How to recognize a real club chair?

The club chair is a legendary piece of furniture that has left its mark on the history of interior design. Its enveloping shapes, combined with its extreme comfort and the nobility of its materials, have made it one of the most sought-after armchairs. And this was true from the moment it appeared in the early 19th century. Since then, it has continued to inspire designers, who have given it bolder lines while retaining its characteristic sobriety and lack of frills. Today, its success is undeniable. The club chair brings an inimitable cachet and a superb vintage touch to any interior. Unfortunately, as with any popular top-of-the-range product, industrial replicas abound, forcing enthusiasts to be doubly vigilant. Amid the ever more faithful counterfeits, how can you recognise a genuine club chair and be sure you’re not being fooled? Here’s our expert advice.

Basane leather upholstery and a patina that magnifies itself

French craftsmen came up with the ingenious idea of upholstering the club chair in basane leather, giving it its letters of nobility. This is a full-grain sheepskin that has kept its top layer intact. This type of leather is particularly thick, soft and resistant. It’s the leather that ages best and gives the patina so sought-after by lovers of authentic club chairs.

The grain is the upper surface of the skin, where the dermis is located and the hairs are implanted. This is where the skin is densest and strongest. What makes full-grain leather so special is that no two pieces of leather are alike. And why is that? Because it retains all the roughness of the animal’s skin: scratches, insect bites, stretch marks… These little irregularities bear witness to the animal’s life and make each leather unique.

The only treatment that full grain leather undergoes is tanning. The tanner’s job is to make the leather rot-proof, more supple and resistant, with as little aggression as possible. Thus, basane leather is the thickest leather you can find, since its surface has not been altered. It is exposed on the grain side, i.e. on the sofa you sit on the side of the hide that was on the outside, not on the flesh side. It is a noble material, as it is barely treated, which allows it to retain all the intrinsic characteristics of leather: soft, resistant, durable and breathable. What connoisseurs appreciate about basane leather is that it is a living material that tells a story. Its small imperfections are what make it so charming.

And what about top leathers and corrected grain leathers?

Superior” leathers are, unfortunately, a misnomer. It is a category of leather that is inferior in quality to full-grain leather. It’s a misleading name that novices can fall for. In fact, this type of leather can be lightly sanded to remove any roughness. This is because the roughness is often too great, which affects its solidity and also makes it less expensive.

Corrected grain leather is of even lower quality. It is sanded as much as possible to make its surface smooth and uniform. It is therefore the finest leather. The various processes used to transform the hide profoundly alter the qualities traditionally sought in leather. Such aggressive treatments produce a leather that is fragile and less breathable. It quickly loses its lustre, becomes dull and tends to crack.  

How do you identify good quality leather?

The industry is technically capable of reproducing the small irregularities of full-grain leather. Take the time to observe its surface, and you’re bound to see repetitive patterns, the sign of an industrial imitation. Basane leather should be a joy to caress, smooth and slippery. If it snags, is too rough or even sticky, beware. If you can, look at the back of the leather. The reverse side of real leather will look like suede, will be supple and unvarnished. Faux leather, for example, will have a characteristic fabric backing. Smell can also be a good indicator of authenticity. Real leather has a slightly musky smell.

If, despite your analysis, you still have doubts, don’t hesitate to arm yourself with a magnifying glass. Look at the surface of the leather: you should be able to see small holes all over the surface. These are the hair follicles where the animal’s hair was before it was plucked. These distinctive micro-reliefs are impossible to reproduce with a machine. They are your guarantee that you are dealing with full-grain leather.

A hand-studded backrest: the detail that identifies a real club chair

This is another essential element of a real club chair: the back, studded with upholsterers’ nails. Applying upholsterer’s nails properly is a process that requires a high degree of technical know-how. The craftsman must be able to maintain the tension of the hide so that it remains taut and avoids the formation of unsightly creases.

Upholsterers generally use a gold nail 11 mm in diameter. The nails are fixed with a ramponneau. This is the upholsterer’s hammer, with which he creates a repetitive rhythm as he progresses. The consistency of this rhythm will help him to adjust his movements and nail in an equally consistent manner.

This is a delicate stage that has both technical and aesthetic benefits. The nails must be applied with great skill. If the nail shank penetrates the wood crookedly and twists, it will eventually fall out. They must also be inserted evenly: the space between them must be exactly the same. This stage is carried out entirely by hand and requires time, dexterity and precision. The quality of this finish is one of the subtle details that give the club chair its irresistible vintage cachet. What’s more, it’s one of the elements that makes a real club chair recognisable.

Solid beech frame and legs, the basis of the authentic club chair

The use of solid wood

Solid wood is as close as possible to its raw state. As its name suggests, it comes from the mass of the tree. It has undergone no processing, gluing or chemical treatment of any kind to discipline it. Robust, dense and supple at the same time, it is the purest material, the closest to natural wood. A piece of solid wood is therefore extracted from a single tree. Because it comes from a single block, its wood structure, or grain, is continuous and perfectly harmonious.

The qualities of beech wood

Beech wood is used for the frame and legs of the club chair. Beech is particularly popular in cabinetmaking because it is flexible and easy to work with. But it also has an exceptional density of 650 to 750 kg/m, much higher than oak (500 kg/m). It offers a rich palette of colours, from white to creamy yellow to reddish brown. It all depends on the original soil in which the tree grew. It is a homogeneous wood species with no porous bands to weaken it. On the other hand, it does not like cold and damp. Once it has been turned into furniture, it is best to keep it safely indoors.

Biconical springs for inimitable comfort

It was with this type of spring that the first models of club armchair were made. They offer a soft, extremely comfortable seat that earned them the name “comfortable armchair” in the early days. Biconical springs are suspensions installed inside the seat. They consist of metal wires wound around themselves in the shape of an hourglass, attached by a cord at both ends. The top of the bi-conical spring is placed against the cushion or backrest, where it comes into contact with the user. Finally, the other end of the spring is placed against the wooden frame.
Biconical springs provide a soft, supple seat that is enhanced by the choice of cushion on top. When you sit on a club chair, these springs offer a characteristic suspension, a softness of welcome that is much more pleasant than classic Nozag springs. What’s more, Nozag springs are cheaper and quicker to install, but above all less comfortable. Genuine club chairs are always fitted with bi-conical springs. In keeping with the traditions and manufacturing methods of the belle époque.

As you can see, every detail counts when it comes to identifying a genuine club chair. Don’t hesitate to visit an artisanal club chair manufacturer to see and touch this exceptional furniture for yourself. While counterfeits abound, trust the reputation of the craftsman – word of mouth never lies. At My club chair, we make top-of-the-range, made-to-measure club chairs. And if we’re lucky enough to be able to perpetuate this traditional know-how, it’s because our customers have recognised the quality of our workmanship for over forty years now.