Leather Care, Repair and Restoration

DIY Leather Restoration Kits - Passes the Test of Time

2011-06-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Here is an e-mail from a DIYer who did her leather restoration project 5 years ago with our DIY Leather Solutions Kit system.

Hi Kevin,

I contacted you five years ago when I started the big project of saving my fairly new, but extremely faded leather furniture. I was skeptical of any on-line do-it-yourself furniture restoration product. However, I was even more unwilling to throw away expensive furniture! I bought blinds to shut out the harsh sun and I took the gamble on your product - sending you a scrap of leather to match and receiving in return your bottles of primer, color, print, and finisher along with tools and instructions.

My husband thought I was a little crazy to tackle something like that on my own, but tackle it I did. It took me about 3 days to do the chair and ottoman because I wanted to try the smaller pieces first and I went very slowly, stopping to email you with questions or just progress reports every step of the way. You always got right back to me with words of encouragement - "you're on the right track", or "now you're ready for the next step", or "keep me posted". I refinished the couch the following week and was able to move a little more quickly. When the project was done, my family and friends were absolutely amazed! My husband said I had saved us about $5000 (he was ready to toss and replace); my sister said the furniture looked better than when it was new! I sent you before and after pictures and was pretty darn proud of my efforts!

Now here it is, five years later. The furniture still looked pretty good, even thought it was well used. It had a few scratches acquired from moving it when we installed wood flooring and when we redid our ceilings, plus there were two cushions that looked a little worn. We were sprucing the place up for a big party and I decided to give the furniture another makeover. I had saved the leftover bottles and tools - there was enough of your product to entirely refinish the chair, ottoman and couch. This time it took me only 2 days to complete the whole project and once again my furniture, now 9 years old, looks brand new!

I have to say, your product does exactly what it's advertised to do, your instructions are complete and easy to follow, the results look amazing and it's an incredible value. Feel free to publish my testimonial on your website if you'd like!

Terry L.

How to Resolve Mold and Mildew on Leather

2011-06-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Source of Mold and Mildew

Spores of fungi and bacteria are present in the air. High humidity, warm temperatures, and poor ventilation provide the ambient conditions that allow mold growth. Generally, stagnant air above 80% relative humidity may support mold. If above 95%, the humidity will certainly encourage fungi and bacteria to grow. Soiling, organic residues and stains will enhance the growth of mildew on leather and fabrics.

Removing Mildew from Leather and Fabric Surfaces

First, remove loose mold from outer coverings of upholstered articles with a soft bristle brush. Do this outdoors, if possible, to prevent scattering mildew spores in the house. Wash brush before re-using.

Run a vacuum cleaner attachment over the surface of the leather and fabric panels to draw out more of the mold. Remember that the mold spores are being drawn into the bag of the vacuum cleaner. If the vacuum has a disposable bag, remove and dispose of it immediately. If not, empty the bag carefully (preferably outdoors) to avoid scattering mold spores in the house.

Do everything conveniently possible to dry the leather - use an electric heater and a fan to carry away moist air. Sun and air the article to help stop mold growth.

If you have finished leather (leather with a topically applied pigment coating), and mildew remains, sponge lightly with thick suds of soap and wipe with a clean damp cloth. In doing this, avoid getting the leather wet with excessive amounts of moisture. DO NOT USE THIS STRATEGY UNLESS YOU ARE SURE THE LEATHER HAS A FINISH ON IT (see our leather care page on our ADVLeather.com site to help you identify your leather type). In all cases, do a test in a non-obvious area of your leather to ensure that the suds will not darken, stain or discolor the leather. If you have cushions with zipper access, and you suspect the fungi or bacteria have migrated into the internals of the cushion, remove the cushion cores and treat accordingly, or replace with new.

If necessary, a final step to remove mildew on upholstered leather furniture is to gently wipe it with a cloth moistened with diluted alcohol (1 cup denatured or isopropyl alcohol to 4 cup water). Dry the article thoroughly. Once again, apply this strategy only if you are sure it’s finished leather, and only after you have tested in a non-obvious location on your furniture. Be aware that this alcohol solution may adversely effect the top-coat and surface finish of your leather so only do this as a last ditch effort and only after thoroughly testing on a hidden part of your leather.

