Jeanius

Hi Folwer I am sure your car leather upholstery is genuine leather. The grade of leather used for car upholstery are usually Top Grain Leather and it's been corrected and pigmented. Being pigmented (dyed) with protected color-finishing on the leather surface, it serves to waterproof and ensures color consistency as well as high durability. It will just slighty fade under long sunlight exposure and is well protected against normal stains. This are acheivable thanks to advance technology on leather tanning. Having this category of leather, you can easily clean up many kinds of stains simply by using neutral detergents. Trust me, good brands will not want to ruin their reputation by using a lower grade of leather. The cost of the leather upholstery is already work into the cost of the car, ask the price of one which is fabric upholsterd. A sofa set uses more leather, that is why it is very much more expensive if Top Grain Leather is used for the whole sofa upholstery. That is the reason why, we have so many different grades of leather. In order to make the sofa more cost effective, you will have manufacturers making what they call half-leather, PU leather, PVC leather and names that they can think of. A genuine leather sofa set which is corrected and pigmented usually do not need much upkeeping. Most Italian tanneries, with their advanced technology produced High Performance Pigmented Leather. As mentioned above you can just use neutral detergent for everyday cleaning. What consumers hear from Sales people making their sales pitch is that you need to take care of the leather or it will peel/crack and tear easily. That's all bull****, once i hear that, i know that they are selling split or bonded leather. Why buy a leather sofa if it is so hard to take care of, just like you said, your car leather upholstery last you more then 5 years.

Yeah, and also his business ethics and all the other companies he worked for. What a fellow.

As i mentioned to you Sooks, not to worry that much. It shouldn't have happen at all, but with the 5 year warranty, you will have peace of mind for the next 5 years.

Yeah man, samtheman, with EL giving a 5 year warranty that includes wear and tear on leather upholstery, kudos to them. If their prices is just as great as their warranty, great for consumers. I have not seen the details on the warranty card but with EL putting it in writing here, i am sure they will honour it. On my earlier post, i meant to say that the 'Warranty Certificate' forms part of the basis of a contract as an assurance to the consumer. Thank you EL for correcting it. My apologise to all. Note to all: Always read the warranty card before you make your purchase when buying furnishings.

As promised, i will make your thread number one in this forum. Warranty Card is a BIG issue, EL representative. A warranty card forms the basis of a business contract which a company shall honoured should sometimes unforseen happens. This is no small matter if consumers are spending thousands of dollars of their hard earned money on products everyday. I think most will agree with me here. Thanks.

Agree. That is why in the other tread, i raise the issue on the integrity of a company. The sales people just do their sales without knowing what the company might be up to. Sets delivered might differ from the showroom. I have heard it happen countless times from consumers already, and you know what, usually it is from those $1.00 companies. Good things don't come too cheap, and cheap things ain't that reliable, Yeah.

Thanks dave, for the link. I don't think we need it now. After many years dealing with leather sofa manufacturers, we now only buy from one factory and for the past 5 years, we have not face any leather problems, which is why we are actually planning to raise the warranty period from 2 years now to 3. No big hoo-ha here i hope. Haha...

I started a tread on 'All about leathers' to share with fellow readers so that they are not misguided by Salesman talk. I sincerely hope it helps readers here. The furniture industry here hears so many complaints just because of these sales people and their company. It is not that the consumer laws don't protect us, we have got to protect oueselves first before anybody can protect us. I am not reviewing the brand or company that i am representing here as i want this forum here to be more creative and educative. Sometimes from this forum, you can feel that some of appraisals was done by the salesman themselves. Do read up on my tread and post questions and i will try my best to answer them as best to my knowledge on the subject. Thanks.

Read what fowler has to say. I am posting here just because a few of us here wants to raise the standard of the furniture industry and hopefully the consumers reading the forum gain more knowledge about the subject matter. I am a buyer and if you do not understand that, then i can't help you. I have been to Malaysia, China and Italian sofa factories and through these visits. i gain knowledge on the subject of leather upholstery and i 'google' it to find out more so that i make the right decisions. Our business is not affected by companies like yours, and in actual fact, we gain through it. I wish you and your company well so as to substain and able to serve and honoured your customers through the warranty period issued.

