Always keep leather furniture out of direct sunlight to prevent drying and cracking the leather. To nourish the leather, mix one part white vinegar with two parts linseed oil, shake well, and apply to the leather using a soft cloth. Work in a circular motion, covering the entire surface. Rub in thoroughly, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then buff with a soft cloth to bring a shine to the leather surface. You may need to buff once more before sitting on the furniture. Remove stains such as ink by dipping a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rubbing over the spot. Dry the area with a blow dryer. If the stain remains after drying, apply a thick coat of non-gel, non-oily cuticle remover. Leave on overnight, then wipe off with a damp cloth. Remove dark stains from light-colored leather upholstery by mixing a paste of one part lemon juice with one part cream of tartar. Rub the paste on the stain and leave in place for about 10 minutes. Apply another layer of the paste, work it in, then remove with either a damp sponge or a damp sponge topped with moisturizing soap.
For general leather cleaning, use a moisturizing soap, such as Dove. Lather on with a soft cloth, and wash the item to remove dirt and grime. Do not overwet the leather and do not rinse after washing, just buff with a soft cloth; this allows the moisturizing soap to condition the leather. Remove road salt from leather shoes by mixing equal parts water and white vinegar. Dip a cloth in the mixture and wipe over the leather. This may have to be repeated several times to clean the surface. Buff and apply a paste shoe polish. Some slipcovers can be laundered in the washing machine. Large slipcovers should be cleaned in a commercial machine, but always test for colorfastness before washing.Romanza Upholstery Leather 2.5-3ozRomanza is a full aniline hand antiqued leather utilizing the most progressive tanning methods available. Romanza is a glossy, full grain lightly pebbled leather that has been hand stained with a combination of subtle oils & waxes, followed by a protective topcoat to give it added wear ability.
Hides are then hot ironed to bring out an added hand and a see through look reminiscent of the old English Bridle leathers. Once upholstered, the beauty of this leather is amplified and brought to life, by giving any piece a transparent antique look.Characteristics: Smooth glossy finish, waxy topcoat, Lightly antiqued 2-tone look.Approx Weight: 2.5 - 3ozApprox Thickness: 1 - 1.2mmAvg Hide Size: 48 - 58Price: $7.75 per sq.ft12 colors to choose from How much did you pay for this item? How long ago did you buy it? What condition was it when you bought it? What condition is it now?< 1 2 3 > 3,859 posts, read 3,185,640 times 3,252 posts, read 5,096,750 times Originally Posted by ssww I got the reply from the seller. They said they contacted the manufacturer who said it is "buffalo leather", thus not as soft as cow leather. Well, I am sure it is not leather. The most it can be is bicast leather (which, upon looking up, is what "polyurethane" means), which, if it is the case, is not what one expects when seeing this product description.
Sounds like they will not accept return with full refund and charge round trip shipping. The finish doesn't look that great. Time to step up the heat a little with the seller. For $20 you can have a professional upholsterer look at it... Personally, I would never buy something sight-unseen. The technical definition of leather is: leather - definition of leather by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.. For a while they came out with ridiculous names like 'leatherette' etc... which is all fake. Sort of reminds me when you buy cheese in the store: there is a huge difference between being able to label something 'cheese' vs. 'cheese product'. (Not that it is relevant, but for about the same price as some of this furniture, I buy old pieces (antiques cheap, because the leather is shot, order the hides from Canada, as for some reason the cows are bigger there and have them upholstered locally. Costs about the same). 880 posts, read 1,670,595 times
This link has the same model number and says "buffalo." Overall Chair Dimensions: 24 x 20 x 35-39 Seat Height: 20 x 17.5 Arm Height: 18 x 19 Tilt Tension Control, Center Tilt, Tilt Lock, Seat Height Adjustment, Waterfall Seat 1,594 posts, read 2,620,209 times The leather in my car and the leather on my couches and chair at home do not have tags indicating they are leather anywhere on them, so the absence of a tag concerning the seating surface doesn't mean much. Also, the smell you are smelling could be anything...the foam pad, chemicals used in the manufacturing process, smells from the warehouse where the chair was stored, etc. What it boils down to is we're talking about a $130 mass-produced in China office chair, not a $1000+ Herman Miller...not sure if it is worth even trying to fight the company to return it. 8,797 posts, read 10,457,404 times I'd like to chime in here as a person who was an associate in one of the Southwest's largest furniture retailers.
