Leather Upholstery Advice

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice

Keith Newton

Thomas, We still have a Tandy Leather here in LR, which is where I would go. You should have one near you. They have all kinds, thick or thin, splits or grain, or even some with hair, which I could sort of see working with your style.

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice

John McGaw

[Begin Opinion]

If I was intending to make a really good piece of furniture, especially one going into a show, and if was using leather then I would only consider real leather. As for wear, natural leather is a known quantity and you can easily find 50-year-old leather upholstery in cars which look as good as new after a clean-up. On the other hand look along the curb on pickup day and notice the number of faux leather sofas and such being dumped. Hides are pretty easy to find, at least around here -- a simple Google search turned up numerous suppliers and that is not to mention those selling nationwide. I'd much prefer to do a hands-on selection if given the option since the feel is probably as important as the look in the long run so I'd lean toward local sources.

[End Opinion]

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice

paul in AZ

I buy leather from an upholstery supply store. They have everything from fabrics to plastics to real hides. Far better selection and prices than from hobby stores.

Or you could ask at an automotive upholsterer. They should be able to point you to their suppliers if they have nothing useful.

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice *LINK*

John in NM

Real leather, by all means. I've never regretted spending the money for real quality materials.

I've bought leather from Brettuns Village Leather before, they usually have some good deals, though their inventory is always changing. Never had to call up with questions, but I bet they'd be pretty helpful based on the tone of their website.

I'm not sure you need full grain, but then I've never bought leather for upholstery. Seems like full grain would be too thick.


https://www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/

oops...

John in NM

Yeah, you want full grain. Just went and looked it up, I was remembering incorrectly what the differences are.

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice

Jesse Cloud

I've used Tandy several times and always been happy. The Tandy folks in Albuquerque are well informed about their product and happy to help. There's a lot to be said for being able to look closely at the piece and feel it before you buy. Our local store has a huge selection.

If you go to Tandy ask about club member discounts, the are pretty good and even though they charge an annual fee for the membership, you may come out ahead even on the first purchase.

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice

Thomas S Stockton

Thomas

I use two places the hide house https://hidehouse.com/products/

and Kyson leather on ebay www.ebay.com/usr/kysonleather

both sell good quality

Tom

Thanks

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

Thanks for the links! I found just what I needed from Kyson. A good size Italian leather hide. Not cheap but should look and feel great. T.

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice

Brian Holcombe

Real leather.

I buy on eBay typically and look for Edelman hides in full grain. I also buy spinneybeck if it’s one of their top end hides.

Much like lumber the more you pay the fewer defects. More expensive is typically more natural and ages better. Cheap leather ages very poorly.

A full hide can be anywhere between 400-1000, so I typically buy 1/2 hides

Re: Leather Upholstery Advice

gorman

Tom,

Saw that you mentioned you are showing in a gallery, I just made a really cool piece that I think should be in a gallery. I am in NY just outside of NYC and was wondering if you knew of galleries around my area that would want unique furniture . THanks