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The CLA has been established as a forum for the Commercial and High End Residential Leather Industry to provide its customers with updated and relevant industry standards and information that will be of benefit in the understanding and use of commercial and high end residential leathers, and to promote the use of leather as a preferred upholstery material.
The Commercial Leather Association of
Australia and New Zealand (CLA) has
been established to provide, for the first
time, the Australian and New Zealand
design, furniture and wider community
with a set of definitions and standards for
upholstery leather.
The aim of the CLA standards and symbols
is to ensure that the commercial and high-
end residential leather market and its
clients are provided with accurate
information about the different leather
types available and their qualities so that
informed decisions can be made when
specifying and purchasing upholstery
leather.
It is the CLA's and its members’ charter
and intention to continue to inform and
educate the market on leather, leather
standards and end use applications.
The CLA standards are based upon the
European Union standards EN 13336
effective September 2004 and
implemented in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and United Kingdom.
The definitions used in these guidelines
are referenced from the International
Glossary of Leather Terms (IGLT).
The CLA is the authoritative voice of the
commercial and high-end residential
leather industry and includes commercial
and high-end residential leather
wholesalers. Its aim is to ensure that
independent and accurate standards are
developed and made available to the
commercial and high-end residential
design and furniture industries.
Membership is open to any upholstery
leather wholesaler who agrees to comply
with the code of conduct and whose
leathers meet the definitions and standards
as established by the association.
The CLA represents the major commercial
and high-end residential leather
wholesalers including:
• CONTEMPORARY LEATHERS
• INSTYLE TEXTILES AND LEATHERS (NZ)
• H. LEFFLER & SON
• VIVID TEXTILES (NZ)
• WOLLSDORF LEDER
• WOVEN IMAGE
This Standard details the terminology to be used to accurately inform the commercial specifier, furniture manufacturer and end user so as to make
certain that the leather type they specify or purchase is the type that is represented by the leather wholesaler.
LEATHER: A comprehensive Glossary of
Leather Terms has been issued by the
International Council of Tanners (ICT) and
defines leather as follows:
"A general term for hide or skin with its
original fibrous structure more or less
intact, tanned to be imputrescible. The
hair or wool may or may not have been
removed. Leather is also made from a
hide or skin which has been split into
layers or segmented either before or after
tanning, but if the tanned hide or skin is
disintegrated mechanically and/or
chemically into fibrous particles, small
pieces or powders and then, with or
without the combination of a binding
agent, is made into sheets or other forms,
such sheets or forms are not leather. If the
leather has a surface coating, this surface
layer, however applied, must not be
thicker than 0.15mm". ICT 1999
TYPES OF LEATHER COMMONLY USED
IN FURNITURE: The following descriptions
shall be used to describe the various types
of leather. Where a CLA member’s leather
conforms to the standards, it is mandatory
to display the following descriptions and
or symbols in full at the point of sale ie
sampling, information brochures, web
sites etc.
These definitions have been included for
the benefit of specifiers, furniture
manufacturers and end users to enable
them to make an informed decision
regarding the differences and qualities of
the different leather types.
FULL/PURE ANILINE
Leather that has been drum-dyed without
pigment applied to surface. A light
protective coating is sometimes added.
It will exhibit all natural features such as
scars, growth marks, fat wrinkles etc.
Only the best raw hides are selected for
this leather type. Requires regular care.
NUBUCK (LEATHER SUEDE)
Drum-dyed aniline leather where the
surface grain has been buffed, which may
or may not have been treated with any
protective coating. Requires regular care
with nubuck specific care products.
PULL UP ANILINE
Drum-dyed aniline leather with a top coat
of oil and/or wax effects, designed to
exhibit a 'distressed look'. Exhibits all the
natural features such as scars, growth
marks, fat wrinkles etc. Requires regular
care.
SEMI-ANILINE
Drum-dyed leather incorporating a small
amount of pigment and protective finish
however this finish does not conceal all
the natural characteristics of the hide.
Requires regular care.
PIGMENTED LEATHER
Drum-dyed with thicker layer of pigment
and protective finish applied. These
finishes will conceal natural markings
such as scars, growth marks, fat wrinkles
etc. Lower grade hides are selected for
this type of leather. Requires regular care.
