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Leather Care
By Jake Berlin
When buying leather, the best thing you can do is ask the people
who you buy it from, what the manufacturer recommends for
leather care and cleaning. Don't forget to ask what other products
may work well for leather care too, as there may be something
you're more comfortable using. Also ask what the product does to
and for the leather.
While still alive, leather on the animal, fish, or fowl is maintained in
situ. (It's their skin) The oils that keep leather conditioned and help
remove dirt and grime from the skin of the animal are produced
naturally by their body.
Once leather is processed, these ¡°living¡± components cease to
exist although they do retain many of their physical characteristics
such as leather¡¯s porous nature and chemical reactivity. Leather is
naturally acidic so anything alkaline is bad. For proper leather care,
you want to mimic some of these natural processes. If you sift
through all of the mythology, home recipes, and good ol' folk lore
about leather care, you are left with the two basic tasks that all
those natural processes accomplished: cleaning and conditioning.
Any leather care enthusiast will tell you that an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure, and if you want to protect
your investment keep it in top form. Leather care is relatively easy
but you need to be consistent. Leather can be restored, but
regular maintenance is highly recommended. If cared for properly,
your leather will last and stay in good shape for years.
You want to know the type of leather you have, as well as the way
it was processed during tanning. For example, were any anti-mold
finishes applied or was a sealant used, and how was it colored, if it
was. Keep in mind that aniline, suede, and nubuck are not as
robust as pigmented leather because they do not usually have a
protective surface coating.
Pigmented leather is the most durable, full grain pigmented leather
has intact grain, and corrected grain pigmented leather refers to
whether or not the leather has been sanded to remove
imperfections.
Aniline
This top-grain or full-top grain leather is not pigmented, just dyed
whereas semi-aniline treatments combine pigment with dye,
usually to even out the grain because the leather has some
imperfections. The result is that the leather has a more consistent
color and some stain resistance qualities.
If you lightly scratch the surface of aniline, it will turn a lighter
color. Some nubuck leather will do the same thing. To correct the
problem, wet your finger lightly and rub it into the leather. It
should darken slightly, but dry the same color.
Antiqued / Marbled / Two-Tone
A second pigment may be rubbed over the original pigment to give
the leather an aged or antique appearance.
Nubuck
This is aniline leather that has been brushed to give it the texture
of velvet. In fact, nubuck is often mistaken for suede. Nubuck is
stronger because it is brushed on the grain side, which is the side
where the animal¡¯s hair was, where suede is made from the flesh
side. If you apply the wet finger test to nubuck, it will darken
slightly and dry darker so be sure if you do this that it is done in an
inconspicuous area.
Pull-Up
Pull-up, also referred to as waxy or oil pull-up is leather that
lightens in color when stretched during wearing, creating a broken-
in appearance.
Suede
Suede leather is made from the fleshy side of hide. For leather care
of suede, it is important you make sure any product you use won't
damage it. Find out as much as you can about the active
ingredients in the products you buy and the action involved. You
might want to bring your jacket with you or a swatch if you can,
and ask what would work best for it.
If you schedule leather care and cleaning you won't end up with a
jacket that looks like someones cast off. I suggest scheduling a
cleaning at least once a year or so. (Mark it in your daytimer)
About the Author
*** Hey! Want To Make Something Out Of Leather? ***
Discover How To Make Leather Crafts for Fun and Profit
Click Here ==> Leather Craft Secrets
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