GROOVE LEATHER

Introducing 5 New colors of Shagreen (Stingray)

David — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:33:11 +0000

rriving 5 New Colors of Shagreen (Stingray)–Full-grain, semi-aniline dyed leather with a two-tone hand finish..

Rowla Stingray/Shagreen colors from left to right

Color 4040 (Salt & Pepper)
Color 4010 (Sand)
Color 4020 (Sea Shell)
Color 4030 (Coral)
Color 4001 (Black Pearl)

A Quick Guide to Groove’s Leathers

David — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:00:24 +0000

American Beauty – Inspired by the American Beauty rose, this full-grain, semi-aniline embossed leather has a deep, rich hand finish.

B Natural – Soft, pure aniline-dyed leather that patinas over time. Beautiful, natural characteristics of this full-grain leather are self evident. European origin.

Cadenza – Subtle mottling process provides this full-grain leather with a two-toned marbled effect. European origin. Cadenza has little surface protection. Scratches and marks may appear over time. This appearance is the “character” of the leather.

Classical – Leather with an applied savauge effect and finished with a slight sheen for protection. Top-grain.

Improv – Beautifully glazed full-grain leather with a controlled, sophisticated pull-up effect.

Iridium – Bold metallic finish. Exclusive finishing technique gives the leather a high level of resistance to wear and spills.

Jazz – Soft metallic finish. Exclusive finishing technique gives the leather a high level of resistance to wear and spills.

Repertoire – Semi-aniline, raddled-looking leather with a waxy, protective finish.

Reverie – Gorgeous, aniline dyed full-grain leather, admired for its natural characteristics. European origin.

Rhapsody – Full-grain leather with a consistent, even coloration throughout. Produced on the finest hides from Switzerland and Germany., the leather offers a smooth tight grain. The protective, breathable finish provides greater protection from everyday wear.

Rowla Stingray / Shagreen – Full-grain, semi-aniline dyed leather with a two-tone hand finish.

Solo – Nubuck hides that are beautiful, durable, and versatile. European origin.

Tempo – Top-grain, semi-aniline leather with a consistent, even coloration throughout. Smooth, tight, embossed grain. Ideal leather for the budget minded specification. Fully pigmented topcoat provides added protection.

Psychedelic Furs and Hair on Hides – Variety of prints and colors. Please inquire.

All leathers meet California Technical Bulletin 117 Section E. for flame resistance. Meets CA 01350 VOC Standard

Demystifying Leather

David — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:45:25 +0000

What You Should Know When Specifying Leather (PDF Brochure)

Here’s what you should know about when specifying leather:

Raw material (geographic region, selection)
Tannages (chromium, vege, chrome-free)
Dyeing
Embossing (texturing)
Finishing (coloring, tipping, etc.)

You should care about these topics because you want to:

Choose leather products that are suitable to their application and the client’s expectations
Know your options when dealing with budgets
Educate your client

Raw Material is Key

Care and climate affects the quality of leather hides. Cows raised in cooler climates, that graze on open ranges, and that have good veterinary care, have fewer defects (e.g. scratches, bites). Cows raised in hotter climates or that roam among barb wired fences have more defects.

Additionally, species of cow differ in size and shape. US cows, for example, tend to be smaller than European cows. Many South American cows are Zebus (they have large humps).

Remember that “defect free” doesn’t necessarily mean most desired and appreciated. Natural characteristics are often valued by leather connoisseurs. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Why Does it Matter How Leather is Tanned?

Until a hide is tanned it’s a rawhide. To create a supple product, leather is either chromium or vegetable tanned. Chromium tannages, introduced in the 19th century are the preferred method for tanning leather. A chrome tannage yields a soft hand. Vegetable tanning is used when firmer leather is required.

Full Grain, Top Grain… Who Cares?

Full grain and top grain leather refers to the overall quality of the leather. Full grain leather tends to be relatively defect free (i.e., doesn’t need correction), and is undisputedly the leather of choice for clients looking for a product that ages beautifully over time.

Top grain leather refers to leather hides that need additional processing (i.e., “buffing”) to reduce or eliminate imperfections. Top grain leathers receive a heavier top coat of pigment to smooth out the finish and to give the leather protection against minor scratches and spills. Top grain leathers are ideally suited for heavily trafficked areas.

Why is Leather Dyed?

Fine upholstery leather should be dyed close to the final finish color. Dying the crust (i.e., tanned hide) to match the finished color helps to mask superficial scratches that can occur during normal wear. Budget leathers may well be produced on mismatched crust colors.

Why Is Leather Embossed?

Most people think embossing is simply for decorative purposes. Plating (embossing with a natural looking grain) is also common. If desired, plating can give a full- or top-grain leather a uniform look, or make a flat looking leather come alive.