CORRECTED GRAIN
Drum-dyed with the natural grain
removed, a heavy layer of pigment and
protective finish is applied. The leather is
then embossed with an artificial patterned
grain, which provides a uniform appearance, ie. no natural markings such as
scars, growth marks, fat wrinkles etc.
Lower grade hides are selected for this
type of leather. Requires regular care.
REGULAR CARE
For the purposes of this Standard, regular
care means the application of
commercially available leather care
products, used in accordance with care
label instructions.
The following definitions are included for
reference only.
SPLITS
Re-coated embossed leather made from
the under layers of hide.
LAMINATED SPLITS
Lower layers of hide laminated to a
surface coat.
BY CAST
Uses the lower split, with a film of coloured
polyurethane applied.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Splits and Laminated Splits are not
recommended for use on furniture, as they
are suited only for shoe inners, work boots
some belts etc.
- By Cast does not appear in the IGLT
(1999) and the CLA warns against the use
of this material.
- Leather Standards -for each Leather Type
To qualify CLA members to use the CLA
Leather Type Symbols each leather quality
must have been tested at a certified
laboratory to the appropriate CLA Leather
category test standards test methods.
The recently published European Standards
EN 13336 and test methods have been
adopted by the CLA as the most
appropriate standards and test methods.
The leather standards and test methods for
each leather type are listed in Annex A
(Table A.1a -Aniline, Nubuck and Pull-Up,
Table 1B -Semi-Aniline and Table 1C -
Pigmented and Corrected Grain).
FIRE STANDARDS
As fire standards vary greatly, specifiers
and end users must inform themselves via
the fire department, Building Code of
Australia (BCA) or relevant government
authorities of the appropriate standards
required for a particular project, location
or end use situation.
Labels for each type of leather will
use the following symbols for ease of identification.
To use the CLA symbols CLA members must meet the definition
of leather under the CLA standards Glossary and pass the tests as
per Annex A.
CLA members can use these symbols either singly or
together, for example:
It is mandatory for CLA Members to include the leather type in their description shown on
samples, invoices, websites and other such documents. This can be done by using the
identifying symbols and leather type name as in Clause 4 of this document.
COMPLIANCE
CLA Members making a statement of compliance with this CLA Standard on a product,
packaging or promotional material related to that product must ensure that such compliance is
capable of being independently verified.
In the event of any dispute samples shall be referred to a registered laboratory, The British
Leather Council, Reutlingen Leder Schule, Germany or a similarly accredited laboratory.
END USE APPLICATIONS
All leather types (as described in 2.3) have been used successfully in both residential and
commercial applications.
The CLA recommends that specifiers, retailers and manufacturers take care to ensure that the
leather specified is appropriate for each individual project. Please refer comments in
Recommended Values Column of Annex A.
Clients should be advised to discuss leather types and their suitability in relation to individual
projects with the relevant CLA member. It is important that the client understands the various
qualities of each leather type.
(normative)
A.1 Essential characteristics, recommended values and test methods
for upholstery leather for furniture.
Contemporary Leathers Pty Ltd
T 61 2 9317 0222
F 61 2 9317 0266
www.contemporaryleathers.com.au
Instyle Textiles & Leathers
Ltd (NZ)
T 64 9 368 5768
F 64 9 368 5769
www.instyle.co.nz
H. Leffler & Son Pty Ltd
T 61 3 9690 3577
F 61 3 9696 3703
www.leffler.com.au
Vivid Textiles Ltd (NZ)
T 64 9 302 8885
F 64 9 302 8886
www.vividtextiles.co.nz
Wollsdorf Leder Pty Ltd
T 61 3 9587 5250
F 61 3 9587 6147
www.wollsdorfleder.com.au
Woven Image Pty Ltd
T 61 2 9913 8668
F: 61 2 9913 8669
www.wovenimage.com
© COPYRIGHT: This Standards Guide is the intellectual property of the Commercial Leather Association of Australia and New Zealand.
Use of its structure, format, contents, logos or symbols, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written consent from the CLA.
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