If mold has grown into the inner part of your furniture frame, open the underside dust cover, then dry and air out the internals as best as possible. You may need to send it to a reliable disinfecting and fumigating service. Such services are often listed under "Exterminating and Fumigating" or "Pest Control" services in the yellow pages of the telephone directory. If they have an “ozone chamber,” have them put your furniture into the chamber for at least 48 hours.

Here are some tips on preventing mildew.

Keep The Leather Clean - Soiling can supply enough food for mildew to start growing when moisture and temperature are right. Greasy films, such as those that form on kitchen walls, also contain many nutrients for mildew-causing molds.

Get Rid of Dampness - Dampness is often caused by condensation of moisture from humid air onto cooler surfaces. Excessive moisture may indicate that repairs or additional insulation are needed. Replace cracked or defective mortar. Some basements are continually wet from water leaking through crevices in the wall. Make sure outside drainage is adequate.

Control Moisture - For waterproofing concrete and other masonry walls above ground, apply two coats of cement paint, tinted with mineral coloring if desired. Waterproofed coatings to seal absorbent brick and other outside surfaces may be needed. Spread a layer of moisture-barrier material over the soil in crawl spaces under houses. You can use heavy roofing paper or polyethylene plastic film. Good ventilation is important. If possible, do not enclose the crawl space. In extreme cases, a fan or blower may be needed to move the humid air from under the building. Cooking, laundering, and bathing may add 2 gallons or more of water a day to the house. If circulation is not adequate use some type of exhaust fan. If your clothes dryer is equipped with a vent, have it exhausted to the outside to remove moist air.

Dry the Air - Cool air holds less moisture than warm air. Properly installed air-conditioning systems remove moisture from the air by taking up warm air, cooling it (which removes the moisture) and circulating the cool dry air back into the room. In rooms that are not air-conditioned-especially the basement--mechanical dehumidifiers are useful. A humidistat can be attached to the unit to control the humidity. Mechanical dehumidifiers, however, can add heat to a room. If you are using air-conditioners or dehumidifiers, keep windows and doors closed.

Heat - Get rid of dampness by heating the house for a short time. Then open doors and windows to let out the moisture-laden air. An exhaust fan may be used to force it out.

Circulate the Air - When the air outside is drier than that inside, ventilation allows the dry air to enter, take up excess moisture, and then be carried outside. When natural breezes are not sufficient, you can use electric fans placed in a window, set in a wall, or ducted to the attic to move air from the house. Poorly ventilated rooms get damp and musty during continued wet weather, and furniture in such a room is prone to mildew. Try to improve the air circulation. If necessary, lay the furniture on its back, cut open, or remove the dust cover under your furniture and run a fan into the open space to help dry the internals of your furniture. It may help to dry the inside by running a de-humidifier, pointing the air-flow into the internals of your furniture.

Get Rid of Musty Odors - Get rid of musty odors as soon as possible to prevent further mold growth. Usually musty odors disappear if the area is well heated and dried. If the odors remain, the following treatment may be necessary. On cement floors and on tiled walls and floors, get rid of mustiness by scrubbing with a diluted solution of sodium hypochlorite or other chlorine bleach available in most grocery stores. Use one-half to 1 cup of liquid household bleach to a gallon of water. Rinse with clear water and wipe as dry as possible. Keep windows open until walls and floors are thoroughly dry. DO NOT APPLY THIS SOLUTION TO THE LEATHER.

Copyright - 2011, Kevin Gillan

Beware of Credit Card Scams

2011-04-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

We've had our share of attempted credit card scams over the years. The most recent hit our shop just yesterday.

A prospect contact us by e-mail wanting to buy Barcelona cushions. We offered a quote and he accepted. Now the scam:

Buy an expensive product that requires overseas shipping. Buyer claims to be located in the USA, while the ship-to address is in Europe. Buyer asks seller (us) to contact his designated shipping company by e-mail to get a quote. The quote comes in ridiculously high. Buyer requires the seller to use the buyer's designated shipping company because he "trusts them." The total amount including shipping is almost $7,000 of which more than $2,500 is shipping. Buyer wants to pay the total amount, including shipping costs, up front with a credit card. Buyer calls with credit card number. With buyer on the phone, we run the card and it goes through as authorized. The shipping company then sends an e-mail to me claiming their credit card processing system is down and to send a money gram or bank wire transfer to a bank in Ghana for the shipping fee. Bingo.... Fraud!!! We void the transaction and call our credit card processing company. They determine it is a valid card, valid billing address, but the name on the card is not correct.

