Hancock & Moore Leather Choices; Klaussner

17 years ago

Thanks to all that post hereÂI have learned a lot since starting to read old threads last week. My wife and I are looking to buy a quality leather sofa, chair, and ottoman and have just about decided to get the H&M Evening sofa, chair and Ottoman. I have a question regarding leather choice. We really like the lower sheen look and thicker feel of the Montana leather, but it is unprotected. We donÂt like the shiny look and feel of the protected leathers that we saw, and those also seemed very thin and almost lightweight (just describing how they compared, I know they are all first quality). Several retailers have said they can put a Guardsman protective coating on the Montana and the coating will not affect the look, just make it more durable and cleanable. We do not have pets in the house, but have two small children, and I am sure at some point my wife and I will spill something on it that needs to be cleaned up. IÂve heard that unprotected leathers are for people that can replace the piece every five years, and we are definitely not in that category. At the same time, if we are ready to pay 5k for this set, it seems penny-wise-pound-foolish not to spend a bit more to get the leather we would really like.

If we decide not to go with the H&M, we may get a Klaussner sofa. This sofa is constructed with 13-ply hardwood plywood and drop-in, eight-way-hand-tied coils. I would really appreciate any comments on this method of construction and Klaussner in general. I have seen a couple past comments that the cushions sag, but we are looking at loose cushion styles, so it should be easy to add fiber-fill to the back of the cushion if itÂs necessary. The lowest price I have found for this set is 3800, and that price includes their highest quality leather which is thicker and has the combination of softness and durability (wax finish per salesman) we would prefer. WeÂd like for this sofa to be the last one we buy, so I donÂt know if that is reasonable without going with the absolute best available (of course, if the unprotected leather wonÂt last, whatÂs the point?)

BTW, thanks to everyone that has mentioned the discounters (Lex, etc.). I would never have thought of this. Sorry for the long post, but I really want to get this purchase right, and from reading the past threads it is clear that there are a lot of very knowledgable folks here. Josh

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organic_smallhome

17 years ago

Klaussner is rather low quality. We just purchased a Rowe sofa--which is far from top quality, but it significantly better made than the Klaussner. Has a better warranty, too.

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Comments (10)

mom23kids
17 years ago
I plan to purchase the Evening sofa as well. Have you looked at the Payson leathers? It is a grade three and is a much thicker leather than some of the other leathers in their line. It has a tri-tone effect that has been hand-rubbed.

I would be worried about getting the unprotective leather. I also love the look and feel of them, but personally, I don't want to own furniture that I have to worry about getting damaged. I don't know how well an unprotective leather would absorb the protective coating. My dh is "Mr. Green" and won't allow me to put chemicals on our furniture so I have never looked into it.

Sorry I don't know anything about Klaussner, but I'm sure others here do.

Good luck and keep us posted with your decision.
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My store in Alexandria VA ships nationwide on Hancock and Moore, I have customers all over the country including many in Illinois. Send me an email to keepingroom@gmail.com and include the model number, the leather cover you are interested in and your zip code and I will get a quote back to you in less than 24 hours. Some notes on pricing. 1) Be sure you get a dealer that stands behind you after the sale, the lowest price is no good if they ignore your phone calls should there be an issue. 2) Home delivery services cost three times more than delivery to a commercial address (18 wheeler accessible off the back of the truck). If you have the capability to unpack it and transport the last mile to your home you can save quite a bit in that area. 3) There are significant price increase coming in January 2021. Supply chain costs have gone up considerably. 4) Century Furniture (Rock House Brands) owns Hancock and Moore. Century has already implemented collection of Sales Tax into Illinois for that brand, its only a matter of time before you will be paying sales tax on H&M into your state as they consolidate accounting systems, this is likely to happen in 2021 as well, along with all the other Rock House Brand Companies. Currently we are shipping Hancock and Moore without that sales tax added. Duane Collie
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dorry2 -- I have the Hancock and Moore Austin Sofa and High Back Chair w/ ottoman in Burgundy leather. Beautiful, very high quality set. We've had it for about 3 years and LOVE it. The chair is my reading chair and I use it quite a bit every day/evening -- so comfy! The only regrets I have are 1) wish I didn't get burgundy color, which is what the Stickley store stocked -- didn't want to pay more and wait longer for a different color, but now after a few years, I wish it was a warmer more neutral color leather that would be easier to decorate/change colors with more often; and 2) for the placement in my living room, a recliner would have worked better than the chair and ottoman, as the ottoman gets in the way and is almost on top of my coffee table. It is VERY comforatable, but a little cramped vs. having a recliner where the footrest part goes back into the chair when not sitting there. As far as H & M vs. B-Y brands, I think the H & M is a little better made and a little higher quality, as the Stickley store definitely sells H & M at a higher price than the B-Y. Both are very nice quality lines, though. Good luck with your shopping ... P.S. - When we bought our chair, the showroom carried both the straight-back stationary chair and the tilt-back chair (for a little bit more money) ... my husband and I both thought the stationary chair was more comfortable overall than the tilt-back.
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perunapete
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you for the responses. I will definitely have to check out the Payson leather. If it is a compromise between the two, it might be the perfect thing.

