I can't believe how lucky I was to acquire these. As you can see they are in need of a good cleaning. I have contacted a professional leather and suede cleaning company with 40 yrs in the biz. They have asked if the suede that makes up the backrest can be removed from the two side sticks. They can be more aggressive if they don't have to worry about the finish on the sticks. I'm trying to follow the advice I've received here before by not trying to do too much but what do you think about new foam and is there a proper way to separate the backrest?
You can replace the foam in the seat cushion if need be, but I would not do anything to the suede besides dusting it off and maybe going over it with a "suede brush" to clean and fluff the nap.
Leather and suede age naturally and will show patina from use. These look pretty good to me. I don't see anything terribly offensive and I would not attempt to make them look new. Just enjoy them.
If you are thinking long term investment, then don't clean them. If you are like me and want to keep them for a long time, and your wife won't tolerate something with someone else's dirt on it, then get them cleaned. I would figure after 20 years of my use it would get a whole new patina.
The entire back comes off the chair by flipping the back over and removing it at the pivots seen in pic 3. You then have the back assembly which consists of the suede and the two side sticks. Each side stick has a channel that the suede fits in but the channel does not extend all the way to the top or bottom of the stick - pics 2 &4. The metal fitting that holds the assembly to the chair is channelled also. The key to removing the suede has to be the small brass stub that is at the bottom of all side sticks - pics 1&2. This stub is not slotted to accept a screwdriver and does not appear to be tapped for something like an allen wrench. Here is my problem, what is the proper way to remove the stub? Maybe a square drive scewdriver? CW or CCW? What will I find after it's removed? I can't imagine using pliers as stub is visible after assembly. Many thanks to all who are still paying attention!
My guess is that they are brass tubing that run beyond the full length of the leather and that they are simply friction-fit. Feeling down into the holes with a piece of stiff wire will confirm the depth. I suppose it's possible that the far end is threaded into the rosewood, but without trying to turn them, there's no way to tell.
If the holes are at least an inch deep and are not tapped (don't appear so in your pics), I'd probably go ahead and tap them to accept a machine screw or, perhaps, an eye. Something to help get a purchase on the end and aid in turning and pulling. Brass is relatively soft and self-lubricating to an extent, so this is an easy operation for someone experienced, BUT....
Before expending any effort (and assuming the inherent risk) in trying to disassemble your fantastic chairs, please carefully consider the necessity to do such. You've gotten some sage advice here so far. Often, doing nothing at all can be the best option.
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