Because we voided the transaction before it was "batched" (Meaning the money was actually put into our account.) we weren't charged the processing fee. Further research determined the shipping company is bogus. Buyer IS the fraudulent shipping co.

I just received another e-mail asking why I haven't sent the wire transfer. I am stringing them along at the moment.

Amazing lengths these knuckleheads will go through.

White Leather Furniture - Yellow Staining

2011-04-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Recently two different clients forwarded pictures of their white leather furniture. In both cases the symptom was the same. A yellowing discoloration of the leather. Here are two pictures.

And

In both cases the client put a skin cream on their legs and then sat in the leather seating. The skin cream has coloring agents that will act as synthetic tanning agents.

As the tanning agent is a dye, it transfered from the occupant's skin into the leather, discoloring as shown. There are no warning labels on the skin cream container. Yet it will permanently discolor the color coat. It would not be an issue on a dark leather as you wouldn't see the discoloration. However on a light colored leather it is clearly a problem.

It is not a cleaning issue as the leather has literally been recolored, just as was intended for the person's skin by the lotion with this tanning additive. Trying to clean it is like trying to clean a tattoo from your skin.

The correct solution is to match the color and color over the offended area.

Linkedin Group for Leather Technicians

2011-04-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

At Advanced Leather Solutions our motto is "No Secrets." As an "Open Source" company we are happy to share our knowledge. To that end, check out the Global Leather Repair Technicians discussion group on Linkedin. It is the brain-child of Lee Bryan, Technical Sales Advisor for Stahl Europe B.V. Lee works out of Barcelona, Spain where he ran his own leather repair and restoration business for years before he joined Stahl. Here is the link for the group:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Global-Leather-Repair-Technicians-2894000?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

Whether deeply experienced or just a rookie, I recommend that you join. It only takes a minute to sign up, yet it brings truly a world of knowledge. Read through the discussions and jump in with your own tricks-of-the-trade, know-how and experience. Begin a new discussion with a topic of your own. Let the entire global leather technician community learn from you, as you learn from them. If you're new to the business or a seasoned tech, use this forum as a means of asking questions and seeking advice, learning from the invaluable experience of other pros. With broad participation, we can all thrive.

Leather Conditioning Tips

2011-04-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Upholstery grade leather has about 25% moisture content as it leaves the tannery. This moisture content is typically natural oils like neetsfoot that is infused into the fiber structure imparting suppleness. These oils are volatile, meaning they evaporate away overtime at a rate dependent on the humidity. If you are in a very dry climate and the leather is exposed to direct sun or other heat source then the evaporation rate is considerably accelerated compared to a damp climate or where the leather is not exposed to a direct heat source like the warming sun.

As moisture evaporates from leather two things happen: 1. the leather shrinks due to lose of mass, and 2. the leather looses is internal lubrication. In either case the affect is stiffening. At some point, where the moisture content drops below 5% or so, the leather feels and behaves like a piece of cardboard. This is its demise.

Leather conditioners contain replenishing oils. The goal of conditioning leather then is instill lost oils to keep the moisture content elevated. Consequently, this simple maintenance procedure prolongs the leather’s life. It’s a pretty simple concept. However, there is more to the story. Here are some important considerations:

pH Issue. pH measures acidity or alkalinity. The range is from 1 to 14 with pure water being neutral at 7.0. Leather is acidic. It measures 4.5 to 5.0 on a pH scale. Furthermore, the pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that each whole number is 10 times more or less acidic or alkaline than the next number in the scale. When you mix two elements that have differing pH, a chemical reaction occurs. In the case of leather, this chemical reaction accelerates the breakdown of leather fibers. Therefore, any conditioner applied to leather should be pH balanced to leather so as not to damage the leather.

Coated (Pigmented) Leather. Most leather has a surface color coating. This coating is also covered with a clear coat providing protection and wear resistance. So, if something spills on the leather, it is easily wiped up without penetrating and staining the leather. These coatings are generally chemical engineered to have a certain degree of porosity, allowing the leather to breath. However, the ability for a conditioning agent to penetrate through this protective barrier is a challenge. This is particularly true with automobile grade leather. For automobile leather, the most effective procedure is to warm the leather up a bit (leave the car in the sun for a few hours) before you apply a conditioner. Warming the leather reduces viscosity allowing a higher absorption potential. Then, aggressively massaging the conditioner into the leather will help.