It's got to do with the integrity of a company.

What to watch out for when buying leather sofa. After genuine cow hides have been processed, even professionals sometimes can't accurately classify the quality standard with bare hands. That is why quality oriented sofa makers always work with Italian name brand tanneries which are certified by international quality asseessment institutions. - What kind of leather. If it is cowhide leather, it should be written cowhide leather and not bovine or leatherette or any other terms. - Thickness of the cowhide. Ask about the thickness of the cowhide used. - Grade/category of the leather Corrected / Semi-Aniline / Full-Aniline - Warranty Read the warranty throughly and understand it. Ask if you are not sure about it. (Read the warranty card before purchase, not after) - History of the company Google about the brand and the company.

LEATHER CARE - Genuine 100% Top Grain Leather Leather Advantages Pigmented leather is easy to clean and requires minimal upkeeping. Leather is denser than normal upholstery fabrics, therefore. household dirt, dust or smoke is not as easy to penetrate as in the case of fabrics. Leather breathes by absorbing and releasing humidity from the atmosphere, and therefore, users do not sweat on leather as much as we might on vinyl (artificial leather). Normal household spills, if wiped up quick enough, will usually not stain leather. It's because leather has much less pores comparing with upholstery materials, such as fabrics. Normal Maintenance Wipe down the leather surface with a soft cotton cloth (slight moistened) on a daily basis. To keep the leather natural-soft and prevent it from drying out, regularly (depends on how heavily the sofa is used) apply the leather care products onto the sofa leather. Do refer to the instructions on the care products for more details. Never place the leather sofa too close to heaters or direct sunlight. Constant level of temperature and humidity of where the leather sofas are placed is always good for leather. Stain Removal Procedures Any spilled liquid should be wiped up immediately with a dry cotton cloth to reduce the chance of penetrating the leather. If a stain is left after wiping, moisten another clean cotton cloth with a small amount of neutral household detergent. Then, clean the stain in a circular motion adding light pressure until the stain fades. Dry the area with another clean cotton cloth. Never rub too hard to remove stain as leather pores might be blocked and a shiny mark might appear on the leather surface. For stain marks, such as ink or pen marks, an "Ink lifter" by leather master or other similar products from other brands, shall be used within a short period of time after the marks have been created on the leather surface. The sooner that the above procedure is applied after the stain is marked on the leather, the higher the chance that the stain can become less visible.

What they meant was that, split grain leather is so much more cost effective compared to a full grain. If it is damaged by children/pets, it is not so painful in the pocket.

Dave He dose not know what you and samtheman meant.

Samtheman My apologise. I am just trying ....., arh.... i am sure you know.

I rest my case.

I am dumbfounded.

Hi Twins I am a buyer for leather sofas so it is not too nice to review the company i am at. As i have mentioned in my post, 5 years warranty which includes the leather uphoslstery is unheard of. If a company has a warranty for 5 years on that, do read the exclusions or rather inclusions which EL claims they had. As what Daveyap says, as long as these do not void out the warranty in the first place, then it's great.

You use the nick, executiveliving but under your profile you got nothing, not even your email address or your company's number or your mobile no., bro, you are still hiding la. I am not here to get people to come buy from our company, i am here just to correct the incorrectness, unjust views of some here. I always say 'Knowledge is Power, Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse'.

WHAT IS ANILINE COWHIDE? The term "aniline" refers to an organic base used to make dyes employed by the leather industry. Some cowhides are treated with aniline to create a range of leather products that vary in appearance and durability. PURE ANILINE Pure aniline leather is a high-quality cowhide that has been dyed in aniline. Since no pigmentation is used, the natural characteristics of the hide, such as scars and scratches, show through. Natural color variations are apparent. This type of leather is prone to fading and stains. PROTECTED ANILINE Protected aniline leather is also a high-quality cowhide dyed in aniline, but added pigmentation creates a more consistent color. Due to the added color, the natural characteristics of the hide are less noticeable. This type of leather is resistant to fading, wear and stains. SEMI-ANILINE Semi-aniline leather is dyed with a small amount of pigmentation to provide some consistency of color while still retaining some of the natural characteristics of the original hide. This type of leather is still prone to fading, but has greater stain resistance than pure aniline.

