I would like to consider the seat and back options for our Roorkhee, Spanish and Director’s Chairs and offer a bit more info on the most suitable material for different applications. I’ll go through each option in turn with photos to illustrate the material in use.
Veg tanned Safari Harness Leather our most luxurious covers – spoil your guests!
| The process of vegetable tanning, as the name implies, uses organic material and natural tannins derived from the bark and leaves of various trees. This results in colours that are rich and deep in natural earthy tones. The fibres of the bovine hide used for the leather are visible in the finished product, lending an authenticity and personality to the leather that makes it more unique. As a natural, breathable material, it gets more comfortable the longer you use it.
Veg tanning produces the most durable leather available. It is used as harness leather in horse saddles and similar applications that require a tough, resilient leather. Much stiffer and thicker than other leathers, it is more difficult to work. To protect and nourish your Safari Harness Leather covers, we recommend you use Hide Food, which we carry stocks of. Firstly clean the leather with a damp cloth. Hide Food should always be applied using a lint free cloth or a sponge using an even circular motion. Drying is temperature related but the cream generally dries in a couple of minutes after which it can be buffed with a polish brush or soft cloth. Hide food provides a good degree of water resistance. |
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Quilted upholstery leather
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We source our genuine bovine upholstery leather from the same excellent tannery in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, that supplies our veg tanned leather. It is produced mainly for leather sofas or car seats but is not strong enough as a single layer to use for our seats and backrests. For that reason it is always offered as a double padded and quilted product. The seat, which takes the most pressure, is further reinforced with ripstop canvas which is extremely strong and will support heavy weight. It is available in a variety of colours, but our standard colours are antique or tan.
As with veg tanned leather it is a natural, breathable material that improves with age. We also recommend regular applications of Hide food to keep it in tip top condition. |
Canvas the best canvas option!
| The canvas we use was developed for car seats for the 4×4 and SUV car market. It is without doubt the most comfortable canvas available for seat covers. It has a very tight weave which adds to the comfort, and is solution dyed and UV stabilised hence the colour of the canvas does not fade over time even under harsh weather conditions. The resistance to abrasion (referred to as ‘rub fastness’) is also outstanding as it would need to be for top quality car seat covers. The fibre is treated with a fluorocarbon in the manufacturing process which makes the material both soil and water repellent.
Auto canvas does tend to stretch when used as a single thickness seat cover. For this reason we offer it as either double padded or quilted. The colours available are Karoo Khaki, Sand and Grey. |
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Traditional cotton canvas
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Purists will love our traditional cotton canvas offering in khaki brown. It reminds us of the tents and camp chairs of yesteryear, and was the material of choice for Campaign furniture.
Only available in quilted or double padded covers due to the tendency of the material to stretch if not supported. The drawbacks with cotton canvas is that it tends to rot if left outdoors in the rain and does not hold its colour well. |
Ripstop canvas.
| Ripstop canvas was developed for use as yacht sails, hot air balloons and parachutes and is exceptionally strong. It is woven using a special reinforcing technique that makes it resistant to tearing and ripping. It is also waterproof and therefore very useful if your chairs are left out in the rain!
Ripstop canvas is ideal for commercial use, though not as comfortable as Auto canvas or leather. It is not fully UV stabilised and the colour will fade in the sun after a while. However, it is the most cost effective option particularly as it can be used in single thickness. Colours available are Safari Green and Sand. |
 
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