Over conditioning. If a little is good, then a lot must be better, right? A common mistake is to apply too much conditioner. Think of a sponge fully laden with water. Adding more water is not possible. This is also true with leather. If the moisture content is at its maximum, then adding more conditioner does nothing except to sit on the leather surface, drying over time and turning sticky and gooey.

Old, Desiccated Leather. If old leather has lost most of its moisture then it can be a huge mistake to attempt to revive it by adding conditioner (moisture). Think of a piece of cardboard that gets wet. It turns the cardboard fibers to mush. The same is true for leather. If your leather is old and dried out, the best strategy is to leave it alone and consult a professional. There are specific chemistries that can be used to prolong the life of old leather. The run-of-the-mill conditioner is not one of them.

When to Condition. As in over conditioning, if the leather is new, then it has a full compliment of moisture. There is no reason to condition as it hasn’t had time to loose its moisture. As a general rule, begin conditioning leather after 6 months to a year. And then re-apply every 3 to 6 months depending how dry the environment. In certain cases a more frequent regimen is appropriate like in the summer months of a desert climate.

How to Apply. Generally, a thin coating is sufficient. Apply the conditioner to a soft cloth, massaging into the cloth and then wipe over the target leather. If the leather is heavily coated, then massage the leather with the conditioner.

Leather That Should Not Be Conditioned. Be very careful with suede or nubuck leather. While they will loose moisture as well, conditioning them in a standard procedure runs to risk of staining the leather. It can leave the leather looking blotchy, thus destroying the aesthetic appeal. Additionally, delicate leather like calf or lamb skin should be treated cautiously.

The most important consideration is to be sure that you are doing the right thing with whatever maintenance products you use on leather. In the end it's always wise to consult with a professional.

Why doesn't the color match perfectly?

2011-04-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Color matching is an art form. However, there is a bit of science to consider as well. Here are exerts of an e-mail sent to me from a leather technician experiencing the frustration of color matching.

"I can't understand why the color is really far off, yet it also changes drastically, depending on the type of lighting. For example, the pictures I sent you only show what the color looks like in the Sun, yet when in person (No Camera) it actually appears to be the exact opposite. Meaning the untouched cushion is actually deeper (more red and/or Organic Brown tones), and the one that I re-finished, is lighter and less Reddish tones.

"...it changes according to the light I view it under. I can get it pretty close outside in the sun, however, when I bring it in under all types of House lighting, it changes drastically and does not look close to matching."

So what's going on?

One word... Metamerism.

Read my blog entry from about two years ago. http://advleather.blogspot.com/search?q=metamerism

The solution is to match in the dominant lighting source of the room where the furniture is located and forget about all other locations (like outside in the sun) as they don't matter. If there are differing lighting sources inside, then pick the dominant source.

Keep in mind, the eye of a professional leather technician is highly tuned. Unless the pieces are literally touching each other, most people will not notice a slight difference. What they'll see is how the refinished piece looks compared to what it looked like before.

I always caution a client that if I do a partial refinish and not all the furniture there will be a "newness factor." The original color will have oxidized to some degree. Furthermore, there will have been some fading, particularly if there are any red tones in the original. The red will be leached out to some degree as reds always fade the fastest. Therefore, the newly refinished leather will appear different than the pieces that were not refinished.

This is a key learning experience in color matching, particularly with mottled colors. If you have a color variation affect, you will always have this dilemma to one degree or another.

The lesson learned is the lighting source is the most important element in perceived color. And, to complicate things further, the viewing angle also changes your eye's interpretation of the color. The color shifts when viewed on a horizontal plan versus a vertical plan, like the back rest to the seat top of leather furniture. This is called geometric metamerism.

Always prepare for this phenomena.

Copyright 2011, Kevin Gillan

Check out Thumbtack.com

2011-04-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Learn more about Advanced Leather Solutions products and services --- click

Leather Furniture Repair & Restoration on Thumbtack.

For the professional leather technicians who read my blog, you should consider using Thumbtack.com as another web-based resource to promote your business. It's easy to use. Check it out.

Advanced Leather Solutions Update

2011-03-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted to this blog. As always there is a lot going on at Advanced Leather Solutions, so finding the time to share with you has been difficult. Here’s a snap shot of what’s been going on for the past few months.

Our new production facility is now fully operational. Located in Anderson, CA, we have the benefit of much more affordable space than the high rent district we’ve occupied in the San Francisco Bay area. We reduced the shop size in Hayward to help off-set the cost of expansion. The Anderson shop is new, airy, with great light for color matching and our ongoing professional leather restoration process. But most importantly, it’s close to Jason’s (our senior technician) home in Redding. This has dramatically reduced his commuting time from hours to a few minutes.

