Leather sporran care

[freddie]

I've just bought an old brown leather sporran off ebay and although it's in great condition I wonder if anyone can recomend something to treat it with to keep it in good condition.

[BobsYourUncle]

Leather conditioner will be sold in any good tack shop. You will also be able to search "leather conditioner" online and find brands sold where you are.

Here a common brand is "Lexol". Lexol sells both leather cleaner and leather conditioner. Some leather conditioner comes as a liquid in a squeeze bottle, some kinds, like saddle soap, come in a jar with a circle of cloth as an applicator.

Maybe I am lazy, but I like the varieties that come as a piece of cloth already impregnated with the conditioner--sort of like a leather conditioner "moist towlette". I find that the towlette style keeps me from loading the leather up with two much conditioner...but that's just me..

[tulloch]

Would the same treatment recondition leather that is becoming brittle and has flaked off some of its outer finish? Can you rejuvenate leather?

[artificer]

I've just bought an old brown leather sporran off ebay and although it's in great condition I wonder if anyone can recomend something to treat it with to keep it in good condition.

Be VERY careful. Depending on the age of the leather and how much it has dried, conditioning it may actually speed it's breakdown. Very old leather can swell and crack after it's dried too much and then conditioned again.

Do you have an info on the hows and whens of the piece, or can you post a picture of the piece?

Assuming it CAN be conditioned safely, here are a few tips:
1) DON'T buy your conditioner at an auto parts place, or in the auto department of any store (barring a few exceptions I'll mention in a bit). Most creams used for auto leathers are too harsh for a good quality leather.

2) ALWAYS test ANY product on a small section somewhere you won't be able to see in normal use. Allow the area a day or so of sitting after application before you use it on the whole piece. TRUST me, the wrong product on the wrong leather can pull dyes out, destroy the oils/waxes & dry a piece out... just wreak havoc on a leather.

3) I personally like Zymol as a general conditioning creme, but depending on the leather, you might wish to investigate neatsfoot oil or mink oil. It depends a lot on the piece. If you have a leather crafters store like Tandy around, you might wish to contact them, or as Bobsyouruncle mentioned, if you have a saddlery/tack shop nearby, they can probably steer you right. Just make sure to bring the piece in with you.

Would the same treatment recondition leather that is becoming brittle and has flaked off some of its outer finish? Can you rejuvenate leather?

No. Assuming the leather is of good quality, once a leather has dried out and begun cracking, your only hope is a good conservator, if the piece is worth conserving. Otherwise, it's best to let the piece 'mummify' and stay dry. Lower qualities of leather with some form of acrylic topcoat that crack are simply destined for the dustbin.

(as artificer mounts his soapbox)
Leather is one of those products where you TOTALLY get what you pay for (unless you're talking about 'designer' labels (clothing and accessories) where you are paying for the name). A good oil/wax finished leather will last +100 years if properly cared for. Newer finishes, while easier to maintain and 'stain resistant' are essentially plastic. I'm sorry if this seems snotty, but plastic is garbage where leather is concerned. The under-layer will outlast the plastic topcoat by a dozen years, at least.

Barring silicone, which is really only good for weatherizing 'outdoor' leathers, synthetics have very little place in quality leather products.
(dismounts, dusts off, and apologizes for rant.)

[Tobus]

Here a common brand is "Lexol".

My wife, who builds and repairs saddles for a living, HATES Lexol with a passion. When people bring in their old saddles for repairs, the first thing she has to do is take the saddle apart and give it a real cleaning. According to her, she can tell when the owner uses Lexol to clean their saddles because it builds up a waxy crud in all the crevices which makes it absolutely impossible to truly clean or repair the finish. She has gotten to the point where she refuses to work on a saddle that's had Lexol used on it.

A sporran is a different animal, though, so YMMV. But personally, I stay away from Lexol because of that. For regular cleaning of leather, it's hard to beat good old fashioned saddle soap (you can use Murphy's Oil Soap too, which should be available in any store that sells household cleaning supplies).