The Finishing Process

Finishing (or top coating) is the final step to giving a leather product its unique characteristics. The purpose of finishing is to modify the leather’s color and to provide a protective surface.

Aniline dyed leather refers to a finished product that has been fully colored without the use of pigments.

Aniline dyed leather is a connoisseur’s delight. The natural grain is easy to recognize, and all the hallmarks of the leather are evident (e.g., fat folds, neck wrinkles, even minor scarring). Semi-aniline dyed leather refers to a lightly pigmented protective finish that gives the leather a more uniform appearance, and stain and water resistance.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump: “Green is as green does”

David — Sun, 02 May 2010 14:03:09 +0000

“A

rose, is a rose, is a rose,” wrote Gertrude Stein, but green is not always ”green.” Some of you have asked if Groove’s green. The answer is yes.

The industry has been chromium tanning leather for 150 years. Chromium tannages speed up the production cycle over vegetable tanning (the thousands year old method for tanning leather), and it allows colors to be absorbed more effectively. Far more recently, there’s been a quiet call for chrome-free tanning by the interior design trade, whereby chromium chemicals are removed from the process.

Look at the leathers in any designer’s resource library or at a showroom near you, and I can confidently say the vast majority of the leathers are chromium-based (some are chromium tanned with a vege-retan). Chromium tanning remains the industry standard, and the handling of chromium waste is well understood. The factories Groove uses (including it’s domestic facility) has on-site waste treatment operations. These are expensive operations that treat the water run-off from the tanning process by removing the harmful residue before the water is released into the sewage system. The techniques for maximizing the result of this process are honed, unlike the techniques for chrome-free.

What about Greenguard? Remember, Greenguard isn’t about whether a factory produces leather environmentally or not, it’s about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released into the air (i.e., the “off-gassing” of products during their recommended use and applications). The water-based finishing products used in leather release naturally low VOCs. That “new car” smell isn’t coming from the leather, but the laminates, plastics, and glues used to hold everything together in an automobile.

It’s ironic that leather needs to fight the same “green” battle as the nylon carpet business, vinyl wall covering, wood laminate business, etc., but I recognize its the necessary reality.

Eventually, Groove will register with Greenguard and test its leathers, but this is probably a year away because of the huge expense. In the meantime, I’d remind designers that Groove’s product (a product of nature) and its production process are very green indeed.

Red Rose

David — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:26:44 +0000

ntroducingRed Rose–a full-grain leather with a high-gloss, two-tone finish. Available in 1/2 hide increments. Can be custom colored and finished matte or glossy.

American Beauty 4110

Gaufrage

David — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:00:57 +0000

roove offers many gaufrage patterns (click here to see) that can be applied to lamb skin, center cut hides, or sides (i.e., half hides) of leather.

Gaufrage is a roller-based embossing technique that’s typically applied to aniline dyed leather. Natural variations in color are part of the beauty of this leather artwork and highlight each hide’s unique history and natural markings.

Aster China Dot Bamboo Regal Diamond

Pantone’s Fashion Color Report for Fall 2010

David — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:30:57 +0000

Click here to read more about Pantone’s Fall’s Fantasy for 2010

Endive
Golden Glow
Living Coral
Lipstick Red
Purple Orchid
Chocolate Truffle
Lagoon
Woodbine
Oyster Gray
Rose Dust

Iridescence Leather

David — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:00:24 +0000

roove introduces Iridescence®–a leather with a unique finishing process incorporating color-shifting pigments and 100 percent recycled glass.

Iridescence is made-to-order in 3 standard colors: Maple, Titanium and Scarabeus.

Groove Leather iPhone App

David — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:15:06 +0000

Visit iTune’s to download Groove’s iPhone app.

What is the best way to clean leather furniture?

David — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:10:31 +0000

n general, leather surfaces need only be wiped with a damp cloth to remove dust or grime.

However, because of other environmental factors like home heating and cooling systems, and sunlight, most leather also requires moisture to keep it from cracking, flaking or splitting.

Along with checking your smoke detector batteries during your bi-annual Spring-forward/Fall-back routine, take a sparing amount of saddle soap and moist sponge, and lather up your leather upholstery. Once the soap has dried, buff the leather with a soft, dry cloth.

Alternatively, a few drops of Castile soap in a quart of tepid water, applied with a damp sponge or cloth, works well too. If you want a specially formulated cleaning product visit Lexol or Apple Brand; and for tougher issues visit DYO Chemical.

View Types of leather and Care & Maintenance to learn more about the types of upholstery leather you’re specifying (full-grain, top-grain, aniline, and nubuck), and how to go about maintaining it.