Leather Care

Leather care is essential for long term use of your products. They are an investment and when taken care of, can last a lifetime or longer. Leather care is not difficult, a bit of cream every few months. Most leathers will respond well to a large variety of creams on the market. For our North American audience or if you can otherwise get some, we recommend Smith's leather balm as a great all rounder. An Australian option we recommend is FraPete's leather conditioner.

General instructions for leather care:

  1. Brush the item with a horsehair brush every few weeks to ensure dirt does not build up, yes even wallets can use a brushing. The primary reason for this is to remove dirt, but the friction also brings oils and waxes in the leather, placed there during tanning, to the surface. This actually helps revitalize the leather without the need for any creams and this can usually be all that is needed.
  2. Apply cream sparingly. The product should not be slick and saturated.
  3. Generally, follow instructions of the specific product used, but for the most part, leave it for 5 minutes or so.
  4. Brush with a horsehair brush in sweeps or a cotton rag in small circles.

 

However some leathers are a bit more picky and have specific instructions:

Shell Cordovan

With shell cordovan, we actually do recommend Saphir Médaille d’Or Cordovan Cream. The cost really justifies itself with this leather choice. Colourless cream ideally so that there are no pigments involved.

Suede and Nubuck

It's important that you don't use any cream or polish on Suede. Brushing with a horsehair brush is still a good option if there is any debris caught in the nap. Ensure the item is totally dry first and brush with a crepe brush to help remove any stains and then a brass wire brush for any stubborn stains. If they do not come out then more specialized cleaning is required with a suede eraser or cleaner to help lift the stain out of the leather. After removing stains and brushing the item, it is always best to treat the product with some sort of suede protector or water repellent spray.