Leather Care
Our handbags and accessories are made from a variety of leathers and materials. Each one requires different care, so here's a guide to the characteristics of your leather and how to look after it. We endeavour to provide as much information as possible regarding your leather choice, however, we appreciate that nothing replaces seeing and feeling it in real life, so if you would like us to mail you any leather samples please get in touch.
All of our leathers are responsibly sourced from select European tanneries who comply with all EU regulations and directives regarding the tanning process.
Before using any conditioning treatments we strongly recommend testing the product on a small concealed area such as the underside of a flap before using all over.
Vegetable Tanned Leather
This ancient tanning method is a non-chemical process where the hide is tanned with leaves, bark and other vegetable matter. It is a superior quality full grain cow's leather and the tanning method that is kindest to the environment.
All of our belts, a selection of our handbags and some of our dog accessories are made from this leather.
This leather is slightly porous and responds extremely well to a natural leather conditioning treatment every so often. To keep it supple, we recommend using Gilboys beeswax leather balm.
We recommend cleaning this leather with saddle soap.
Aniline / Semi-Aniline Leather
Aniline is one of the most natural-looking, tactile leathers. It is dyed through using soluble aniline dyes, allowing the animals natural markings and characteristics to show through and is often finished with a waxy top layer.
Semi-aniline leather has an added layer of pigment protection to create more of an opaque, even colouring.
This leather is ideal for those that like a more casual, rugged look and it ages beautifully developing its own patina over time.
This leather is susceptible to light scuffs and marks and does require a certain amount of maintenance.
Fortunately, light marks and scuffs can be easily faded away as when these scuffs occur it is usually the top waxy layer that is scratched, not the leather beneath. Simply use a soft dry cloth and a small amount of leather conditioner (we recommend Gilboys Beeswax Leather Balsam). The combination of the rubbing friction and the moisture of the conditioner allows the waxy top layer to warm up and absorb marks and scuffs.
This leather benefits from weather-proofing. We recommend applying a layer of Colonil leather gel every 12 weeks.
As it is slightly porous this leather responds extremely well to a natural leather conditioning treatment every so often to maintain its rich lustre and to keep it supple.
Pull Up Leather
Pull-up is a dyed through leather that is sealed using a waxy finish on top. It has a supple, waxy look and gains its 'pull up' name due to the fact that when tension is applied the base colour shows through creating a slight 'two tone' look.
This leather ages beautifully creating its own patina over time, however, it is susceptible to light scuffs and marks and does require a certain amount of maintenance.
Fortunately, light marks and scuffs can be easily faded away as when these scuffs occur it is usually the top waxy layer that is scratched, not the leather beneath. Simply use a soft dry cloth and a small amount of leather conditioner (we recommend Gilboys Beeswax Leather Balsam). The combination of the rubbing friction and the moisture of the conditioner allows the waxy top layer to warm up and absorb marks and scuffs.
This leather benefits from weather-proofing. We recommend applying a layer of Colonil leather gel every 12 weeks.
As outlined above, this leather responds extremely well to a natural leather conditioning treatment every so often to maintain its rich lustre and to keep it supple.
Chrome Tanned Leather
Chrome-Tanning uses a solution of chemicals, acids and salts to tan the hide. Chrome tanned leathers tend to be bolder in colour and will be more supple with a 'uniform' finish and minimal imperfections.
This type of leather is the easiest to care for as it has a high resistance to water, staining and heat. Because of these qualities it's not porus so does not require a leather conditioning treatment, however, a leather wax or leather protection spray can be applied to maximise its water resistance. It can be cleaned with a leather cleaner. We recommend 'Leather Ultra Clean' by Furniture Clinic.