For a really old sporran where the leather finish is cracked and flaking off, there probably isn't going to be much that can be done for it. Although I will say that there's a great product out there that I have used on old saddles, boots, and other leather products that get a lot of scratches and need a rejuvenation of the finish. It's called Blackrock Leather 'N Rich. The stuff works wonders in restoring color, blending in scratches, and giving old leather a new shine without applying an actual new finish to it. You just goop it on the leather, rub it in, and buff it.

[Drac]

Be careful one Neats foot oil. Get pure neats foot, there are several "blends" that can be damaging to leather over long term.

Jim

[BobsYourUncle]

Be VERY careful. Depending on the age of the leather and how much it has dried, conditioning it may actually speed it's breakdown. Very old leather can swell and crack after it's dried too much and then conditioned again.

Do you have an info on the hows and whens of the piece, or can you post a picture of the piece?

Assuming it CAN be conditioned safely, here are a few tips:
1) DON'T buy your conditioner at an auto parts place, or in the auto department of any store (barring a few exceptions I'll mention in a bit). Most creams used for auto leathers are too harsh for a good quality leather.

2) ALWAYS test ANY product on a small section somewhere you won't be able to see in normal use. Allow the area a day or so of sitting after application before you use it on the whole piece. TRUST me, the wrong product on the wrong leather can pull dyes out, destroy the oils/waxes & dry a piece out... just wreak havoc on a leather.

3) I personally like Zymol as a general conditioning creme, but depending on the leather, you might wish to investigate neatsfoot oil or mink oil. It depends a lot on the piece. If you have a leather crafters store like Tandy around, you might wish to contact them, or as Bobsyouruncle mentioned, if you have a saddlery/tack shop nearby, they can probably steer you right. Just make sure to bring the piece in with you.



No. Assuming the leather is of good quality, once a leather has dried out and begun cracking, your only hope is a good conservator, if the piece is worth conserving. Otherwise, it's best to let the piece 'mummify' and stay dry. Lower qualities of leather with some form of acrylic topcoat that crack are simply destined for the dustbin.

(as artificer mounts his soapbox)
Leather is one of those products where you TOTALLY get what you pay for (unless you're talking about 'designer' labels (clothing and accessories) where you are paying for the name). A good oil/wax finished leather will last +100 years if properly cared for. Newer finishes, while easier to maintain and 'stain resistant' are essentially plastic. I'm sorry if this seems snotty, but plastic is garbage where leather is concerned. The under-layer will outlast the plastic topcoat by a dozen years, at least.

Barring silicone, which is really only good for weatherizing 'outdoor' leathers, synthetics have very little place in quality leather products.
(dismounts, dusts off, and apologizes for rant.)

My wife, who builds and repairs saddles for a living, HATES Lexol with a passion. When people bring in their old saddles for repairs, the first thing she has to do is take the saddle apart and give it a real cleaning. According to her, she can tell when the owner uses Lexol to clean their saddles because it builds up a waxy crud in all the crevices which makes it absolutely impossible to truly clean or repair the finish. She has gotten to the point where she refuses to work on a saddle that's had Lexol used on it.

A sporran is a different animal, though, so YMMV. But personally, I stay away from Lexol because of that. For regular cleaning of leather, it's hard to beat good old fashioned saddle soap (you can use Murphy's Oil Soap too, which should be available in any store that sells household cleaning supplies).

For a really old sporran where the leather finish is cracked and flaking off, there probably isn't going to be much that can be done for it. Although I will say that there's a great product out there that I have used on old saddles, boots, and other leather products that get a lot of scratches and need a rejuvenation of the finish. It's called Blackrock Leather 'N Rich. The stuff works wonders in restoring color, blending in scratches, and giving old leather a new shine without applying an actual new finish to it. You just goop it on the leather, rub it in, and buff it.

Alright! Some really good advice. I learned a few things. This is why this forum is so great. Thanks, guys! Zymol and Blackrock Leather 'N Rich have gone on my list...

[rir179]

Hi, I was in the same prediciment as you, have an excellent leather sporran but which was suffering through lack of care. I have been using "Connolly Hide Food" and the sporran has come up a treat. Heres a link for it but just "Google" it and see if there are any retailers near you.

http://www.saddler.co.uk/shop.html?c...od_for_leather

[Mike M.]

Allow me to suggest Pecard Leather Dressing. I've found it quite satisfactory...and they have a version for antique leather as well.