you….

First, virtually ALL leather is good for kids and pets compared to virtually all fabrics for the very reason that you would choose leather for your car seats over fabric. Leather is less likely to stain, tear or smell. While nothing is impossible to mess up, leather will stand the test of time far greater than most fabrics.

If you go to your local store, most salespeople are going to tell you that a protected leather is going to be the best for high traffic/wear environments. What’s sometimes confusing is that they are not always clear on what they mean by “protected” and in some cases their lack of clarity is intentional.

Why? Well, it’s to their advantage to be confusing in case you ever have a problem they can say, “Oh, we meant the OTHER kind of protected leather”. So, what are the different kinds?

The first is what is traditionally a protected leather. This is a leather that, in the dying process, is finished so that it is very hard to scratch. It can be a corrected leather or a top grain and have this protective finish. Now, this does not make it impervious to wear and tear but it does make it very durable.

The second type of protection is an after market product that is applied to the leather, usually with a Teflon coating that makes the leather very hard to stain and very easy to clean. Most stores will sell this type of product for $30-$50 or include an extended warranty that covers tears and stains for 5 years at a cost of $100 per piece or $200-$300 for a full set of furniture. (Please note: no matter what the salesperson tells you, these plans typically cover stains and tears only. Pet damages and scratches are almost never covered.)

Obviuosly, combining these two ‘protections” will give you the best of both worlds.

There is another kind of leather that is also very good for kids and pets and we are often surprised that salespeople don’t recommend this leather. It’s called a pull-up leather and although you may not know the name, you have almost certainly seen it many times. A pull-up leather is one where when you scratch it with your finger, the mark shows and then can be rubbed back into the leather. The most common example is a bomber jacket which of course shows the marks of use over time and these marks blend in to give that great broken in look that is so great about nice leathers.

The reason this is good for pets and kids? Well, simply, they help get that broken in look faster. And because the leather is supposed to show the scratches, a lot less anxiety for their parents along the way. They blend right in like they’re supposed to. And pull ups can use the after market products also to give you the double layer of protection, something we highly recommend.

The only leather furniture that we can say immediately should not be considered is a suede or nubuck leather. These leathers absorb water, smells, and pretty much anything else. Thankfully, very few leather furniture pieces come in this type of leather.

Aside from those, the great appeal of leather furniture is that as long as you take care of it, a quality set of leather furniture will last years and if built well, decades.

Leather Grades: Do they make a difference?

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.

Semi Aniline Dyes vs. Full Aniline Dyes

Which is better, a semi aniline or a full aniline dyed leather?

This is one of the most confusing issues in the world of leather furniture and for the most part, no one’s fault. The problem comes from the misperception of the words full and semi. When most of us hear the words full and semi, we think done very well (full) or partially completed (semi).

What makes the issue most confusing is that most furniture stores have sales people who aren’t knowledgeable in how leather is tanned or dyed. And then, kind of like an urban legend, a myth was created and kept going and going and going….

The myth goes as follows: Full aniline dyed leathers are dyed all the way through and semi aniline dyed leathers are only dyed partially through the leather. The myth goes on to say that a full aniline dye is thus better because it will not show scratches to the leather because the dye goes all the way through.

Once you understand what the real difference is, you should appreciate how funny the myth is so…. Here’s the actual difference between the two:

Aniline is a type of dye. The technical definition is:

Aniline: A clear chemical used in tanning a skin to maintain softness.

There are many types of dyes and chemicals but aniline is the most common for natural materials such as animal skin or hides.When only aniline dye is used with a hide, you can see a lot of the variations in the hide which for a lot of styles and consumers is very desirable. It is with a full aniline dye that you get many tones and textures that are very attractive for leather furniture. So, a FULL aniline dye is one where ONLY aniline dyes were used in the hide.

A semi aniline dye means it was partially dyed with aniline and partially dyed with another type of dye. Why was another type used? Well, there are several reasons why a mixture of dyes might be used but the most common is a desire for color uniformity throughout the hide. Sometimes and for some styles of leather furniture, people prefer to have the exact same color through out the entire piece of furniture. Using only an aniline dye will not allow for this and thus other dyes are introduced to the hide to get the desired look and effect.

So, which is better, full aniline or semi aniline dying? You guessed it; neither is better. Another way to look at dyes are to think of them like wood stains. Which is better ; oil wood stains or water based wood stains. Neither is better; it just depends on what look you want in your house. The same is true with full or semi aniline dyes: they are simply ways of staining the hide to get the look you want for your furniture and whichever looks best in your house is what’s best for you.

“Skin Problems Linked to Sofas” an England Problem Not Bari U.S.

First, it should be noted that Bari Leather Furniture is a U.S. company and this article in question refers to a collection of furniture called the Bari collection that is made by Argos, a company in England that sells to people in England and that these two companies have absolutely no association with each other. So, Argos had a problem with a collection of their furniture whereas we are a company called Bari Leather Furniture and thus the possible confusion. Obviuosly no company wants a complaint or complaints filed against them, but we are happy to report that the only association between our company and theirs is the coincidence of the names, their furniture line and our store name.

Secondly, and to the good fortune of all U.S. Bari Leather Furniture customers, Bari Leather Furniture uses ONLY 100% full top grain leather with 100% full aniline dyes. Why is this important? Using only the highest grade leather with full aniline dyes eliminates the potential problem that this company in England had. Within the entire world community of leather furniture, full aniline dyes have never had issues with skin reactions such as Argos had with their furniture. While we of course are sorry to hear of these problems for another company and their customers, we are of course pleased that we have never had these issues and will continue to use the high quality materials that we have always used.

Apparently, in March of 2007 a leather sofa company in England named Argos had a problem with a collection they called the Bari leather sofa. A very small percentage of them had some sort of problem with the leather that caused rashes on some of their customers. The article goes on to say that Argos handled the problem well and that no other problems were anticipated.

Now it’s November and with the mysterious workings of the web, the article is appearing in Google and has caused some of our customers to wonder if they will have problems. The simple answer is no. Argos, while I am sure a wonderful company, is a continent away and the only thing we share with them is that our COMPANY name is Bari Furniture and they have a leather collection they call Bari. Further, whatever problem they had with their leather furniture has been solved.

To be honest, in all of our years in working with leather products, we have never heard of this problem for any company in any country. We are wondering if perhaps the container that sent one of their shipments had something in it from a previous product that caused some allergic reactions and this is why they had problems with just those leather sofas. That would explain why they have had no further problems with this model.

So, what a strange problem. Imagine if Honda Motor Company introduced a new car that they called the “Ford”. And then imagine that the “Ford” had a problem with their exhaust system. And then an article comes out saying there’s a problem with “Ford” exhausts and consumers start wondering if the Ford Motor Company has production problems. That’s what we’ve run into. Thankfully, even for people confused by this name similarity, the problem has been solved for this other company.