Leather Care Lesson 1
How to Use Leather Oil for Basic Leather Care
The charm of natural leather products lies in that they develop a patina over time with use.
Although the leather may occasionally suffer damage during use, you’ll be able to enjoy its unique leather qualities for a long time with proper care.
This time, we’re sharing basic leather care tips that are easily remembered to ensure that you and your leather partner can enjoy a long relationship.
Maintenance Kits
・Special brush for leather
・Leather oil or cream
・Clean cotton cloth (for applying leather oil or cream)
・Clean cotton cloth (for dry wiping)
※ Note on the choice of cloth: zippers may catch onto the dry cloth during the wiping process, so we recommend using a cloth made from natural materials such as cotton that won’t scratch the leather. Please also avoid using pile fabrics.
Maintenance Timing
The easiest way to determine whether a leather product needs oil care is to touch the surface with the hands. When the surface begins to feel dry, this is an opportune time for applying leather oil.
Leather is interesting because it’s like human skin. Leather is a natural material that can reflect different personalities and characteristics. Sometimes it feels dry and rough, while other times it feels smooth and silky. Its appearance varies depending on its user and matures over time.
It’s a good idea to frequently examine and feel your leather products to determine the most suitable time for leather care.
Maintenance Tips
1. Removing dust
To ensure that every corner of the leather product is properly maintained, first remove all the items inside the product. Then, use the brush to dislodge any dust.
Remove any dust on the leather using the brush. While doing so, maintain a gentle touch and do not brush vigorously. Dust and dirt are more likely to accumulate at the seams, so it’s important to pay extra attention to these areas.
The method for removing dust from leather bags is the same.
2. Dampen a dry cloth with leather oil
Dampen a soft and clean cotton cloth with a quantity of leather oil that is about the size of a one-yen coin (a diameter of two centimeters). If you are maintaining a small leather product such as a wallet or card case, an amount the size of a grain of rice is sufficient. Please consider a bag’s size and use condition when determining how much leather oil to use.
3. Rapidly and evenly spread the oil across the surface
Use a circular motion to rapidly spread the leather oil across the entire surface. If you apply too much oil at one particular spot, staining may occur, so it’s important to remember to apply the oil "thinly" and "rapidly."
Due to differences in leather type, discoloration is a possibility after the leather oil has been applied. We, therefore, recommend that you first conduct a spot test on an inconspicuous area when maintaining the product for the first time.
4. Drying
Give the leather oil sufficient time to fully penetrate into the leather by leaving it alone for an hour in a place away from direct sunlight.
You can use this time to brew a cup of coffee and relax. Having this little bit of leisure time is also one of the pleasures of leather care.
※ Drying times may vary depending on the type of leather oil used. The aforementioned "one hour" resting time is based on maintenance conducted using the "Collonil Supreme Crème de Luxe," which is sold at Tsuchiya Kaban’s physical stores. If you are using another product, please make sure to familiarize yourself with the product’s required drying time.
5. Dry wiping
Once the hour drying time has passed, use a clean cotton cloth to dry wipe the entire product. And you’re done.
Imagine that with the passing of time, your leather product has not only remained in great condition, but its appearance has matured with time and become more beautiful. Thus, if you would like to gift this rich patina to your future self, use this lesson as a starting point and dedicate some free time to taking care of your leather products.
※ Tsuchiya Kaban only sells "Collonil Supreme Crème de Luxe" in its physical stores. If you would like to make a purchase or have any questions, please contact us or go to one of our stores.
We recommend reading our other articles on leather care to extend the life of your leather products.