Question About Crack/cut In Old Leather Chair

[captain]

Hi guys.

This might be a weird question.

But I bought this leather club chair yesterday.

After I got it home I noticed a pretty long (probably 6 inches) crack/cut in the back seat of the chair. It does not go all the way through the leather, but your fingernail catches it.

I didn't go over the chair too closely before I bought it so I could have missed it.

The seller says it wasn't there when I bought it, but it's very dark...and I don't know how I could have done it while moving it. So I'm thinking (and hoping) it has been there a while.

Is there any way this could have happened yesterday?

I have a weird thing where I am completely fine with damage/distress on an item as long as I didn't do it. If I mess something up it drives me nuts!

So I'm hoping this was there before I picked it up yesterday.

Is there any way to tell from these photos or no?

Edited April 30, 2015 by captain

[smirak]

I'm no expert by any means. However, that appears to have been there for some time. If you blow up the second pic, it appears that the edges of the cut are "worn", meaning it's had someone rubbing against it with their back while sitting...at least that's what it looks like to me.

[captain]

I'm no expert by any means. However, that appears to have been there for some time. If you blow up the second pic, it appears that the edges of the cut are "worn", meaning it's had someone rubbing against it with their back while sitting...at least that's what it looks like to me.

That's what it looks like to me too. But I am also no expert either.

I wonder if there is an expert on this? haha.

I know this is an odd question.

*added a closeup crop above.

Edited April 30, 2015 by captain

[captain]

Anybody else have any opinion?
I did put some pecard's leather dressing on it the day I got it home. So that might account for some of the darkening.

But do you guys think this could have possibly been done 2 days ago...or is definitely an older crack?

And would you call it a crack or a cut?

And is it odd that it just cracked there? Seems weird there is just one solitary, long (like 6") crack.

Edited May 1, 2015 by captain

[wlg190861]

that crack looks like its been there for a while

[captain]

that crack looks like its been there for a while

That's what I want to hear!

Even though I applied one layer of dressing/conditioner the day I got it, do you definitely think the crack is older than 2 days?

And would you definitely call it a crack, and not a cut? It seems very straight...cracking I have seen usually isn't so straight.

But I am very new to leather in general...especially older leather.

[needles]

that looks to me like it was there before you bought it, by putting dressing on it probably did darken it, thus making it stand out more hence not noticing it previously..

that doesn't look like a pigmented finish on there, (hard to tell from a picture, I use a microscope for assessments) so you are probably just going to have to live with it, or argue the point with the seller, but unlikely to get very far as you've put a darkening agent on it making it stand out

[captain]

that looks to me like it was there before you bought it, by putting dressing on it probably did darken it, thus making it stand out more hence not noticing it previously..

that doesn't look like a pigmented finish on there, (hard to tell from a picture, I use a microscope for assessments) so you are probably just going to have to live with it, or argue the point with the seller, but unlikely to get very far as you've put a darkening agent on it making it stand out

Thank you.

I can definitely live with it...the only thing that would bother me is if I'm the one who did it.

But if almost definitely looks like it would have been there before 2 days ago, then I am completely good with that.

I am just really anal about stuff like this, especially if I'm the one to do it.

That's why I was hoping the crack was older than 2 days old.

[captain]

it's supposed to read "But if it" not "But it" above.