In February we conducted our first training program in our Anderson shop. Antonio Aleman who runs Dr Vinyl of Puerto Rico attended. With years of working on automobile grade leather and vinyl, Antonio came to us to learn about the world of furniture grade leather. He’s now armed and ready for the leather wars in Puerto Rico.

In March we will be launching a new micro web-site singularly focused on leather paint. We have great products that simply don’t get the exposure they should from our overly crowded original site http://www.AdvLeather.com. The new site is still under development and when launched can be found at http://www.Leather-Paint.com. Expect to see us up and running by the end of March. We welcome your comments.

Our DIY Leather Solutions (http://DIYLeatherSolutions.com) program continues to supply leather repair and restoration solutions with remarkable results. It’s indeed heartwarming for us to receive the consistent stream of positive feedback from our DIY client base. We certainly have a proven, mature system. Thousands of people have been able to restore their old, tired looking leather back to like new.

In our market of Northern California, we offer choices. We can do the work for the client or they can take on the project. Clients truly like that choice. For the frugal minded, it makes all the difference. It’s truly a win-win.

Other leather technicians have seen the merit. Leather professionals around the US and elsewhere have picked up the system and incorporated it into their solutions arsenal. We offer our kits to professionals at a considerable discount. They make the sale, profit a bit from it and we help them through support of the client. Again, it’s win-win.

People are now connecting the dots in other ways. They are going to CraigsList, consignment stores, Goodwill and other such outlets, finding furniture that has good bones but the leather looking a little shabby, faded, etc. Then with our help and our DIY system, they are turning furniture destined for the land fill into gems. It certainly demonstrates the “renewable” nature of our work.

We are steadily building an increased presence with our YouTube channel. Video documentation is a very powerful tool. We are strong believers in visual references for our clients. Whether it’s solving severe cat claw damage or simply restoring the color to a favorite old leather belt, with video you have the visual reference showing how to perform a specific function.

Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/KevinsLeatherCareAdv?feature=mhsn

In the last week of February, I was invited as a speaker for the clients and guests of the Design Within Reach (DWR) Berkeley, CA showroom. The topic was Caring for Classics. I presented some simple tips on how to prolong the life of leather furniture. As always, when I do this sort of seminar there was an extensive question and answer period as people were asking specifics about their own furniture. It continues to demonstrate that there is a hunger for useful information and a deep lack of knowledge at the end-user level about proper care strategies for leather.

We continue to strive to be an unbiased information source for both professional leather technicians and consumers. We pride ourselves in answering questions in a clear and concise manner. We don’t believe in holding back. In fact, we strongly adhere to the principle of “No Secrets” as was the theme of our last Professional Leather Technician’s Symposium.

As always, we’re here to help. Call me directly, 510-786-6059 or send me an e-mail and I will respond.

Testimonials Continue to Pour In For Our DIY Leather Restoration System

2010-10-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here are two e-mail the I received this week from our DIY leather restoration clients. It is consistent with the experience we hear about over and over again.

Here's the first....

It's been a few months now since I dyed my sofa & chair...

Have to admit "I was scared to death"

Well it came out GREAT ! Everyone was amazed ------ because it was a water base I was afraid it would wash off after awhile...... however I just wiped up some spots from the front where my dog , who has allergies & rubs herself, No problem........ I have a friend who owns a white 3 piece sectional that she loves, but it sure does need help. I'm sure you'll be hearing from her in the near future.

Just thought I'd drop you a line and say ---THANK YOU

BETTY C.

Here's the second....

I just want to send a quick note to thank you for this great experience. My sectional looks awesome and everyone comments on it now. Please see attached before and after...

Please thank Jason for helping me with the print, once I got home and started doing it, I was very confident and did not stop until done. :)

Thanks again and I will be referring you to all my friends and family.

Theresa P.

Shoddy Products Taint the Leather Restoration Industry

2010-10-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

It can be frustrating and confusing for consumers who try a leather furniture restoration process on a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) basis. The market place is loaded with products that simply fail, giving the entire industry a black-eye. The truth is a "one-size-fits-all" solution may occasionally work but can not be effective for everybody.

