Like everything else the leather industry is changing. In my 40 years of working with leather both upholstering and making personal items with it I can only say I miss the KR type too. Most of the leathers in todays auto's and furniture are second's and are finished to look full top grain. Basically like body work on a auto holes imperfections are filled in then primed then painted. That's why after a short while the primer shows on the steering wheel or seat edge. KR leather (having only seen it once) is probably vat dyed then clear coated Full Top Grain leather. Easy to touch up and the finish looks good for a longer time. I make my wallets,belts,sandles,etc. as I worked in Leather Shops on Cape Cod years ago and still make stuff for my family and upholster in it all the time for a living. I buy the upholstered leather finished already. I dye and finish my personal items myself.
But now I got a notice from my leather supplier that there is a recylced leather available for upholstering... what ever that is and how they make it.
So with todays manufactoring abilities you have to watch for fake or composite,etc. leather. They all look like good leather. Even I have a hard time unless I can get at it somehow and do my tests. Burning test is one.
I don't know yet what this new interior is like as I haven't got my 11 yet. I know that my 02 had perforated leather inserts I believe.
I'd take care of it and if stored for a while cover the windshield with a sun screen. Lot's of leather today is cracking. I just got a complaint from someone who bought a set from China that it is cracking on him. I saw another one last year that was cracking from the sun.

 

The diversity of expertise on this site is amazing. Thanks

 

Thanks for the great insight Capt. It's nice to have people 'in the know' who can give us in-depth knowledge of these things.

 

Glad I stumbled across this thread. I posted up something similar in the F150 09+ forum and no one bothered responding.

I see I'm not the only one a bit disappointed in the Lariat leather...way to vinyl for me. I noticed on Ford's website they refer to seating options as "Leather trimmed". I guess that's how they hide the leather surface and vinly sides all around.

A $60k bmw sure doesn't have pleather seats - not the ones i've seen, that's for sure.

It really does start to put into question the prices we pay for our trucks and the "goodies" we get for that money. Oh well, that's a whole other can of worms i suppose.

 

Yep. Best to choose your battles. The SD for me is all about engine/transmission/frame/suspension. Then all of that "superness" wrapped in a truck that I can sit in for 8 or more hours/day and be comfortable.

Sniping about seat material is a little nit-picky but has its place and the quality of leather is questionable.

A 60K BMW is a very high quality product, it is worth the 60K if you are specifically in want of what it does, what it is engineered for. Same with our trucks, the 60K price is worth it if you use it for what it is engineered for. For example, you don't buy a BMW for the seats, but they don't skimp on them because it's more of an issue with that kind of vehicle (luxo/sport).

 

Very good points...

 

Home sofas,chairs in leather are only were you sit too. Most of the outer parts or sides are vinyl. I've had leather samples with matching vinyl for this purpose. Hard to tell the difference.
Auto's have been like this for a while. My 01 02 and 08 have vinyl sides and backs. Rear seat is totally vinyl. What's got me concerned is this 2011 worse then the others? in quality and quanity? I'll know better when I get mine. Like I said the Cameo seats inserts might of been a fake or recycled leather and they dropped it due to failures coming in from earlier ones. I wouldn't doubt it. I'm glad mine will be monotone which I assume will be the same leather as any other leather in there. I can't imagine them using recycled or any other fake leather and calling it leather. But time will tell.

 

I thought that they dropped the camo insert due to supply issues?

 

They might off but I don't believe it. I am betting it was fake leather and they had complaints or problems with it. That's what I meant.

sorry

 

No worries Capt. Just trying to keep things straight in my head. I guess we will never really know why. Only speculation.

Either way tho thank goodness for warranties eh?

 

how are the new 2011+ king ranch seats holding up.. was looking to buy a truck this week and found a king ranch I like.. what about the platinum?

 

Most of the holster manufacturers are having to buy leather outside the US, according to some of the gun magazines. The problem is the hide of the animal. The hide will not tan evenly due to the amounts of steroids given to the animal while living. Steroids make all animal's(even humans) skin thinner, drier and flaky. The hide surface becomes flaky and doesn't produce a good consistent tan. The reason the hides are bought out of the country is that the poorer nation's farmers do not have the money to buy steroids to feed the cows, so they produce healthy hides. What does this have to do with trucks, several years ago, in a some of those articles it was brought up about the auto industry converting over to a "hybrid" leather. The reason given was part of the decision, as well as how the hides 'wear' over time. I have a holster supplier that gets all of his hides from South America. He says his reputation was made on a good looking, functioning product and he has to get the best hides he can. So he says, unfortunately, he has to go elsewhere. I am not in the leather industry, just relaying what I've heard and read.....

 

So, I drive a 2012 Lariat and dad drives a 2011 KR. Observations after driving a lot in both...

The Lariat Leather looks good new. The Lariat leather smells great when new. As it ages, it becomes "muted". I have noticed this with almost all leather vehicles we have owned... (Tahoes, Armadas, surburans, etc.) The lariat leather has held up very, very well. The Pleather in the back seats and in the heated and cooled section of the front seats looks just like the leather in the front seats. My guess is that you would always have to use a pleather on the heated/cooled sections. That is what we have in our other vehicles that are equipped.

The KR leather looks awesome brand new. The KR leather smells great when new. As it ages, it begins to smell less great. After a couple of years, I DO NOT like the smell of KR leather. It is not muted, but gets a bit stronger smelling... kind of like sweaty ball gloves. I "think" that the heated cooled sections of the seats are also pleather in the KR. The leather is wearing a little better in the 2011, but still is turning lighter over time. His previous KR turned almost orange after a few years.

I like dads truck and my truck both.

 

Camo inserts?

 

My Lariat with the leather smell just like it should, a man truck. If I want the leather smell I guess I could always add a little cow shaped leather smelling air freshener from the mirror.
In the mean time it is what it is and what it is changes with whatever I had for dinner or lunch or if the grandkids were to leave a little surprise behind after they climbed out.
After all it is a truck, and while it cost over twice what my first custom house cost to buy at the end of the day it is still a truck....leather, pleather, burrito, or decaying fruit snacks are only accents to reflect upon.