High-quality leather furniture offers incomparable durability while becoming softer and suppler over time. But how do you know which hide to seek?

"The misperception is 'leather is leather is leather,'" said Jim Santilli, owner of Kansas City Upholstery. "It's a difficult thing to buy. There's a big difference in leather furniture and footwear."

Accept no substitutes --Even "if the tag says '100 percent leather,' it really could be anything," said Lonnie McDonald, president of Leather Pro in Grandview, Mo.

While laws in some countries prohibit manufacturers from advertising imitation leather as the real deal, the United States has no such restrictions. And if leather goes under the names "split," "bi-cast" or "tri-cast," it started out as inferior leather and has been reconstituted to hide poor quality.

Go with the grain: full-grain --"The biggest misnomer in leather is 'top-grain,'" said John Edelman, president of Edelman Leather in New Milford, Conn. "It sounds really great, but really it's bad leather that's been sanded down and then embossed with artificial grain. Always buy full-grain -- natural grain that hasn't been adulterated."

Top-grain pieces, also called "corrected" or "processed leather," are often coated with a layer of paint and urethane, which dries out and cracks if not routinely maintained. Nubuck, a suede-like type of aniline leather, has a velvety texture and lush look but, McDonald warns, is extra-sensitive to body oils.

Determine the hide's origin --Your cow's hometown reflects the quality of its hide. European hides are superior because of the way the animals are cared for. Their hides have no marks from branding or barbed wire.

Get a tan --Different tannages achieve different results, but all options protect the hide. Chrome-tanned leather is less versatile but cheaper than vegetable-tanned leather. Oil-tanned leather has a slightly oily feel, but the oil won't rub off on your hand.

Finish it off --Adding a finish, such as embossing, buffing, antiquing, waxing or waterproofing, allows leather to age gracefully. Edelman said metallics, animal prints and patent leather are hot finish trends, but he suggested choosing a piece that feels at home in your pad.

"When you spend a lot of money for a product, you want it to wear in rather than wear out over time," Edelman said. "It's the difference between heirloom-quality versus things you throw out."