At a professional level, no two leather furniture restoration projects are treated identically. The products and processes applied vary based on the type of leather and specific issues present in each particular piece. Variables like body oil accumulation, cat claw damage, fading, print coat failure, etc. make each project unique.

This applies to DIY projects as well. A successful DIY project requires a customized solution. The combination of the right products and "know-how" is essential. The person assembling a kit must have direct hands-on knowledge so he/she can analyze pictures of a project and prepare a customized DIY kit. The "know-how" is shared via a combination of DVD or internet based video and well written instructions. This is the essence of the Advanced Leather Solutions DIY kit.

To amplify the point here is the text of an e-mail I recently received.

"We have two dark blue leather couches from Sealy. We purchased them 9 years ago. I purchased a leather restoration kit from a place online that I no longer remember. The first color mix they sent me I thought worked well for the one couch so I ordered another kit from them for the second couch. The mix was a different color and also didn’t adhere as well and left a couple cushions almost ‘plasticky’ is best I can describe. I followed the directions the same for both couches, so not sure what the deal was. I contacted the company, they sent me a new kit with better looking dye and more of that alcohol based ‘cleaner’ to try to get as much of the other kit off as possible. I redid the second couch, even though 2 cushions still have a stiffer feel. That process held for a about 2 years. Kind of.

"I ordered another kit from another site (who have their label on the underside of the cushions along wit a bunch of tags with ‘S’ on them), and ordered enough to do both couches together. That seemed to work better than my first experience. But I see there is a lot of fading and worn spots from where you sit now. They need to be done again.

"Is this normal to have to redo the restoration every 18 months? I have a lot of brown faded in the cracks and where heads have rested on the backs etc. Do your products guarantee to adhere better? I did the cleaning and very light sanding and several light coats (I used a sponge brush instead of the spray can adaptor). On the 3 cushions from the second couch I have deeper cracks in the leather from the bad attempt. The leather is normally very soft and supple.

"Thank you for any assistance you can offer. We really like the comfort of the couches and they are still in very good condition minus the maintenance with the pigment adhering. We would like to keep them for years to come but would like them to look nice too."

The key questions....

Is this normal to have to redo the restoration every 18 months? --- No, it's NOT normal.

Do your products guarantee to adhere better? ---- This is the same system we use professionally for 23 years. If it failed that quickly we'd have been out of business a long time ago. the problem you now have is leather that is coated with who-knows-what. If that's failing, then my system on top will do very little good as the existing color coating is failing and will continue to fail. So, if you want quality results you'll have to strip thoroughly.

I have a lot of brown faded in the cracks and where heads have rested on the backs etc. --- Right... you have accumulation of body oils in the leather. That should have been extracted out first! Did either of these companies give you an oil extraction procedure? Oil is in the leather, not on the leather. Using a cleaner to resolve body oils is like trying to clean a tattoo form your skin. Our system includes an oil extraction chemistry for that purpose.

I did the cleaning and very light sanding and several light coats (I used a sponge brush instead of the spray can adaptor). ---- Our system is a wipe on system that includes a critical component - a primer that promotes quality adhesion.

On the 3 cushions from the second couch I have deeper cracks in the leather from the bad attempt. --- I would need to see photos of the cushions. If the cracking is into the epidermal layer of the hide, then your leather is ruined and those leather panels would have to be replaced. We can do that for you as well. If the cracking is just surface, then the leather can be saved.

The leather is normally very soft and supple. --- With our system, we think of leather on two levels, visual and tactile. In our system we include a specialized chemistry that penetrates deep into the leather fibers, bring back suppleness as much as the leather will allow.

What separates Advanced Leather Solutions from the rest of the pack? WE DO THIS WORK PROFESSIONALLY. We're not a marketing company. We actually restore peoples furniture as our main reason for existing. If we restore a $15,000 Roche Bobois sofa, it better be a permanent solution.

Our DIY system is a derivative of what we've been doing professionally for 23 years. We bring to the table a working knowledge of the chemistry and process. We know for example the system will fail if there is body oils present and the oil extraction process is ignored.

This allows us to customize each kit to the specific needs of the client and is the foundation of our success with our DIY system.

When Leather and Vinyl are paired together - Bad Things Happen

2010-10-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Look at this picture...

