BarcaLounger currently offers leather recliners in a wide variety of
options. The application that will be best for you will depend upon
a variety of household factors such as:
1) How much use will the new chair receive.
2) Are there children in the house
3) Are there pets
4) How much direct sunlight will the new chair receive
5) How often will you eat or drink in the new chair
6) Are you interested in a distressed leather
7) Do you mind a leather that scratches/distresses easily
8) How much sheen do you prefer on your leather
9) If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask one of our trained
BarcaLounger specialist!!
Leather 101
Leather is a naturally beautiful product which has unique and
distinguishing characteristics. Like any natural product, leather is
not perfect. Perfect items or products are man made and easily
replicated such as a plastic Adirondack chair or an aluminum can.
Leather, however, cannot be exactly duplicated. Leather will have
markings unique to each hide and are not considered "defects". These
markings are termed "Hallmarks of the Trail" or simply "Hallmarks".
Natural markings will include insect bites, resulting in tiny scars
on the hides; neck burns, generally the result of scratching on the
rails of fencing; open wound healed scars, the result of
repaired tears in hides; and brands, symbols seared into the
cattle's hide to indicate ownership.
When leather is graded at the Tannery, surprisingly, the hides
requiring the least finishing are graded the highest. The finest
hides are Classified as Full Top Grain and are left uncorrected in
their natural state. The next level is Classified as Top Grain these
hides are usually processed to make the surface more uniform. The
Top grain leathers show less natural markings and are very durable.
Please note, though, that even the corrected top grain leathers will
bear natural markings. The last Classification of leather is the
Split. A cows hide is very thick and must be "split" into layers to
make it usable. The top layer is the top grain and the next layer is
the "split". In the production of a BarcaLounger, leather
constitutes about 40% of the actual materials cost. Since a "split"
is much less expensive than the top grain, a chair that incorporates
"splits" will be less expensive. The color of the splits is matched
very well to the color of the top grain hide when making a recliner.
Splits are slightly stiffer than top grain.Tanning Methods
BarcaLounger offers leathers produced primarily from 3 Tanning
methods - Aniline Died, Semi-Aniline or Pigmented. Aniline dyed
leathers are closest to the pure natural form of the hide. These
leathers are tanned and colored using transparent dyes. The
transparent dying process allows you to see the rich color hues
unique to each hide and shows off each hide's one of a kind grain
pattern. Aniline leathers can be made to highlight effects such as
wax or oil pull-up, pebble grains or distressing. Semi-Aniline
leathers are quite simply Aniline leathers with a moderate
protective coating. These leathers offer the great feel or "hand" of
an Aniline leather while adding a more protected surface.
Pigmented/Finished leathers are practical for active households.
These types of leathers are finished to provide resistance to
staining and offer a more consistent overall finish. Pigmented /
Finished leathers require very little maintenance.
BarcaLounger offers leather recliners made 3 different ways. The
first category is coded AL which stands for all top grain leather.
An AL recliner uses only top grain leather on all areas of the
chair. An AL chair uses no "splits" or matching vinyl. There are 4
price levels or grades available in the Al category - AL1, AL2, AL3
and AL4 with AL4 being the highest price cover for your Barcalounger.
The second category is coded VL which stands for value leather. A VL
recliner uses top grain leather on the seat, seat back and arms of
the recliner (everywhere your body touches when sitting in the
chair). A VL chair uses a matching leather "split" on the outside
sides of the chair as well as the outside back of the chair (The
back of the chair that usually faces the wall). There are 3 price
levels or grades available in the VL category - VL1, VL2 and VL3
again with VL3 being the highest price cover. A value leather chair
can be significantly less in price than an All Top Grain Leather
Chair.
The last category is LP which stands for Leather Plus. An LP
recliner uses uses top grain leather on the seat, seat back and arms
of the recliner (everywhere your body touches when sitting in the
chair). An LP chair uses matching vinyl on the outside sides of the
chair as well as the outside back of the chair (The back of the
chair that usually faces the wall). LP chairs are only offered in
grade 2 leathers. There is significant difference between the price
of an LP chair and an AL chair, but very little difference when
compared to a VL chair. BLACKLION recommends either VL or AL
applications.
How to decipher the style # - For example 526911AL4 - The first 4
digits of the number is the "Style"-5269. The next 2 digits
denote the color-11. The next 2 letters are the category -AL
(All Top Grain Leather) and the last number is the grade - 4 (Grade
4 in this example).
We know that leather can be confusing, but don't worry we're here
to help. As the largest BarcaLounger dealer in North Carolina,
BLACKLION has a lot of experience and we love to share what we know.
Please call us toll free at 866 466 5466 with any questions.
Thanks for shopping with BLACKLION!
|
Phone Code: LION
Low Price Guarantee