How Is Leather Furniture Graded & Determined to Be Superior Quality? Leather furniture is luxurious and supple and the strongest natural material known to man. While leather is a popular choice in furniture, many people aren't aware of its various grades which indicate its quality and durability. There are four grades of leather used in furniture: full grain, top grain, split grain and bonded grain. Knowing the quality of these grades is crucial when purchasing leather furniture. FULL GRAIN When the hide is stripped from an animal, there are two layers found: the top layer which produces the higher grade of leather and the bottom layer, which produces the poorer quality. Full grain is one of the top two leather grades which are taken from the top layers of the hide. This leather has been described as elegant and sumptuous. It's not conditioned---as is the top grain grade---to remove the markings. Such markings in high-quality leather are believed to enhance the material's texture and beauty. Full grain is the most expensive leather. It is not appropriate for a household with children and/or pets, where hard or-impossible to-remove drink and food spills, as well as scratches, are more likely to occur. TOP GRAIN Top grain leather also comes from the top layer of the hide. But unlike full grain leather, it is sanded or otherwise processed to remove the natural markings and imperfections of leather. It's very strong and durable. In terms of quality, it's the second highest after full grain. Top grain leather is expensive, and it has a soft, luxuriant feel. Like full grain leather, it's wise to avoid purchasing it when children and pets are around and spills and scratches are likely. SPLIT GRAIN Split grain, made from the bottom layer of the hide, is not as strong or durable as top grain. It also lacks the textural look of the better grades. But it's more affordable than the higher quality leathers and is the best leather to use with small children and pets. Sometimes it's embossed with markings to duplicate the look of the higher quality leathers. It can also be used on the less visible parts of leather furniture, like the sides and back. BONDED LEATHER Bonded leather is the lowest quality grade of leather. It's made from scraps of leather bonded together to make it look like a single piece of leather. It doesn't have the strength or durability of the single piece leathers. And some furniture experts recommend that it not be bought at all. CAUTIONS Some products are described as all "genuine leather." However, that may not be true. Close examination might reveal that the sides and backs, the less visible sections, are vinyl or leather that doesn't quite match. Over time, the leather can mellow and the vinyl become brittle. Be careful to keep leather furniture out of direct sunlight. The rays can cause discoloration and/or fading.

FAUX LEATHER What is Faux Leather? Faux leather is not totally artificial. Faux leather does have some leather included in the material makeup, but not enough to be considered real or genuine leather. There are different grades of faux leather, just like real leather. Common Names Faux leather has a variety of different names, all of which mean that it is not true leather. Artificial, leatherette, pleather, man-made leather, synthetic leather, leather-like and naugahyde all refer to faux leather. Materials Used Different polymers are blended with the leather to create a material that is similar to real leather. Vinyl and a type of softener are injected into the leather to create a durable material that still resembles leather. The amount of polymers used determines the grade: the more polymers used, the lower the grade.

Hey, tell you what, me too. Instead of buying a sofa from you guys, i might just go buy a ROC search of your company.

Oh come on EL, we are discussing on the topic of Warranty. Why, personal attacks here. If you want personal, just go and ask your boss 'Wu ta lang' on the subject mentioned above. EL, stop it, don't ruin your reputation of yourself and your company here.

Please look at my first post and following post, all i want is an answer on what your 5 years warranty covers, does it cover the leather upholstery, that's all. You are the one who is assuming that i am discrediting your company. If you said that you got nothing to hide, why are you so offended by my post. You are the one who said that your company offer a 5 year warranty, i am just asking if it covers the leather upholstery, it is fair to me to ask as most consumers are ignorant about leather upholstery. Am i wrong to ask you if the warranty covers the upholstery, there are so many posts in other topics that after sure peeling/cracking cases happen, the companies will ask their customer to pay $400 to $1600 to re-upholstered their sofas. So what about your Company. Any company can offer a warranty, but what does it covers? Most consumers do not read the warranty cards as they are sold by the Sales people telling them how good their products are, not just furnishings but everything. SO WHY ARE YOU SO OFFENDED IF YOU GOT NOTHING TO HIDE.