Is Castilla A Reputable/reliable Brand For Sofas?

[Executiveliving 0]

Hi EL, what do you mean by top/split? Do you mean it's a mixture of top grain and split grain?

Obviously I am not able to differentiate between full grain, top grain, top/split. I am the average consumer who knows only enough that leather has different types of grains.

Thanks.

Hi musingaway

Top grain has more tensile strength it is suitable for seats and back cushion coverings where they are more supcetible to pressure (the weight of sitting on it), thus will not crack easily. As for split leather its the part where the it is more fibrous hence lesser tensile strength (less elasticity) thus will the possibility of the leather cracking is higher. However, in a top/split full leather, means the seats and backrests cushion coverings will be using top and the rest which is not likely to be sat on will be using split.

Its hard to differentiate by the naked eye to a layman however, you can feel the difference by touching it, they have very different feel.

Lastly, most leather in the market are corrected grain, that means the texture of the leather is artificial, in other words, you can do crocodile prints on leather as well. I hope that answers your questions.

[Jeanius 0]

Hi Jeanius, thank you for replying.

I am internet savvy, and that is why when I google Castilla, the amount of relevant search results compared to other brands are not a lot. So that worries me... that I committed to a (somewhat rash) purchase from a company that is not so reputable or well-known?

Apart from that, I am concerned that if my sofa is fully split-grain leather, that it is not worth (by standard market prices) the 2680 pricetag.

Lastly, from my limited research online, I read that full grain leathers are thicker, and also the thicker the leather, the less likely to tear or flake.

My sofa is supposedly 0.8-1.1 mm thickness only, so naturally that worries me as well!

I posted here with the hope that forumers will take some time to reply, and from there I will sift through and get a more balanced view.

Thanks Jeanius for replying

musingaway

A very simple way to protect yourself here, ask if there is warranty for the leather upholstery, have a look at the warranty card, read it word by word on what it covers. Check if it covers the leather upholstery, usually check for a minimum of 2 years, if it peels or tears, does it cover the replacement of the upholstery. Never listen just on what the Salesman says, verbal warranty is not a warranty.

Any sofa retailing in Singapore from $2,399 to $3,999 typically uses split-leather or bonded-leather. Why i know, cause i am a buyer for leather sofas, with that kind of prices you will never find 100% full top grain leather.

For a standard, ask for the above warranty as it will safeguard you should you encounter leather problems 1 1/2-2 years down the road. And hopefully the company dosen't change name or ownership during this period.

Wish you and all consumers here well. I am posting all these facts here as i am 'sick'n'tired' to read so many 'bulls' from Salesman here. Check this site for most of your questions regarding anything. http://www.ehow.com/search.html?q=what+is+corrected+grain+leather&skin=style&t=all

Good luck.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Jeanius

[musingaway 0]

Hi musingaway

Top grain has more tensile strength it is suitable for seats and back cushion coverings where they are more supcetible to pressure (the weight of sitting on it), thus will not crack easily. As for split leather its the part where the it is more fibrous hence lesser tensile strength (less elasticity) thus will the possibility of the leather cracking is higher. However, in a top/split full leather, means the seats and backrests cushion coverings will be using top and the rest which is not likely to be sat on will be using split.

Its hard to differentiate by the naked eye to a layman however, you can feel the difference by touching it, they have very different feel.

Lastly, most leather in the market are corrected grain, that means the texture of the leather is artificial, in other words, you can do crocodile prints on leather as well. I hope that answers your questions.

Hi EL, thanks for clarifying the term "top/split"!

I hope mine is not "top/split", because I was not informed at all, and it will be misrepresentation to me.

[musingaway 0]

musingaway

A very simple way to protect yourself here, ask if there is warranty for the leather upholstery, have a look at the warranty card, read it word by word on what it covers. Check if it covers the leather upholstery, usually check for a minimum of 2 years, if it peels or tears, does it cover the replacement of the upholstery. Never listen just on what the Salesman says, verbal warranty is not a warranty.

Any sofa retailing in Singapore from $2,399 to $3,999 typically uses split-leather or bonded-leather. Why i know, cause i am a buyer for leather sofas, with that kind of prices you will never find 100% full top grain leather.

