Care
Looking after full-grain leather
Full-grain needs very little. Most damage we see comes from people doing too much to it, not too little.
The short version
| Every few weeks | Wipe with a dry, soft cloth. That's it. |
|---|---|
| Twice a year | A thin coat of neutral leather cream, worked in with your fingers. |
| If it gets wet | Blot it, then let it dry slowly at room temperature, away from heat. |
| Never | Direct heat, hair dryers, saddle soap on unfinished edges, or silicone polish. |
Conditioning
Leather is skin, and it dries out. Conditioning replaces the oils that evaporate. Twice a year is plenty for most climates; if you are somewhere very dry, three times. More than that and the leather goes soft and loses its structure.
- 1
Clean first
A barely-damp cloth to lift dust. Let it dry fully — conditioning over grit grinds it in.
- 2
Use very little
A pea-sized amount for a wallet, a teaspoon for a bag. It should look barely applied.
- 3
Work it in by hand
The warmth of your fingers helps it absorb evenly. A cloth drags it into the grain unevenly.
- 4
Leave it overnight
Then buff with a dry cloth. If it still feels greasy, you used too much.
Water
Getting caught in the rain is not a disaster. Blot the surface with a towel, stuff a bag loosely with paper to hold its shape, and leave it somewhere with moving air at room temperature. What ruins wet leather is fast drying — a heater or direct sun cooks the fibres and they go stiff and brittle permanently.
Patina, and what it isn't
Vegetable-tanned leather darkens and develops a shine where it is handled. That is patina and it is the point. Scratches on full-grain can often be worked out with a fingertip and a little warmth. Deep gouges will not come out, and shouldn't — they are the record of the thing being used.
Footwear specifically
Use cedar shoe trees between wears; they absorb moisture and hold the shape. Brush after each wear. Cream polish monthly, wax only on the toe and heel if you want a shine. Above all, rotate — a day of rest between wears roughly doubles how long the uppers last.