Leather jacket care?

B

Buck268

Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
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Well, I figure its time to show my leather jacket the same care its shown me. Worn it about 5 or 6 winters now, and although it still looks good, I figure it would benefit from a good cleaning and reconditioning...

Now, I'm hardly a leather expert, in fact I don't know whether its full grain or what not (its not suede), and I don't know whether it'd be more appropriate to use silicone or a mink oil type conditioning agent; I'm looking for a professional cleaning/conditioning. My questio is where should I look? I figured I'll call some dry cleaners in the area tomarow, see what they say... but we all know how honest some businesses are, and I'd love to start out with some basic knowldge (or at least an idea of what to be aware of).

So, to any of you with experience (and with all the sheath makers and survival guys, I'm hoping theres at least a few), and advise or tips on this? :thumbup:
 
Last time I went to look for someone to professionally clean my jacket, I checked with a local furrier (fur coat seller) and asked who they used. Ended up letting them take care of the whole deal (they sent it out with their load and they fixed a couple of things, too).
 
hmm, interesting. I'll have to look into that as well, it would seem I have a lot of calls to make!
 
I guess it is time to get my leather jacket ready for its -- I think -- eighth or ninth winter. For smooth tanned leather, start by brushing with a horse-hair shoe brush to loosen up the dirt. Next, cleaning it with saddle soap and a wet washcloth to remove the dirt. Dry it with towel to get most of the water off and then hang it loosely in a dry place with plenty of air circulation for a couple of days to dry it out. Treat it with mink oil. Rub the oil in and then buff off the excess. Again, hang it loosely for a day or two. Finally, buff it off again one more time with a dry cloth. That's what I do every fall and my jacket still looks good.
 
Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP

Best stuff I've run across for leather protection/restoration/water-proofing.
 
Gollnick said:
I guess it is time to get my leather jacket ready for its -- I think -- eighth or ninth winter. For smooth tanned leather, start by brushing with a horse-hair shoe brush to loosen up the dirt. Next, cleaning it with saddle soap and a wet washcloth to remove the dirt. Dry it with towel to get most of the water off and then hang it loosely in a dry place with plenty of air circulation for a couple of days to dry it out. Treat it with mink oil. Rub the oil in and then buff off the excess. Again, hang it loosely for a day or two. Finally, buff it off again one more time with a dry cloth. That's what I do every fall and my jacket still looks good.
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I do pretty much the same thing but I use Murphy's Oil Soap 50/50 with water for the first step.

Usually clean a couple times a year unless the bugs are really bad (it's my riding jacket).

The leather gets a really great look after this treatment :)
 
Snow Seal works well - it is made of beeswax and has been great for a motorcycle jacket I have as well as shoes and boots.
 
I just use these leather treatment cloths from Walmart---looks like a can of baby wipes---gets the bugs off pretty well but offers no waterproofing.
 
BlackHills said:
In a word....Lexol.
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Lexol is OK for some leathers, but it often dries out too quickly or results in the leather becoming loose in my experience. Always iffy about using the stuff, now.

As for treating/preserving leather at home, I have had good experiences with Heine Gericke (my fave), Oakwood, and Obenauf.

Seems the liquid products are generally not as good as the paste/cream products.

Whatever you do, no Neetsfoot oil and similar products.
 
I was reading on some online how-to's that modern finished leathers use different chemicals in the process and may not benifit from traditional applications such as saddle soap and mink oil. Is there any way to tell what would work best for me?
 
You just have to either ask the maker or, the more common approach, try a bit on an unseen area (inside the back of the jacket hem is common) and see.
 
Well, got my jacket back from the cleaners; they did a good job, redyed and all... But it appears that no sealant/top coat was applied. Wore it in a light drizzle yester for a few minutes while letting the dog out, and noticed that while water beaded up intially, it quickly soaked right into the leather.

So I went looking for Kiwi Mink Oil as its always treated me well, and a small test on the inside lower hem turned out favorable. Only nobody has it! I did find Sno Seal, Kiwi Wet Pruf, and a nifty looking substance called "Sof Sole" (SS looks particularly interesting). Has anybody had experience with it? Is it a sealer or a conditioner, or both?
 
Well, I just finished the first application of this "Sof Sole" stuff. Feels very much like mink oil during application, maybe slightly less viscous. Not sure if I want to do a second application yet, I'll wait a day or two for this stuff to soak up/dry and go from there.

Very curious how it will compare with mink oil (which I've used many times before), both in longevity and sealing.
 
Clean a leather jacket?!? What a novel idea.

Mine has bugs on it left from my very first ride; I think of them as souvenirs. ;)
 
I'm no biker; its just a bomber style jacket that I wear a lot in the winter... and its nice to stay dry :)
 
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