[Andy Foster]

This seems to be a hot topic for the moment so here's another one.

I have been sent these photos and asked for a price to restore.
It looks to me like straight forward pigmented with either grease or wear causing the blemish.
However, the owner says that the sofa cost them £1500 which would seem a lot for this type of sofa.
Am I missing something here or were they paying over the odds for their suite?

Cheers

Andy

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Andy that's definately pigmented it's a bread and butter one IMO.

Shaun

[Andy Foster]

Thanks Shaun, thought so but wanted to check.
It looks like grease on it to me but they assure me it is wear, also, just had another email and the custy tried to 'fix' the discolouration by rubbing in shoe polish!
Will I need to strip this out first before recolouring and protecting?
I would go and visit to establish problems first hand but it is in London and would cost a fortune for the extra trip.

Cheers

Andy

[*paul_moss]

Be careful, those pictures are hard to tell completly, have you any others?
It looks a little like it could be a bicast, if it is you can cleaning ok, but I see scratchs in it . Bicast does not repair/ colour the same as leather.

[lands]

The stitching is the same on those bicast chairs Paul. Do the always use that type (and if so is there a reason) or is it just coincidence.

Pete

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Paul may be right but I recently cleaned and colour repaired something very simular but like Paul says check first.

Shaun

[stevegunn]

Paul may be right but I recently cleaned and colour repaired something very similar but like Paul says check first.

Shaun

The voice of inexperience

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I thought you was going on holiday!

Shaun

[stevegunn]

Not before giving you some stick

[*paul_moss]

Paul may be right but I recently cleaned and colour repaired something very simular but like Paul says check first.

Shaun

Pete that was one of the give aways ( your starting to learn) also the shine and the lay of the leather makes it look bicast, but pictures ar hard and could just be a straight pigmented sofa.
You would not pay 1500 for a bicast sofa unless you have been stuffed. I would expect that sort of cash for a sofa only would be a designer one or a good aniline/nubuck sofa.

[Andy Foster]

I take your points thank you and I am asking for confirmation of the type of leather before I set foot out of the house to go and repair it.
I would certainly hope that it is not bicast because they were ripped off big time if it is.
They seem the sort who would get designer stuff so hopefully it is a designer pigmented... woudl make my life easier.

Thanks again for the advice.

Andy

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Paul if it is pigmented looks as though the finish is going what do you think is the quickest way of getting rid of that before restoring?

Shaun

[Derek_Walker]

As funny as it sounds, I went into a furniture shop last year and the sales people were selling Bicast leather suites as there top quality furniture, but if I wanted they could get me an Italian leather one if I wanted the cheaper version. Red faces all round when I told them what bicast actually was

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Salesmen are just that, they'd sell deck chairs as top quality as that is how they get their wages.

Shaun

[*paul_moss]

Derek its very suprising the bull sh it they come out with, especially in terms of cleaning and after care. I have not met one yet who fully understands what he is selling to a customer yet tel them how to look after it.

Shaun, im still waiting for Judy to come on and identify it as a aniline micro pigment  

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Perhaps her new £10 micro scope can't focus on it

Shaun

[carlton care]

Could'nt resist when Angie showed me this...................looks like bicast, look at the scratches, I don't think you will get scratches like this on pigmented, but I ain't no expert

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I think you can, the photo doesn't tell the full story but if it's a high shine finish then the reflection doesn't give you the 'feel' for the truth.

I have cleaned and repaired a suite like this and my parents have something simular, when the finish breaks down through excessive wear the dye/colour seems to flake off.

The one I did had to be gently sanded to make smooth again before applying colour and coat.

Shaun 

[LTT Leathercare]

Andy
This certainly has the appearance of a bicast or coated leather.  They have a certain look and they are usually styled in very box like designs as the 'leather' cannot be gathered or pleated.  Often have the contrast stitching as shown.

If it does prove to be bicast rather than a pigment then unfortunately the damage will be unfixable.  Body oils and head grease can break down the finish on  bicast very quickly if not protected and once the finish has gone it is impossible to replace it.  A bicast is a split leather with a sheet of polyurethane bonded to it.  This sort of damage is one of the common problems along with delamination.

If the customer has been sold this as leather there may be a case to be answered by the retailer as it should have been sold as Bicast Leather or Coated Leather (depending on the thickness of the finish that has been bonded to it).  

If it is a pigmented leather then you would need to degrease before you tackled any recolouring or refinishing as I think it is grease and body oils rather than simple wear that would have caused this break down of finish,  Shoe polish will not have helped!!!!!!!!

Hope this helps

[carlton care]

Don't trust photos for identity. My " guess" is from a sample and discussion on bicast, plus the headboard and chair in my daughter's room.

But, as Shaun says, it might be something else.