Leather Care

[Saffron]

This is a question to the leather experts out there (ahem... DeeAnna, please )
What's the best to restore old leather that is becoming dry and cracked?

I have a vintage leather handbag from the 70s. It was stored in my wardrobe and hasn't been used in over 30 years, but I occasionally take it out and open it as it used to belong to my mother. Recently I discovered that the stitching on the handle is coming apart and the leather on the handle is fragile and going dry. Is there any way it can be saved? How can I prevent the rest of the handle from coming apart? Thanks.

 

[DeeAnna]

Oh, that's sad, Saffron! I'm sorry to say I'm not sure there is much you can do about it. The leather is breaking along the stitch line, and that's really not a good thing to happen. It might just be due to age or how the sewing machine was set up for a short stitch length and maybe a fairly tight tension. Or both.

I personally would make a new handle (yeah, I know, it will be real tough to get it to match) or just live with what you've got. If you try to glue this loose tab down or otherwise fix it in place, that will make that part of the handle stiffer and put more stress on the rest of the leather.

There's no way a conditioner can stop this kind of deterioration. That said, it can add some general flexibility to the leather if it's not too far gone.

You might try wiping on a light film of conditioner and see if that adds some pliability. One brand that I've used for things like this is Leather Therapy, but there are many good brands out there. Avoid anything super thick like Mink Oil and any other pasty or waxy product.

It's also better to apply several light coats than one heavy one. Wait at least a week between coats to let the old leather soak up as much as it can. Check after that wait period to see if the leather is feels oily or sticky or if it feels dry. If dry, add another light film.

 

[cmzaha]

What about Lexol DeeAnna we used to used it on the girls skating boots. It really helped keep them flexible, but as you said, you really cannot fix the handle once the stitching tears. You might be able to add a nice crochet, macrame or cloth handle if the rest of the purse is not tearing. Just a thought.

 

[DeeAnna]

Yep, Lexol is another good choice.

 

[Saffron]

Thank you DeeAnna and Cmzaha
Found Lexol and Leather Therapy on Amazon UK. Also came across Renapur which had very good reviews. Will try Lexol first and see how it goes.

You might be able to add a nice crochet, macrame or cloth handle if the rest of the purse is not tearing.

That's actually a brilliant idea! The rest of the bag is in pretty good shape. Thanks

Much love xxx

 

[DeeAnna]

From the pic in your last post, I'm guessing the handle has been sitting like that for many years. That slight stress on the stitch line for a long time is why the leather failed like it did.

 

[earlene]

This is a good reminder!! Thank you for posting this, even though it is a shame you have to deal with this, Saffron. I have a hand tooled purse that my Uncle made for my mother that is stored in my closet, that I now realize I need to take a look at and do some conditioning as described by DeeAnna. I used to be quite diligent at caring for my leather goods in my youth, but in recent years I barely even think of conditioning my leather couch, let alone my leather boots or Mom's purse. And how many years has it been since I even saw my softball glove? Well, anyway when I get home, I plan to take a really close look at Mom's purse and take better care of it. So again, thank you for posting about this Saffron.

 

[cmzaha]

This is a good reminder!! Thank you for posting this, even though it is a shame you have to deal with this, Saffron. I have a hand tooled purse that my Uncle made for my mother that is stored in my closet, that I now realize I need to take a look at and do some conditioning as described by DeeAnna. I used to be quite diligent at caring for my leather goods in my youth, but in recent years I barely even think of conditioning my leather couch, let alone my leather boots or Mom's purse. And how many years has it been since I even saw my softball glove? Well, anyway when I get home, I plan to take a really close look at Mom's purse and take better care of it. So again, thank you for posting about this Saffron.

It reminds me I better give my array of Harley jackets some attention before they all dry out.

 

[Saffron]

From the pic in your last post, I'm guessing the handle has been sitting like that for many years. That slight stress on the stitch line for a long time is why the leather failed like it did.

You're right -it has been sitting in that position for a long time. I should've paid more attention to it. I've also got some other leather handbags and clutches from the same era that I should probably clean and condition as well.

Can I use Leather Therapy/ Lexol on patent leather as well?

 

[Saffron]

It reminds me I better give my array of Harley jackets some attention before they all dry out.

And you've reminded me to give my leather jacket and skirt from the 80s some attention - big shoulder pads and all!

 

[Saffron]

This is a good reminder!! Thank you for posting this, even though it is a shame you have to deal with this, Saffron. I have a hand tooled purse that my Uncle made for my mother that is stored in my closet, that I now realize I need to take a look at and do some conditioning as described by DeeAnna. I used to be quite diligent at caring for my leather goods in my youth, but in recent years I barely even think of conditioning my leather couch, let alone my leather boots or Mom's purse. And how many years has it been since I even saw my softball glove? Well, anyway when I get home, I plan to take a really close look at Mom's purse and take better care of it. So again, thank you for posting about this Saffron.

I never thought of conditioning my Italian leather couches. Got a good 19 years out of them though (bouncing kids, cats and lots of kittens). They've now been replaced with new ones, but I don't think the leather quality is as good as the old ones. The cat has managed to leave her claw marks in one

 

[DeeAnna]

Patent leather has been finished with a thick coating and cannot benefit from conditioner, unless you can put conditioner on the backside of the leather, which isn't coated. If that's the case, Leather Therapy or Lexol or similar conditioners would be fine to use.

The best you can do with most patent leather items is to just keep them clean and dry and avoid bending them unnecessarily to prevent cracking.

If you can store any vintage leather with as few sharp bends as possible -- and that goes doubly true for patent leather and other stiff or coated leathers -- that will keep the leather from taking a "set" and hopefully lengthen its life. Unbuckle buckles. Store items flat if you can. Pad folds in garments with tissue. Stuff like that.