Weird request from a customer

[fred1diver]

Hello everyone
I was asked by a customer to redo his cabin cushions, simple task, he tells me he has the material to do it, ok, I ask him what he has…
LEATHER, I informed him that I can do it, but not advisable, he says he has a lot of it.
I am not sure how to respond to him, I know the leather will be heavily affected by the humidity, rot, mildew… I don’t know how to tell him any other way? What do you all think of a leather interior for a Hunter 30 ???

 

[mermike]

Sounds hot and sticky.

 

[fred1diver]

Yup very!!!!

 

[dlochner]

Doesn't sound comfortable at all. Turn down the job.

 

[rgranger]

Yeah... what @dlochner said.... he will probably blame you when the green fuzz starts growing.

 

[colemj]

Our previous boat came from the factory with real leather interior upholstery. We had it for 15yrs before replacing it.

Before I go on, I am assuming the person has upholstery leather and not just some cow skins or clothing stuff. Upholstery leather is specifically treated and finished for that purpose.

Contrary to what you may think (and what we originally thought when we got it), upholstery leather is not hot and sticky and does not rot and mold. Humidity gives it better qualities in terms of suppleness and ruggedness. Leather is cooler than any fabric upholstery, and more comfortable. It also resists stains more and cleans easier than any fabric upholstery.

The one disadvantage is that it needs to be periodically treated with leather conditioner - particularly if it is kept in a dry or A/C environment much of the time - to prevent checking and keep it supple.

IMO, there is only one better upholstery option than leather, and that is Ultraleather (and the range of products under that name), which is a synthetic leather. It is what we replaced the leather with on that boat, and what we put on our current boat. All the advantages of leather without any maintenance. It doesn't stain or scratch and stays very supple, yet firm. It is really a luxury to sit/lay on.

Leather and Ultraleather is superior to any other type of interior upholstery material. The downside is the cost, and to some extent the design and sewing skill needed to make it look good.

Mark

 

[colemj]

Given the responses here, I'm wondering if the above posters have any actual experience with leather interiors on a boat.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I have had vinyl on the bottom of cushions and it was a lifesaver when the interior saw water and high humidity for a short period of time. Very easy to clean. I assume leather would be similar

 

[fred1diver]

Ok, great info and input everyone, it does change my opinion, I will ask to see what kind of leather he has before committing to anything
Honestly I had never heard of boat interiors in leather before

 

[dLj]

I'm looking into replacing all my interior fabric and leather or ultra leather is high on my list. I learned about using leather interiors from intense off-road vehicles where they started using leather - it's unquestionably the best! I'm talking vehicles used running half underwater and through mud banks where the upholstery is being soaked and/or completely covered. Far more intense use than a boat.

I have to agree with @colemj here - anyone saying this is a bad application must not have any experience.

dj

 

[colemj]

Ok, great info and input everyone, it does change my opinion, I will ask to see what kind of leather he has before committing to anything
Honestly I had never heard of boat interiors in leather before

If you have not worked with leather in upholstery before, be aware that it is more difficult to work. It has no stretch, so any tiny bunching between stitches or skipped stitches will not smooth out under tension like fabric does. Corners are particularly challenging. Leather has a grain that needs to be continuous across all pieces or it looks bad, and this leads to more fabric waste than normal. Probably also should use a large heavy-duty commercial machine - a sailrite likely is going to end in frustration.

You need to be absolutely perfect in design, layout, and execution to not make leather upholstery look like amateur hour.

Mark

 

[fred1diver]

I used to Work exclusively with leather, made a few jackets, pants…
Just never heard about it for boat interiors

 

[Rick D]

FWIW, our 32 year-old Hunter came with leather. It held up fine for 23 years, but the seating cushions began to go bad (shrinkage). I took them to my upholstery guy to replace. He and my wife talked me out of leather and suggested ultraleather. Although doubtful, I had it used. Amazingly, it is a perfect match to the seat backs. Visitors can't tell the difference.

 

[PaulK]

If you worry about leather holding up in the marine environment read Tim Severin's "The Brendan Voyage". https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-b...E4hoC3ygQAvD_BwE#idiq=3374874&edition=3130690

 

[Art12050]

Another vote for Ulta Leather. It’s a man made faux fabric. We have the same boat, a 92 Hunter 30T. This fabric is durable, easy to clean and looks great. It’s not hot, but surprisingly cool.
We’re going on 10 years+ and it’s still standing up very well.

 

[thinwater]

Me, I would turn down the work if I could not sell them on a different material. Just not worth the risk of a come-back.

 

[fred1diver]

I am waiting on more info on what he actually had on hand, if it is upholstery leather, I might accept the job, but with the warning that I am not responsible for the longevity of th material

 

[marcham]

We have 25 year old leather cushions in the boat. Most of it still look as good as the day they left the factory. We'll replace the foam soon, but the leather is still in great shape. It feels cool to the skin in summer. We condition it once a year.