Leather care

[franz]

i use a suede cleaning kit with brush, copious amounts of a good silicone-based spray to waterproof (waxes/polishes tend to harm the finish of the suede), and try to make sure both get used regularly. works well, even in rainy london weather.

i think the trick is making sure the silicon coating is refreshed (unless you want to age your shoes, but that's easy--just don't do anything :)

I agree, silicone-based spray is a no-brainer, a bit of gentle brushing (with an appropriate tool, not a regular brush).
Pay attention if you try to clean them yourself, I slightly damaged a pair of suede/shearling lined Pierre Hardy that way (a guy had stepped on my shoe earlier in the night...). Bring them to a specialist if you really have an issue!


For more "classic" leathers, I heard from L'Eclaireur that for some leather items (e.g. in this case, a horse leather Guidi bag), a simple nourishing hand cream (the likes of Nivea) could do the trick.

There are also leather cleaning products that will sometimes at the same time nourish the leather...

[pace]

I have a 3/4 length Carpe Diem coat (cashmere lined) would I be a moron to cold wash it?

[quiet noise]

i have found that kiwi (fruit) works really really good on most leather. i use it on all my shoes/boots, it nourishes the leather and doesnt "dry out" like some balsam/oils i tend to do.

[Faye]

Would really appreciate if someone could give me some advice on this problem, as I'm getting very desperate. -__-
Purchased a pair of BBS boots that were too shiny for my liking. After doing some research, I decided to use a leather gloss corrector solution from Swissvax, to achieve the desired matt effect.
As you can see on the pics below, the problem is that the matte layers get scratched very easily and leave white marks. Also, in the creases of the leather some kind of micro-peeling/cracking of the dried matte layers happens, also leaving white stains in those creases.
According to the manufacturer, the only effective way to remove the dried layers, is to use dissolvent cleaner.
But I'm afraid that dissolvent could damage the leather. Do you have any opinions on using dissolvent to clean leather if there's no other way?

[neonrider]

^ unfortunately, i think you're going to damage the boots further with repeated applications of stuff that essentially breaks down the finish and the fibers. i would try some pecard's (obenauf's, etc, similar) to try to "restore" the leather and prevent further cracking.

[Faye]

Just to make clear: The leather is in perfect undamaged condition. It's only the layers of the applied matte solution that is cracking. So I don't need anything to restore the leather, just want to get rid of the applied matte layers on top of the leather.

[docus]

^^^ I don't know how to dissolve the stuff you put on there, but an alternative way of making the boots less shiny would have been to use acetone on them - acetone would break down the glossy sheen, leaving the leather matte. (Carefully wiping with cotton balls dipped in acetone.) Perhaps acetone would also help remove the stuff you added, not sure. Is the solution you added oil based?

[Faye]

@docus thanks for the advice. what do you think is more aggressive? standard dissolvent or acetone?
I'm thinking, if I should first remove the stuff with dissolvent and hope that it also breaks down the glossy sheen of the leather itself. And in case that it still shouldn't be enough, I could also give it another treatment with acetone...

[theetruscan]

Why not bring them to a trustworthy cobbler and ask?

[tigo]

Looks like what I did to one of my boots. I used Obenauf's beeswax leather protector, basically a solid block of wax you rub onto the leather surface. Made the leather as waterproof as a rubber boot, but it stiffened the leather, and made it look like it was cracking.

My solution: I just wore it. After a few wears the waxy stuff was gone, leather was soft again, boot back to original.

Just thought i'd throw it out there, in case your product is similar.

[quiet noise]

so, my new hope field boots arrived today. i need to impregnate them before i start to wear them, but im not sure what product to use.

The leather is very thin and fine. i have some leather balsam at home, will that do the trick? should i avoid mink oil?

[mixmaster7_91]

Anyone ever applied any form of leather protector or treatment to Julius washed lamb before?

[neonrider]

i haven't, i wouldn't. kind of defeats the purpose.

[croatoan]

.. And what would that purpose be?

It shouldn't create any problems.

[mixmaster7_91]

Just wanted to know if it changed the nature of the leather at all. For example changed the way it broke in or caused excessive softening with a leather conditioner or even a colour change.