Insights Into Bicast

For years I've taken phone calls and e-mails from distraught consumers who made the mistake of purchasing bi-cast (bicast) material when they thought it was real leather.  It is sold as leather but it is clearly NOT the real deal.  Just as fiberboard isn't real wood, bicast isn't real leather.

As a general rule, leather that has suffered damage can be successfully repaired.  In the case of bicast this is problematic as any repair can only be as strong as the surrounding material.  With bicast, the material is inherently weak.  As such, a repair to bicast will, in all likelihood, fail.

At the end of this blog entry you'll find a link to photos that have been sent to me by consumers depicting their  classic problems with bicast material.  They show the wide variety of ways bicast fails.  In the world of furniture there has never been a more true application of the phrase "buyer beware."  Bicast is a problem waiting to happen.

Here is the text of an excellent article written by Barbara Carney, a leather restoration expert in the Chicago area.

  Bi-cast and Bonded Leather is NOT Leather! So, What Is It?
.
"Bi-cast and bonded "leather" can be the right choice for you – Here’s the complete story so you can make an informed decision.

"The term “leather” is used to describe 2 completely different types of material used on furniture:

1.      Real = An intact animal hide processed to look and feel good. Very strong.
2.      Bi-cast / bonded = Plastic with a little leather and maybe some fabric glued to the back. Not so strong.

"Note: Imitation leather = Plastic with fabric glued to the back. Not so strong.

"What’s going on? Leather’s very desirable because it:
· Looks good - many different possible textures, colors and finishes
· Strong, durable – can last decades; can be repaired and recolored
· Feels good to touch – soft and flexible
· Breathes, so you don’t get clammy or too hot
· Shows you have taste and could afford the nicer things

"Real leather soils easily, so a protective paint-like colored coating is added to approx 85% of the real leather furniture sold in the U.S. It’s a thin, breathable plastic that stays flexible and still has an appealing leather feel and light smell. Consumers easily confuse this with the thicker, non-breathable plastic layer of the lower cost bi-cast and bonded leathers. By adding a little leather – about 17% - which you don’t see or touch, it’s legal in the U. S. to sell bi-cast and bonded products as leather – which most people will think means real leather. In Europe and New Zealand it’s illegal to call such products leather.

"Bi-cast is a clever product. Typically, it’s a thick layer of plastic made to look and feel like leather, laminated on top of a thin, weak layer of leather. This layer is a “split” - horizontally split from the bottom of the original hide in a big sheet. In bi-cast, you don’t see it or feel it. It adds none of the characteristics of real leather, except one: If you check the inside surface, it looks and smells like leather. Why bother? A savvy consumer may know how to check for real leather by looking at the inside for the characteristic rough suede and the smell, or a trained salesperson may show it to the consumer – “See – it’s leather!”

"Bonded leather goes one step farther: Powdered leather fibers are mixed with a resin and extruded in a sheet, like paper or particleboard. There’s no physical characteristic left of the original leather. It’s a recycling method for using scraps. Just like the asphalt on your street might contain recycled plastic bottles. The layer containing the leather is on the back, just like bi-cast.

"As Furniture Today magazine says: ...calling these products bonded leather "is deceptive because it does not represent its true nature. It's a vinyl, or a polyurethane laminate or a composite, but it's not leather. If you tar and feather someone, does that make them a chicken?" Obviously not. 

"Sometimes it's even scented like leather.  In the end, it's plastic  - it's clammy, it's much less durable, it can't be repaired - unless you consider duct tape and a slip cover a repair. Some split or delaminate and peel after a few months or just a year or 2.  Some are more durable, but it's very hard to know when you buy it. You’d need the
test data on the number of  “rubs” to be sure."

Thank you Barbara for this excellent piece.  I hope it will help alert the unsuspecting consumer to make wise choices when selecting their leather furniture.

Click on this link to see pictures representing a sampling of the problems bicast presents.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpgillan/BicastPicturesFromClientsShowingTheVarietyOfWaysBicastLeatherFails#

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

How to tell if leather is quality or junk.

As a professional leather technician, this is a frequently asked question: “How can I tell that the leather furniture I am buying is made with quality leather?”

It’s not always easy. The leather may look and feel comfortable in the showroom, but how will it hold up in your home?

The sales-person may tell you that it’s a grade “A” leather or a grade “2000” leather. Or some other nomenclature that sounds impressive. What does it really mean?

In a word -- nothing.

The grading system used by each leather furniture manufacturer to classify the upholstery leather installed on their furniture is not based on any industry-established standard. It’s typically marketing hype. One manufacturer’s “B” grade, is another’s “100” grade, or “1000”, and so on.

Don’t be swayed by some official-sounding label applied to leather upholstery by the furniture sales-person, or the marketing material produced by the manufacturer. Instead, ask the following questions:

1. Is the upholstery leather un-corrected top-grain? - This is leather with the greatest durability. Read the literature offered by the manufacturer. Even then, be wary. Recently a client brought a cushion into our shop from a “hide-a-bed” sofa that the manufacturer’s documentation claimed to be top-grain leather. This manufacturer, who shall remain nameless (but whose initials are JC where the J is consistent with the actress whose last name is Aniston), is misleading consumers in its printed materials. In this client’s case, the leather was a low quality split-hide, which is clearly inferior leather, and clearly not top-grain. To read more about top-grain leather go to http://www.advleather.com/ and click on the Leather Care button.

2. Is the furniture fully upholstered with leather? - Ask if any of the upholstered sections on the piece you are considering have been upholstered in vinyl. There are issues to be considered with leather upholstery when it is mated with a synthetic material like vinyl. The seam line where the leather and vinyl meet is a potential source of problems. The vinyl often fails along that seam line and there is nothing that can be done to correct the problem except re-upholstery. And, that’s an expensive option.

3. Is the upholstery leather protected or unprotected? - Protected leather implies that the leather has a topical, pigmented coating on the surface. This upholstery leather is excellent for high-use environments, such as an active household with children, pets, and so on, where the leather may be exposed to spills, and other household hazards. Unprotected leather implies upholstery leather that is unfinished. That is to say, it has no topical, pigmented coating. This is often called pure aniline-dyed leather. The color presented comes from the dye in the leather. Because there is no protection on the leather’s surface, it is aesthetically vulnerable. It will stain and fade. So, this type of upholstery leather looks gorgeous and feels wonderful, but will not hold up well to the rigors of an active family room, with kids, dogs, etc. The sales-person may make the claim that their unfinished, aniline-dyed leather has been “treated” to resist staining. This may be true, however, the treatment is never permanent or fully effective (anyone familiar with the temporary nature of a “scotch-guard” type treatment will have a good idea what this means). Client after client has complained to me that their “treated” unfinished leather suffered staining within a month or two, or sooner.

4. Is this material bi-cast? – If the answer is yes, prepare yourself for a short life expectancy. Bi-cast, sometimes referred to as PU Leather, is a composite material much like fiberboard or pressed wood isn’t really wood, but rather made from wood fibers. Like fiberboard, it lacks the tensile strength required for regular use. Furthermore, it delaminates (peels), and tears fairly easily. To read more about bi-cast, read the article under the consumer tips section of http://www.advleather.com/.

In the end, as a consumer, you are on your own. Your best option is to arm yourself with as much information as you can before you buy. Then ask the key questions, and be wary of the sales-person who is evasive in his or her answers.

As a further resource, email kevin@advleather.com, or call Advanced Leather Solutions @ 510.786.6059 (USA) to answer questions. You’ll get straight-forward, no nonsense answers.

Copyright 2009 Kevin Gillan