For a standard, ask for the above warranty as it will safeguard you should you encounter leather problems 1 1/2-2 years down the road. And hopefully the company dosen't change name or ownership during this period.

Wish you and all consumers here well. I am posting all these facts here as i am 'sick'n'tired' to read so many 'bulls' from Salesman here. Check this site for most of your questions regarding anything. http://www.ehow.com/search.html?q=what+is+corrected+grain+leather&skin=style&t=all

Good luck.

Hi Jeanius,

So far are there companies that offer warranty on leather? All along I thought it's only warranty on structure. Then again, I am just an average consumer, only been to 3 different sofa shops.

Regarding the price range, it was informative, I only wished I had seen it before i committed to a purchase.

Thanks for the reply Jeanius, I will be more prudent and take note of those details.

[Jeanius 0]

Hi Jeanius,

So far are there companies that offer warranty on leather? All along I thought it's only warranty on structure. Then again, I am just an average consumer, only been to 3 different sofa shops.

Regarding the price range, it was informative, I only wished I had seen it before i committed to a purchase.

Thanks for the reply Jeanius, I will be more prudent and take note of those details.

musingaway

Yes, there all companies which provide warranty on their leathers, but those are usually the mid-high grade ones. Which company will warranty the leather if they are using split/bonded/pvc/pu other then top grain cowhide. Usually, companies warranty a minimum of 1 year, but then again i feel that the minimum should be 2 years. As i have seen leather peel and tear after 18 months.

I have a list which i compile about leather which i google from the www for a guide to our consumers and for training purpose. I do not know how to post it here.

If you guys are interested, i can create a topic and post a long story there.

[musingaway 0]

musingaway

Yes, there all companies which provide warranty on their leathers, but those are usually the mid-high grade ones. Which company will warranty the leather if they are using split/bonded/pvc/pu other then top grain cowhide. Usually, companies warranty a minimum of 1 year, but then again i feel that the minimum should be 2 years. As i have seen leather peel and tear after 18 months.

I have a list which i compile about leather which i google from the www for a guide to our consumers and for training purpose. I do not know how to post it here.

If you guys are interested, i can create a topic and post a long story there.

Hi Jeanius,

If you can post a guide, it will be good for other consumers (And for me in the future.)

Most typical furniture buyers are not educated on leather and definitely will need tips, because Singapore does not have proper and good consumer protection laws still.

[Jeanius 0]

Hi Jeanius,

If you can post a guide, it will be good for other consumers (And for me in the future.)

Most typical furniture buyers are not educated on leather and definitely will need tips, because Singapore does not have proper and good consumer protection laws still.

I started a tread on 'All about leathers' to share with fellow readers so that they are not misguided by Salesman talk. I sincerely hope it helps readers here. The furniture industry here hears so many complaints just because of these sales people and their company. It is not that the consumer laws don't protect us, we have got to protect oueselves first before anybody can protect us.

I am not reviewing the brand or company that i am representing here as i want this forum here to be more creative and educative. Sometimes from this forum, you can feel that some of appraisals was done by the salesman themselves.

Do read up on my tread and post questions and i will try my best to answer them as best to my knowledge on the subject.

Thanks.

[Daveyap 0]

I feel that sometimes you run the risk that what you see in the showroom may not be what you will be getting eventually. After all, furniture retailers know that the customer will not be dragging their purchase set to the showroom to do a detailed comparison just to make sure that they are of the same quality and material.

[Jeanius 0]

Agree. That is why in the other tread, i raise the issue on the integrity of a company. The sales people just do their sales without knowing what the company might be up to. Sets delivered might differ from the showroom. I have heard it happen countless times from consumers already, and you know what, usually it is from those $1.00 companies.

Good things don't come too cheap, and cheap things ain't that reliable, Yeah.

[musingaway 0]

I started a tread on 'All about leathers' to share with fellow readers so that they are not misguided by Salesman talk. I sincerely hope it helps readers here. The furniture industry here hears so many complaints just because of these sales people and their company. It is not that the consumer laws don't protect us, we have got to protect oueselves first before anybody can protect us.

