Leather care

[rider]

kao cho lin: thick pink goopy gel that will bring back old leather (will darken leather as well), also used as a waterproofer...amazing stuff
vogel desalter; self explanatory
effax cleaner: good for cleaning all leather, light and doesnt leave residue
effax conditioner: a balsam for keeping leather pliable and happy

these are staples that have been around for years used on tack.
a suede brush is also essential as is a good polishing brush for boots. never use neatsfoot oil, it ruins stitching.

[comedyzen]

Thanks for the links. I read through it and did more research on dyeing . So my cobbler will be using a special strip that is not acetone then he will dye black. I just dropped my boots off and they will be done in 3 hours. Here is the before. Will post the after later.

[endersgame]

rider, would the effax conditioner be good to use on dry spots on a polished leather? i don't want the treatment to darken or leave any noticeable residue.

[comedyzen]

Need to wear them to dull the shine (looks shinier because of the flash), but overall, very happy with end product. FYI, I went to Carlo's on 3rd St. in SF. Solid shoesmith in the Bay Area.

[kuugaia]

Comedyzen, that turned out impressive. I was reading that thread about Rider's antiquing service and it said that dying needs constant reapplication in thin layers and rubbing it out. Was 3 hours all it needed for your boots to be done?

Update us on the color and durability of the dye if you can, would be appreciated. I am quite interested as there is a possibility in the future for me to dye some boots.

[headpower]

How much did the cobbler charge you? The dying looks good to me.

[comedyzen]

@Kuu. Yes, it actually took him under 2 hours. I didn't read as far as you re: reapplying...interesting, my cobb made no mention. I will call him later...but perhaps the wear will have a nice look. These boots look brand new and it doesn't have the "painted" look. I did take a paper towel and buffed all over the boot and there was some black dye. I wonder if there is a way to set this, or does it just need time to dry.

@head $25. A good price, but i have brought him a lot of biz...so he hooks me up.

Here are some better pics:

[rider]

rider, would the effax conditioner be good to use on dry spots on a polished leather? i don't want the treatment to darken or leave any noticeable residue.

yes, the effax balsam conditioner is for use on polished leather (not patent though), and def not on lighter colored leather. ideally with this product you would apply it on the entire surface area and it will revive any dry spots. for really dry leather though i would go with the kao cho lin, its the miracle drug. the key is with both, you apply light coats and let dry overnight.

[endersgame]

thanks. if you say it's not for light colors, i don't think i can use it. the leather is medium light grey.
it's not that dry but some parts have lost it's original luster...maybe i'll take it in a shop and let them work on it.

[knitwit]

Saw the question asked at least once in this thread but no answer. Anyone know a reliable way to remove the smell of cigarette smoke out of leather? I have a nice soft lamb leather from Julius and unfortunately it smells a bit. I read that lamb leather was more porous and therefore retains smell better than other leather.

I found this link by googling which has a bunch of different solutions:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf174314.tip.html

But for the most part, it looks like they aren't dealing with lamb leather. I've had the jacket sitting in a garbage bag with dryer sheets and a box of baking soda for the past few days, but it doesn't seem to be doing the job. I've heard about the water/vinegar solution but I don't want to try anything wet until I have some feedback from other people who have done something similar. I don't want to ruin the character of the leather by trying anything too harsh. Any help is appreciated.

[knitwit]

AHA! I've done it! Basically I dry-cleaned it at home using vinegar and hot water.

You'll need:
a bathtub and a good hot water heater
1 cup of apple cider vinegar

All I did was.. hang my leather jacket in the tub/shower, plug up the drain, run some hot water, and dump the cup of vinegar in. Then I turned on the shower (remember to angle the shower head down so you don't get anything wet) and let the steam do it's thing. Ran it in there for 20-30 minutes while the window/door was closed tight and then let it sit in for another 30 minutes just for good measure.

Note: Make sure to go in every 10 minutes or so to make sure your bathtub isn't overflowing..

Hope this helps.

[ironman]

okay so i just picked up a new leather jacket (will post pic when i get home), and i have a bit of a quarrel with its shine. it is squeaky and i hate that

google recommended a whole slew of different answers, ranging from wearing it in, conditioning it, washing it and then conditioning it, using alcohol (?), etc.

wondering if anyone here has successfully gotten rid of squeakiness? i'm guessing the best (and safest) way would be to simply wear it in

[cuddly]

for anything washed leather. just throw in in the washing machine. cold with little bit of natural soap.

[Somnus]

Does anyone know whether Obenauf leather oil and/or heavy duty LP wax can be used on shell cordovan leather?

[croatoan]

okay so i just picked up a new leather jacket (will post pic when i get home), and i have a bit of a quarrel with its shine. it is squeaky and i hate that

google recommended a whole slew of different answers, ranging from wearing it in, conditioning it, washing it and then conditioning it, using alcohol (?), etc.

wondering if anyone here has successfully gotten rid of squeakiness? i'm guessing the best (and safest) way would be to simply wear it in

I think simply wearing it is the way to go. If it is still squeaking after a lot of wear, then figure out another solution at that point.