Current Issue

NOW PREMIERING: THE WORLD ’S FIRST GENUINE ORGANIC LEATHER

It’s so befitting this issu e of FFE… We were working on the topic of upholstery in this issue when news of the world’s first genuine organic leather hit our monitor screens.

Now, wait a minute. Hasn’t organic leather been around for a while? In fact, there is already a fair amount of confusion surrounding this topic. What it boils down to, really, is the tanning or post-tanning process, in order to make the cut as organic leather. In other words, the process itself has to be nature-friendly.

A Dutch tanner took a look at all the nonsustainable chemicals the industry was using and started looking for less-harmful alternatives, eg: using nature’s best (leaves and fruits) and adapting the tanning formulas he was using. By doing so, Hulshof Royal Dutch Tanneries now holds the title of the first organic tannery in the world.

The company processes more than 280,000 cowhides a year, making it one of the largest European producers of quality upholstery leather. With the “basic concept” for organic leather already laid out, Hulshof is now looking to see how all the types of leather can be processed in the same manner. Interestingly, the new organic leather is being showcased as a world first at the MoOD trade show (September 13 - 15, Brussels Expo, Belgium).

Leather has been used as an upholstery cover for centuries, and present-day furniture styles and designs, coupled with modern leather finishing techniques and types, have increased its market share considerably in recent years. While upholstery leather is expected to be free from manufacturing faults and reasonably durable, it’s performance requirement should not be an afterthought but a first consideration.

While there are standards used to demonstrate upholstery leather quality, the sensible course of action is to evaluate the leather prior to use, before the customer complains. Now comes the crux of the problem: the Standards itself. Some are pretty backdated, e.g. BS6608:1985 “Cattle hide leathers for upholstered furniture” is more than 20 years old. While BSEN13336:2004 “Leather- Upholstery leather characteristics—Guide for the selection of leather for furniture” does not grade leather performance for different end-use categories.

While there are committees and authorities looking into the revision of these standards, UK-based Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) offers an interim standard. It uses a set of requirements based on the two standards and in-house expert knowledge of upholstery leather to determine whether the leather is suitable for upholstery use.

Ensuring the performance of leather through testing will no doubt go a long way towards demonstrating that it is of suitable quality for upholstery applications, e.g. Standards on specific ignition requirements for upholstered furniture. Updating these Standards to meet our present-day needs will be a welcome respite for all in the industry. We all recognise that the true cost of a complaint incorporates not only the value of replacement, repair, or refund, but, more importantly, the possible loss of goodwill and future business.

Eileen Chan
Group Editor