What you see is a leather seat top that is sewn to a vinyl side panel. The vinyl side panel has broken down. Once vinyl gets to this state of deterioration it cannot be effectively repaired. Note that on the leather side of the seam, everything is normal. This is a clear example of how quality top grain leather will outlast vinyl. All of the stress of weight baring is on the leather panel. The side panel is simply flexing as a person sits on the seat cushion, yet the deterioration of the vinyl is plainly obvious. This is a fairly common manufacturing process to intended reduce cost for the manufacturer. It is most commonly found on motion furniture (recliners).

Here's a close up of the same picture.

Note that the erosion of the vinyl is complete along the entire length of the seam.

Why does this happen?

The answer lies in the attributes of both materials. Leather is organic. It is infused with oils at the tannery to impart suppleness. Leather breathes. As such it looses its moisture (oils) through evaporation. Vinyl is a synthetic byproduct of the petrochemical industry. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is typically a solid. Think of the plastic garden pipe used in home irrigation system. PVC pellets are heated and mixed with an oil then this mixture flows over a cloth and when dry is now vinyl as found on furniture. The oil in vinyl is not molecularly bound to the vinyl molecule. Its free floating.

As leather looses its moisture through evaporation, to equalize that moisture loss, it wicks the oils from the vinyl side of the seam. Thus oils vacate the vinyl, as they are sucked into the leather. This loss of oil gradually reduces the vinyl to its original solid state and it slowly flakes away as shown in the picture. The thinner the vinyl, the quicker this will happen.

Once the vinyl coating of the cloth substrate disappears, it cannot be replaced through a repair. The only solution is to remove the offended panel and replace with new. To do that requires disassembly of the furniture which balloons the cost beyond reasonable.

This vinyl failure is one of the perils of a leather-vinyl combination. Most people are not aware that components of there furniture are vinyl. Generally the piece is sold as "leather furniture" when in fact it's part leather and part vinyl. When I see this condition I recommend that the client not invest further in the piece. It's time to get new furniture.

If you have leather and vinyl on the same piece of furniture, then to prevent this from becoming your problem, keep the leather moisturized. Properly and frequently apply leather conditioner (SG - 25 moisturizer) to ensure that the leather has no need to wick the oils from the vinyl.

Copyright 2010 Kevin Gillan

Ink on Leather? Beware of Home Remedies

2010-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

A consumer has a new Ashley Furniture leather sofa that has suffered an pen mark (ink) on it. The owner of the piece did an Internet search and read that hairspray would pull out ink from leather. This picture shows the results. The hairspray didn't pull out the ink, instead it stripped the outer color coating (print coat) in a few places around the ink. Note the light spots. That's the exposed base color coat after the print coat was dissolved by the hairspray.

What actually happened when the hairspray hit the leather? Hairspray has alcohol as an ingredient along with a bunch of other nasty stuff including versions of lacquer. Alcohol is a solvent that will strip color from leather. The hairspray theory is based on the alcohol's ability to pull the color of the ink out of the leather. However as you see, the hairspray did strip color, just the wrong color. It dissolved the color of the leather.

The unfortunate fact is alcohol can't discriminate between the coloring on the leather and the ink coloring. This is exacerbated by this particular leather's weak chemical resistance, a hallmark of Ashley leather furniture. The broad hairspray pattern hit the leather in a wide swath causing collateral damage. It's like the old military practice of carpet bombing. Whereas what is needed is precision in attacking just the ink stripe, leaving the surrounding leather unharmed.

There are several strategies to resolve an ink problem. Keep in mine this key point --- the ink is not harming the leather. It is strictly an aesthetic issue. Here is the text of an earlier post from my blog that specifically discusses ink on leather.

In the interest of disseminating accurate and complete information about leather furniture restoration and repair, I wrote this post for people who have the common problem of ink on their leather furniture. There's lots of misinformation on the web about ink on leather. So, here are the facts.

Ink on leather? It's a common problem and completely solvable. The only question is if it requires professional attention or, can you resolve the issue yourself.

First, the basics:

1. Ink is primarily a dye. As such the ink has recolored the leather. It is not harmful to the leather. So the problem is strictly aesthetic.

2. If you can get to it quickly, then using a damp cloth, attempt to transfer as much ink off the leather as you can before it sets in the leather. Gently wipe or blot. In a short period of time, the ink travels into the leather. Don’t rub or you’ll push the ink into the leather, and possible rub out the leather’s grain pattern. Keep in mind that once ink penetrates into the leather it essentially has recolored the leather. No amount of aggressive rubbing will change that fact. You might also try a soft artist eraser, gently tracing the ink line. The objective is to pull the ink out before it has a chance to set.