OP, you received good information here from bmrisko and Pitt Chick. As I'm sure you know, there are many kinds of leather — buffalo hide and cow hide are both commonly used for furniture. The much softer-to-the-touch calf leather, pigskin, and deerskin are more commonly used in clothing and are much more expensive. Hides used in furniture (which need to be large, i.e. cows or bison) are thick enough that they can be cut with lasers into three or four (depending on the thickness of the hide) HORIZONTAL layers. (A process most consumers are unaware of.) All of these layers are used in furniture. You wouldn't even want a complete leather skin used in a chair since it would lack pliability (think of leather shoes). If you look at very old leather furniture, manufactured before modern techniques were developed, you will see how thick and heavy leather is. Tanning, dying, and finishing it for use in furniture would take up to a year. Leather furniture was available only to those rich enough to support that level of craftsmanship — and servants to move it around.
Today, a variety of techniques are used to "process" hides used to manufacture modern leather furniture. After the hide is split with the lasers, the top layer (the part that had hair, known as top-grain) can be used as full-grain leather left natural (not buffed or sanded) or processed into "corrected grain leather" that has had surface markings removed to achieve a more elegant look. That corrected look is most popular with consumers because it looks more perfect. Full-grain is more attractive to furniture experts who want to see pores, bruises, burns and even bullet holes. Both of those types of top-grain are the most expensive and are reserved for use in fine furnishings. The lower layers are also finished and used for less expensive furniture, such as $130 office chairs. While that leather might well be made more attractive by glazing or strengthened by bonding with another surface IT IS STILL LEATHER. While it is less prized, it is actually more reasonable to be used in things like family or office furniture because it wears better and is more practically priced.
But it usually lacks that "leather smell" that many people think identifies "real" leather. But in fact, as long as something came from animal hide, no matter how much it was processed (even if it is leather scraps forged together with a glue product, i.e. "bonded leather"), it is leather and is allowed by law to be sold as such. Most furniture manufacturers identify "top grain" and "full-grain" to justify its much higher price. But all the rest is still leather and you are NOT being ripped off, ssww. As the other posters noted, the "100% polyurethane foam pad" tag refers to the material under the leather seat. Which you would certainly want, in order to be as comfortable as possible. Here is some good information about leather processing for those who are interested. It is from Natuzzi, the well-known Italian furniture maker. of leather furniture, sofas, sectionals and recliners.In fact, faux leather might have met your expectations better because if made by a quality manufacturer it may mimic the appearance of fine leather better than the lower level of a real hide.
It's difficult to tell faux leather if it's a good enough product. I'm sure there are many people walking around with what they think are leather handbags that are not. It's the same with suede. Some suede-cloth looks, and especially feels, more like suede than low-quality suede made from hide. The smell you describe may be from the poly seat, or the chemical used to process the leather. (And don't jump on the word "chemical" � even the finest Italian-made leather furniture has many chemicals used on it.) It will probably dissipate. I have an expensive Natuzzi barrel chair that I bought with my employee discount when I worked at the furniture store. It had a leather smell when I bought it and now it does not. Even that "new car" smell that people think is from the leather seats is sometimes a product added by the manufacturer. Rub your chair with some natural lemon oil or other natural cleaner you like the smell of. Just make sure it totally soaks in before you sit in the chair or you'll ruin your pants.
In fact you should periodically put some leather cleaner on your chair to keep it supple so it won't crack from dry indoor air. Animal hide can dry out just as your skin does. But what you have to understand is that you were not deceived. It's NOT the same as a cork table being labeled "wood." You just have to realize that in furniture, as in cars, to a large degree you get what you pay for. Finer materials warrant a higher price. Lower grade materials are used in bargain-priced items. As bmrisko noted, if I were to buy a well-designed office chair in top-quality leather, I would expect to pay from $700 to way over $1,000. In the future, you should probably stick to buying furniture from stores where you can see it in advance. It's very difficult to discern finishes from photos on a computer screen. 6,945 posts, read 10,600,980 times 16,065 posts, read 3,777,111 times Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick.