Leather care

Reggs

Reggs

Veteran XX
I got my first car in high school. It had this leather key fob that my parents have had forever. It was old, with many cracks and small parts of the surface chipped away. I left the fob with them when I got a new car. On a recent visit, I got the fob back.

I had also ordered 8 Oz of emu oil. I have often read about the amazing properties of this oil, both for skin and leather. I wiped the fob off with water and let dry for a day, then I slathered it with my emu oil and massaged it in for a generous five minutes, leaving it wet with a coat of oil on all of it's surface.

Three hours later it was all absorbed and it looked dry. I even wiped the fob off and it left no oil. I was surprised by how well it absorbed. The fob, for being so old and so neglected, is now extremely soft and flexible. The oil is one of my favorite purchases in months. I cant wait to try it as a pre-shave oil.
 
sunburn.jpg
 
Sigh

1005_Mailbag.jpg


How to take care of the Mailbag.

The first scratch will kill you, but in fact, it's the first step in the right direction: patina.

So the sooner it gets scratched, nicked, bumped, dug, hit, squeezed, dropped, bent, folded, and rained on, the better. Really.

When you receive your mailbag, it's so fiercely new looking I'm almost ashamed of it. But there's no choice. It would cost too much to pre-age each mailbag before sending it out to a customer. (Antiques cost more than new, for a reason.)

Here's my recipe for “accelerating” the aging process. First, spend one day (the day you get it) the way it is. Brand new. Then, the next day, scratch it all over with your fingernails. Lightly. This will horrify you, at first. Then, spray-mist it with plain water, lightly. Let it dry. The scratches will lose their rawness. They will look old. Repeat this treatment as often as you can stand to; once a week for 5 weeks. Then once a year. (Clean mailbag with plain water only. Not petrochemicals, not oils, not detergents, not mystery solvents, not leather “cremes.” It will do just fine with plain water and will outlast both of us.)
Click to expand...

Plain.
Fucking.
Water.
 
It says water will do "fine"

Not great...It also did not say that water was better than oils.

Oils will keep the leather hydrated longer.
 
gumb0 juan said:
It says water will do "fine"

Not great...It also did not say that water was better than oils.

Oils will keep the leather hydrated longer.
Click to expand...

How to take care of the Mailbag.

The first scratch will kill you, but in fact, it's the first step in the right direction: patina.

So the sooner it gets scratched, nicked, bumped, dug, hit, squeezed, dropped, bent, folded, and rained on, the better. Really.

When you receive your mailbag, it's so fiercely new looking I'm almost ashamed of it. But there's no choice. It would cost too much to pre-age each mailbag before sending it out to a customer. (Antiques cost more than new, for a reason.)

Here's my recipe for “accelerating” the aging process. First, spend one day (the day you get it) the way it is. Brand new. Then, the next day, scratch it all over with your fingernails. Lightly. This will horrify you, at first. Then, spray-mist it with plain water, lightly. Let it dry. The scratches will lose their rawness. They will look old. Repeat this treatment as often as you can stand to; once a week for 5 weeks. Then once a year. (Clean mailbag with plain water only. Not petrochemicals, not oils, not detergents, not mystery solvents, not leather “cremes.” It will do just fine with plain water and will outlast both of us.)
Click to expand...

Actually, it did say NOT to use OILS.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top