Really enjoying these photos, thanks for sharing, especially so late when you worked all day!
Prepare to be blown away by Hancock and Moore's new leathers for Spring.
They have gone in-depth with Moore and Giles leathers and increasing their presence with them. Moore and Giles is out of Lexington VA and have the world's finest hides in their inventory, predominately from Europe. We spent two hours talking with the Moore and Giles Executives and I have a lot to share on that, but that will be for a later post. H&M and most companies are moving away from China for leathers and focusing more on South American and European leathers. Cost of shipping from Asia is becoming prohibitive, and the region is not as stable as it once was due to the political situations and no producers want to get stuck relying on a line they may not be able to get. So you will be seeing changes in the leather lines over the next year or two. Married covers will be done in South America or the Caribbean in the future and that transition is ongoing now.
Now for the fun. This new leather from Moore and Giles comes out of Germany and is named CARVER. I didn't know what it was called at the time, but as soon as we walked into this room my eyes locked onto these pieces because I could tell from ten feet away this was hot stuff. Its the finest leather Moore and Giles has ever imported. It's also a GR 6, so that puts in on average $ 1,000 more on a recliner or chair than the prior champs (Capri and Markle, both GR 4). This is for the serious leather enthusiast. The purest of the pure anilines, it is as soft as Markle, but has more drape to the crust to it tailors better on furniture, that helps it hold its shape better. The water coming into the tannery from the Bavarian Alps is pure spring water rather than treated "city" water and I'm told that makes the leather appx 5% softer. I believe it, its spectacular. There are (5) Colorways in CARVER. Walnut, Acorn, Oat, Aegean and Olive. If you want the best the industry has to offer, this is it.
Shown on these new frames
# 6790-1 Declan Wing Chair, Carver Walnut, Rainer Premium Finish, H nail trim
# 6696-1 Oliver Chair, Carver Acorn with Welts in Carver Walnut, Java Finish
# 6805-1 Kinsley Wing Chair in Carver Olive, Bark wood finish
Last edited by drcollie; 04-07-2022 at 11:29 AM.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Moore and Giles handed out 30% off Coupons for their website - they have some good stuff. I have been carrying a Moore and Giles Men's Wallet in Brompton for a year now, its tough and holds up, and its properly made, the equal of men's designer wallets costing $ 500. Best of all, its made right in Lynchburg Virginia. When is the last time you saw an American made wallet?
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
More from Hancock and Moore's showroom, This sofa was beautiful and very large. Too big to order for our floor, but in the right room and in the right house it would be a statement piece.
# 6823-3 Grandview Sofa in Pelham Mist Patina Burnished (GR4), Hamlin Walnut on Borders, Belt Gimp on base, "J" Stitch on pillows, Espresso wood finish
# 6599 Framework Ottoman in Hereford Roan (GR4) Ostro Java in Center, Old Gold Nail, Espresso wood finish Welts in Dodson Tobacco
# 6684-1 Ace Chair in Leather Ostro Java (GR4), combo with Keenan Molasses. Wood is Espresso. This is a great sitting chair, I came back to this twice to consider ordering, however most in-store customers want cushioned arms, so for that reason I didn't.
HM1008 Tack Console. Steel Base, Stone Top. This we did order, Great size and look. Practical.
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Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Is there a list of new leathers they are adding? I wonder if they are on their site yet. They don't have an option to filter leathers by new additions or newest first or something like that.
Thanks, don't know how I missed that post. Well some of them are there, No Catalina or Holman, I didn't look for all of them. I am sure they will get them all up eventually.
Some leathers shown at Market do not make it into the line, about 1/4 of them fail to generate enough interest from dealers to be added.
We did get a handle of the new hides in the store today (04/09/22) and are likely the only dealer to have them this soon. A video will be up of them shortly.
Last edited by sarahc; 04-09-2022 at 12:48 PM.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
I spent a good two hour talking with Trey and Bo from Moore and Giles leathers, who are highly involved with Hancock and Moore for this Market and moving forward beyond that. They are all in the pure aniline camp, for sure, as am I. The natural beauty of pure anilines just cannot be beat, and they will - over time - last longer and look better than "Protected" leathers or Finished leathers. We had a long discussion on how these "Protected" leathers are understood by consumers and many salespeople as being more appropriate for hard use than "Unprotected" leathers (pure anilines). You know what? It's not true. A "Protected" leather is nothing more than a painted leather, simple as that. Same for "Semi-Anilines", they all have a pigmented sprayed-on top coat. As Trey explains it, all topcoated leathers have a bonding agent to the hide that will eventually fail over time, it's not a matter of "If", but "When". And that is true of any paint when you think about it, from the paint on your house, or on your car. It's a sacrificial topcoat that gives way. One of the issues there is to overcome is the language used on sales materials. "Unprotected" gives the impression of being fragile, and that term ultimately should be replaced with "Natural", which would be more appropriate.
Aniline leathers can stain with hair and hand oils, but that is cosmetic only and doesn't damage the leather. That can also be prevented by cleaning and conditioning. Almost all spills on aniline leathers should be left alone. Blot them up, don't rub them - and don't scrub on them. The leather itself will absorb the stain over time and will eventually disappear. If you damage a finished leather, it stays damaged because it was typically something done to the painted top surface.
Only 5% of hides worldwide are clean enough to be pure anilines, so they tend to be more expensive. The cattle from England, Belgium, Germany and Italy generate the finest and softest leathers, because they tend to be "pampered" in those countries and the hides are not banged up. Once you get into "real" leather, you will likely only buy aniline hides for your furniture. They will fade quicker than painted leathers in direct sunlight, however. Good leather furniture can last well over 50 years, so my advice is going to be to continue to buy pure anilines. YES - you will pay more, but you will have these pieces for a lifetime.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.