There’s a reason why Moore & Giles leather is so popular among auto trim shops — it’s damn good. But how good?
Over the last several weeks, we’ve put some of their most popular lines to the test, including Tribeca and now Carlyle. Each was judged on look, feel, ease of application, performance and durability.
Definitely go back and read our review on Tribeca. Below is our take on Carlyle.
What is Carlyle leather?
Carlyle is a full-grain bovine leather that’s hand-produced in Germany. It’s chrome tanned — which isn’t as good for the environment as vegetable tanning — but rest assure that Moore & Giles complies with all government regulations.
Because it’s a semi-aniline leather, the hide is coated in a light protective layer that’s slightly pigmented. As a result, the natural grain and pores of the leather are less visible, but its color is more uniform and durable.
Although Carlyle is an automotive-grade leather, it’s sometimes used in other applications — including residential and commercial design.
How does it look and feel?
Outstanding.
Carlyle differs from Tribeca leather in that it’s full grain, as opposed to corrected grain, so its natural attributes show through more on the surface. It also features a smaller, less obvious pebble grain and has a matte finish.
It’s available in an impressive 75 tones. Most are earthy, like Bark, Cognac, Grape and our Copper hide. However, the line also includes some sporty shades, like Blaze, Flame, Cobalt, Limelight and Sunbeam.
We definitely like Carlyle’s color palette more than Tribeca. The additional options lend themselves to greater creativity.
And, because Carlyle is chrome tanned, it’s soft like buttercream (yes, that color is available too).
The softness of this leather gives it a high-end, luxury feel.
Is Carlyle easy to work with?
For sure. In fact, it’s very similar to Tribeca leather.
Because Carlyle is chrome tanned, the leather feels light and has high tensile strength. This makes it easy to stretch, especially around oddly shaped interior panels.
What’s more, its semi-aniline coating ensures that it’s consistent throughout, so you don’t have to pick and choose which parts to cut from to make a uniform look throughout the interior.
By the way, Carlyle is our biggest hide yet from Moore & Giles — measuring 50 to 55 square feet.
What about its performance and durability?
It’s extremely durable. Again, very similar to Tribeca.
Carlyle has an average thickness of 1 – 1.2 mm, so it’s tough enough to be used on seats. That semi-aniline coating we mentioned earlier also adds to the durability and makes it great for high-traffic areas. (Which is why it’s sometimes used in residential and commercial design).
The chromium sulphate used in the tanning process also makes Carlyle more water, stain and heat resistant than some other types of leather. Its high tensile strength also means you can stretch it pretty significantly without worrying about tears.
The great thing about high-end automotive-grade leather like this is that it’s built to withstand regular use.
Final thoughts
If you liked Tribeca, but want something full grain, more subtle in its texture and available in a wider range of colors — then Carlyle is for you.
It’s everything Tribeca is and more. Plus, that matte finish looks so freakin’ classy!
Props to Moore & Giles for shipping our hide wrapped over a tube and in a large cardboard box. They clearly pull out all the stops to ensure their hides don’t arrive with creases or folds.
Love that customer service!
How do I order Carlyle leather?
To start ordering from Moore & Giles, visit mooreandgiles.com and register for a trade account. After you do that, a member of their sales team will be in touch and get you sorted.
With a trade account, you’ll have access to hundreds of high-quality automotive-grade leather hides, including Carlyle.
In the mean time, you can follow Moore & Giles on Instagram @mooreandgilesonthemove. You should also follow Division Manager Randy Maggard @Rbestleather for exciting announcements, and car show and customer shop coverage like none other.
Randy is a great contact for any and all questions you have about Moore & Giles’ automotive leather.
Recent Comments