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FAQs

Who are Yarwood Leather?

Yarwood Leather are a British manufacturer and distributor of Leather and faux leather for seating applications. Based in the UK, we were started by Peter Yarwood in 1967 in the East End of London and our Worldwide group is now headquarterd in a convenient strategic location on the West side of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Our tannery is based in Arzignano/Chiampo region of Northern Italy, famed for its leather production for generations.

Are there any banned or dangerous substances within any of your products?

There are no banned or restricted substances within any of products nor products that could potentially pollute. Please refer to our technical data sheets (in our products section) for further more detailed information.

Do you offer volume based discounts?

We would like to think that our prices are among the most competitive available, but we will never knowingly be undersold and would be happy to discuss price matching and volume based discounting where appropriate (terms and conditions apply).

My company is based overseas, can you ship internationally?

We regularly ship and supply customers on a global basis. All of our packages are shipped using international courier services and full tracking/airway bill numbers are provided from the point of shipment.

What happens if I want to return some leather or faux leather?

Our quality management system remains one of the backbones of our company. If however, you do have a problem with any of our leather, please call us as soon as possible. If there is a fault with the leather, we will always work with our customers to find a fast and expedited solution. However, due to the nature of our products and to keep batch continuity, hides that are returned as surplus are subject to a 20% handling charge.

If I have a complaint or fault with my leather, what do I do?

Please get in touch with our sales team or account manager who will begin our fault finding service with our quality manager, who will process your enquiry. Alternatively please fill in our contact form.

Why can't I be given an exact quote for my leather order before I purchase?

The final exact price of your order will not be determined until it is finally picked and dispatched by our warehouse team. Whilst we will always try to get as close as possible to your chosen order size, leather being a natural product varies in size from hide to hide. This natural variation means it is impossible to know definitively the size of the order until one of our stores men has physically picked your order and prepped it for dispatch. Don’t forget you can always estimate with very high accuracy based on our square metre price.

How do I know if the leather I have chosen is suitable for my end application?

Our technical data sheets for the product are available on the products pages of our website. In addition all of our colour cards and samples clearly identify which products are suitable for which applications. But if you are in any doubt, please contact our sales team for further information.

Are there any certain characteristics of leather I should be aware of?

Leather is a natural product, in that it originally came from the skin of an animal and it’s important to bear this in mind when working with it. This naturalness gives leather its beauty and unique character that distinguishes it from synthetic alternatives (yes even our synthetics!). As a result, leather will fade over time, (degree dependant on leather range/type) and it will age over time. If you are at all unsure of suitability, please get in touch with our sales team or read more about the natural characteristics of leather.

How will you pack my goods for shipment?

Our standard method of packing is to ship hides wrapped on a cardboard tube, with a final covering layer of heavy plastic to protect your hides. Larger deliveries are shipped in palletised boxes and we keep a stock of tannelised pallets for certain overseas destinations. If you have specific packing requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact our sales team, we’ll be happy to help!

Where does our Leather come from?

We source all of our own raw material directly from abattoirs and meat packers from the UK. The material is then shipped to Italy where it is processed at our tannery before finally being returned to the UK for distribution.

My leather has some creases, what can I do?

Most modern leathers that we supply will uncrease themselves by laying them flat and applying some pressure/weight. Alternatively most finishes can be ironed with a regular household iron set on low heat (note always test first on an inconspicuous area). Wax and/oil based products behave slightly differently, please contact us for further instructions.

How should I clean and care for my leather?

Leather is relatively easy and straightforward to clean and care for. Please refer to individual range care guides for specific information. For longer lasting and hard to remove stains, always refer to a stain industry professional.

I read somewhere that leather needs to be 'fed', is this true?

Leather is the second oldest industry known to man and the original method of tanning involved using vegetable extracts to make leather for warriors equipment (e.g. belts and saddles etc). This type of leather would typically last longer and remain more supple if it was fed. However, modern leather most frequently uses metal salts as a tanning compound and the lubricants used in the production process are much more advanced and refined than the products of yesteryear and do not require feeding or saddle soap of any description.

Are there any banned or dangerous substances within any of your products?

There are no banned or restricted substances within any of products nor products that could potentially pollute. Please refer to our technical data sheets (in our products section) for further more detailed information.

Is there any risk of contracting BSE or CJD from leather?

No, absolutely none whatsoever. Even if the leather had come from a crazy cow and you licked it all day, there is still zero chance you could get it. The process of leather production uses such extreme conditions that anything BSE related could not survive.

Are cows bred for leather?

No, leather is a by product of meat production and is in effect a natural way of recycling an otherwise waste product. The value of a hide in comparison to the meat from the average cow is slightly less than 5% of a typical price, which wouldn’t even pay for its ear tag, let alone a lifetime of care, medical bills and feeding.

Do we make shoe or clothing leather?

No we don’t, even though it is still intrinsically leather , shoe and clothing leather is made in a totally different way with different products and recipes than upholstery/seating leather. We’re not bad at making upholstery leather and we’re sticking to it!