TIPS & TECHNIQUES

REVIVING OLD LEATHER

Almost everyone has an old dried out piece of tack hidden out of sight just waiting to be revived. Any kind of leather can be reconditioned with my method. To restore it to usable condition follow the tips listed below:

LIGHT WEIGHT LEATHER { belts, bags, purses, etc}

Clean Leather with a warm saddle soap solution or leather cleaner.  Thoroughly rinse. Let dry couple of minutes. {Damp leather will absorb conditioner quicker} Condition with Conditioners {follow direction on the bottle, as all are not the same}. Let dry, then buff.

HEAVY WEIGHT LEATHER { saddles & bridles}

Fill a tub or sink with warm {not hot}, soapy water. Wet a sponge in the soapy water and wipe the item down thoroughly, using saddle soap, to strip off the dirt and old oils. Let the item dry for 15 minutes. Depending on the stiffness of the leather, either dip it entirely in the neatsfoot oil, or apply the oil using a small paintbrush.  The key is to heavily wet, but not  saturate the leather in the neatsfoot oil. DO NOT HEAT THE OIL! Let the item dry, preferably in the sun. Repeat steps 4 & 5 {If leather is darker in some spots, try to even out the color}. Using a spray solution of "New Leather" or saddle soap, spray the entire item. Wipe off excess spray and reassemble. It is recommended to condition leather after oiling.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have totally reconditioned YOUR item

To keep all your leather items in good and working order, condition on a regular basis; once a month or depending on use.

Clean all leather on a regular basis. Apply a lightweight oil once a month, such as Lexol. Use the above recondition process once a year.

Have any questions for Ron or would like to talk to him about a repair or custom job, CLICK HERE to email Ron. or call 301.604.2211