New synthetic leathers debut

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, November 26, 2012

WINCHESTER, Va. - O'Sullivan Films, a producer of polymer films that recently expanded its factory here, is targeting the furniture industry with two collections of synthetic leather that recently were introduced.
     The collections, marketed under the skai brand that German parent company Hornschurch AG uses in Europe, are the first synthetic leather lines produced at the Winchester plant.
     Unveiled recently at the Industrial Fabrics Assn. International expo in Boston were the skai Ipsum collection and the skai Buffalo collection.
     The company said Ipsum replicates the grain patterns found on traditional cowhides and is available in 40 colors. Buffalo, meanwhile, is a high performance material that replicates the grain of America bison hides and is available in 20 colors.
     The company said the skai synthetic leathers are more durable and have better grain retention than bonded leather or other faux leather products used by furniture manufacturers. It's generally priced higher than bonded leather, but below top-grain leather.