Thank you for your opinion on the Klaussner. As nice as the leather felt and as comfortable as the sofa was, it's very hard to judge how it will feel in 5-10 years or more. I think durability long-term may be impacted severely by going without the hardwood frame/traditional coil construction.

I am looking forward to hearing what others have to say as well.
dcollie
17 years ago
I'm a Hancock and Moore dealer. Leather thickness on a sample has nothing to do with the hide thickness on the leather used on your piece made at H&M, don't go by thickness.

Every leather in the line has some protection on it, even the 'unprotected' leathers. Choose the hide you want based on your lifestyle. If you want to eat meals and be able to spill drinks on your sofa, then one of the more serviceable leathers is preferable to ones marked 'unprotected'.

Most people buying a sofa in this price range know how to take care of things, I have very few issues with customers unhappy with their unprotected leather choices.

One thing else to note is fading. Direct sunlight ruins more leathers than spills. Keep aniline leathers out of direct sun or they will lose color rapidly.

A little know fast about H&M. They are the only ones that will repair ANY of their upholstery no matter how old, for only the cost of materials. They never charge labor on repairs. Should you happen to ruin the facing deck panel, for example (cat claws, cuts, spills, etc) that's a $ 90 piece of leather, however every other company will put a $ 300 labor charge on top of it. Customer has to pay shipping of course, or otherwise get the piece to them in North Carolina.

Hancock and Moore is also discontinuing their "Married Cover" promotion on June 1st. Anyone looking at these promotional hides in specific frames should order soon.
mom23kids
17 years ago
I agree that you can't judge leather thickness by the sample. I suggested Payson for two reasons. The first being that the sample was thicker. I was hesitant that it might be "just the sample thickness", but after reading the description of the Payson line in Hancock & Moore's literature it stated: "Payson: A heavyweight, full top grain leather...". I am assuming that heavyweight means thicker.
perunapete
Original Author
17 years ago
mom23kids, was that description in the brochure that HM sends out? I ordered it, and I'm waiting to get it. Good tip on the "heavyweight" description.

dcollie, regarding the thickness--do you know if there is a specified thickness for each leather choice? If it is true that they mill it down to a constant thickness, I would think the thicknesses would be available somewhere. That fact about HM fixing any piece for only the price of parts is pretty amazing--I guess it just shows they really don't compromise anything.

Josh
dcollie
17 years ago
Thickness of leather is never an issue. I sell Leathercraft, Bradington-Young, Handcock and Moore, and Southwood leather and have been in business since 1979. In all those years, and hundreds of leather pieces (if not thousands) that have gone through my doors I have never seen a leather piece 'worn through' or otherwise compromised because of hide thickness. Its like asking how thick the sheet metal is on the fenders of your new car....

The first defense against leather durability is YOU. Your lifestyle. I have seen customers trash a leather piece to the point of needing to go in the dumpster in five years, and others with the exact same item and it looks great after 20 years. If you want it to last, simply take care of it and that means:

* Its not the dining room table.

* Keep it out of direct sunlight.

* Don't sit on the piece with sharp objects in your pocket like screwdrivers.

* Clean it with Leathermaster products (a division of Stainsafe) 2x a year (you can't clean Nubuck, however).

* Cats love to claw leather. Keep that in mind if you have a cat that is not declawed.

* If you see the hide changing color (darkening) on tops of the arms or the headrest area, you need to clean the oils off the hide.
mom23kids
17 years ago
Josh, I found the description in the the literature Hancock & Moore sent me a while ago. My friend recently received one but it no longer contained the "Making the Right Leather Decision"

The first page of this section discussed the rating system on each leather "the 4 S's": softness, surface grain, special effect, and serviceability. It then had a brief description about each leather on the next 7 pages.

The description for Montana said, "The finest Scandinavian hides have been tanned to give the surface a shrunken effect and a pleasant, waxy feel. A full top grain leather, Montana is aniline dyed with no protective finish."

They don't discuss thickness in this guide, but I noticed that some leathers are full top grain leather and others just say top grain leather. Maybe dcollie could let us know the difference between full top grain and top grain leathers. Would the full top grain leathers be thicker?
dcollie
17 years ago
mom23kids:

Here's a link that explains leather fairly well.

Here is a link that might be useful: leather
jellybeank3
17 years ago
Hi has anyone ever heard of or owned Ferretti leather? I ran across a sofa in High Point last yr @ a clearance center, to make a long story short, didn't buy it wished I had and now can't find it any closer then Florida and I want to sit on it before I buy. I live in TN and NC is a hop,skip and a jump away. Ferretti's is a canada com and used the 8 hand tied thing, I called them and they acted like I had 2 heads when I ask where I could buy their product in TN or Nc. Any help is appriciated. Perunapete you might try finding a ferretti leather before you buy.
Jellybeank3

Hancock & Moore Leather Choices; Klaussner

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