I am not reviewing the brand or company that i am representing here as i want this forum here to be more creative and educative. Sometimes from this forum, you can feel that some of appraisals was done by the salesman themselves.

Do read up on my tread and post questions and i will try my best to answer them as best to my knowledge on the subject.

Thanks.

Keep it up, your posts in that topic are invaluable for newbie/typical consumers like me. Like I mentioned, I don't trust our consumer protection laws here, so education is the next best thing, so everyone can make an informed purchase.

[musingaway 0]

I feel that sometimes you run the risk that what you see in the showroom may not be what you will be getting eventually. After all, furniture retailers know that the customer will not be dragging their purchase set to the showroom to do a detailed comparison just to make sure that they are of the same quality and material.

Hi Dave, what you have typed is correct- I don't imagine myself doing that. On top of that, I definitely can't tell the different grains apart. So... I will be getting them to write in black-and-white my sofa details, and then hope for the best.

Btw, thanks again Dave, for helping me and answering my PMs.

Lastly, stay tuned, I will be posting a picture of the sofa when it's delivered (not so soon), and giving my conclusions.

[Daveyap 0]

Hi Dave, what you have typed is correct- I don't imagine myself doing that. On top of that, I definitely can't tell the different grains apart. So... I will be getting them to write in black-and-white my sofa details, and then hope for the best.

Btw, thanks again Dave, for helping me and answering my PMs.

Lastly, stay tuned, I will be posting a picture of the sofa when it's delivered (not so soon), and giving my conclusions.

You are most welcome. It was actually quite fun for me to go on site to do some detective work on your behalf. I hope everything turns out well for you.

[Jeanius 0]

Hi Dave, what you have typed is correct- I don't imagine myself doing that. On top of that, I definitely can't tell the different grains apart. So... I will be getting them to write in black-and-white my sofa details, and then hope for the best.

Btw, thanks again Dave, for helping me and answering my PMs.

Lastly, stay tuned, I will be posting a picture of the sofa when it's delivered (not so soon), and giving my conclusions.

Even professionals sometimes can't accurately classify the quality standards with their bare hands, so it's not just you or me. That is why now we buy only from one manufacturer which gets their leather supplied from reputable Italian tanneries which are IQAI.

As you can see, i am quite particular about warranties with regards to leather sofa sets. If a Top Grain leather sofa set sells for less then 3k (L-shape), i wonder how the company can survive with the cost of doing business in Singapore. Factor in, the 5 year warranty for wear and tear too, as some say, too good to be true. That is why i said, what are the terms & conditions for the leather warranty. Well, we know now that EL covers it, i wish them and their customers well.

So if you do not get the warranty from Castilla, buy EL. Just hope they are still around as long as Castilla has.

[Daveyap 0]

Even professionals sometimes can't accurately classify the quality standards with their bare hands, so it's not just you or me. That is why now we buy only from one manufacturer which gets their leather supplied from reputable Italian tanneries which are IQAI.

As you can see, i am quite particular about warranties with regards to leather sofa sets. If a Top Grain leather sofa set sells for less then 3k (L-shape), i wonder how the company can survive with the cost of doing business in Singapore. Factor in, the 5 year warranty for wear and tear too, as some say, too good to be true. That is why i said, what are the terms & conditions for the leather warranty. Well, we know now that EL covers it, i wish them and their customers well.

So if you do not get the warranty from Castilla, buy EL. Just hope they are still around as long as Castilla has.

Just bought a single seater recliner from Arte this afternoon. The showroom piece was indeed Full Top Grain of a very high quality. I ordered the Full Full Grain Semi Aniline Cowhide Leather and they were more than happy to write this full description down in the Invoice. Lets' see if what they finally deliver to me is really Full Full Grain Semi Aniline Cowhide Leather

[Daveyap 0]

I feel that sometimes you run the risk that what you see in the showroom may not be what you will be getting eventually. After all, furniture retailers know that the customer will not be dragging their purchase set to the showroom to do a detailed comparison just to make sure that they are of the same quality and material.

As mine is a single seater recliner, I will drag it down to their showroom if it turns out not to be what it was stated in the invoice.