3. Once it is set, removing ink from the leather is NOT a cleaning issue. In almost all cases any cleaner used that is strong enough to pull out the ink, won’t know the difference between the color of the ink and the color of the leather. Aggressive cleaning may pull out the ink, but will also pull out the leather color as well. And, aggressive cleaning chemicals will do more harm (pH damage) to the leather than the ink.

4. The use of ink sticks or other products advertised to remove ink is risky business. The active ingredient is a solvent intended to neutralize the ink. Its success depends on how sensitive your leather is to chemical intervention. If the finish on your leather is chemically resistant it may work, but then again, A) it may pull the color out of the leather, B) may simply smear the ink around, C) may pull the protective top coat from the leather, D) may not do anything at all. Ink sticks and the like are clearly a “Buyer Beware” issue. Be careful.

5. Consider this --- one attribute of ink is that it migrates. That is to say the ink moves. This means that an accidental ink stripe may be absorbed into the leather and present a gradually fading reference that dissipates within a few weeks. So, a minor ink stripe may disappear of its own accord. Therefore, as time is not critical, leave it alone for a few weeks and see what happens. It may disappear altogether or become faint enough that it is no longer be an issue. However, if there is a high concentration of dye (i.e. permanent marker like a Sharpie pen) or a larger volume (ink spill) then what you see will be there for a long, long time.

6. If it hasn't dissipated on its own accord, or doesn’t responded to your gentle cleaning attempts then it’s probably time to turn it over to a professional. There is a two step process to resolve it.

A solvent, (e.g. denatured alcohol) is used to neutralize the ink, knowing that it will in all likelihood affect the color of the leather. If you want to try this step yourself, then use a Q-Tip or like device moistened with alcohol and trail down the ink line. Keep turning the Q-Tip to a clean area so that you don’t transfer the ink that has been absorbed by the Q-Tip back on the leather. If the ink has been neutralized, and you haven’t disturbed the color, you’re very lucky.

If the color has been affected, then it’s on to step # 2. Using an airbrush, and the properly mixed leather color, the offended area is airbrushed and viola - the problem disappears. The final step is to apply a top coat with the air brush. The top coat is the primary protection on the leather and it also dictates the sheen.

It is important to note that simply coloring over the ink is likely not effective. Remember, one of ink’s attributes is migration. If you simply color over, then the ink will migrate up through the color coating and present itself all over again.

Once ink has set, ink removal from leather generally requires a professional as the key to success is color matching. Without experience, color matching can be very difficult. A final consideration is the type of leather. The more delicate the leather, the more difficult it will be to extract the ink and apply color so that it is undetectable. For more information about this and other issues associated with leather, go to http://www.advleather.com.

Copyright 2009, Kevin Gillan

Leather Restoration Extended to Conservation and Preservation

2010-09-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

We are often called upon to save existing leather, despite the reality that the leather is technically at the end of its useful life. The typical life cycle of quality leather runs about 30 years. However, we’ll be asked to restore leather that is 50 to 100 years old or even older where the leather is severely desiccated, with deep epidermal damage. These projects move beyond typical restoration and into the realm of conservation and preservation. They are the assignments where the true skills of our craftsmen come into play.

Sometimes we have to invent processes to accomplish the client’s goal. Saving the leather interior built into a 1953 Jaguar XK-120 is an excellent example. By any reasonable measure the leather was beyond restoration yet the client wanted to retain the original leather for valuation purposes.

Because this was a unique project, we documented the process via video. We also knew it would be a long term project and the client lived 1,500 miles away, so video documentation was a method we used to keep the client informed of our progress. You can access the full video from your web-site directly by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.

The following is a copy of a letter the client sent to Auto Restorer magazine, a periodical dedicated to the classic car crowd.

Dear Auto Restorer,

I’ve been a subscriber for several years and would like to alert your readers to what I believe is a relatively unique service that will be of interest to anyone wanting to preserve an original car versus restoration. I’m the fortunate steward of an unrestored 1953 Jaguar XK-120. My 58,000 mile car’s original paint still looks nice, albeit with a few blemishes here and there, and mechanically is trustworthy as well. The leather seats however were deteriorating to the point that in order to save them at all, I pulled them out and for the last couple years substituted a pair of reproductions of period competition seats. For several years I looked for someone who could repair and preserve the original leather versus going the route of an upholstery kit. These were beyond a minor Dr. Vinyl type repair as there was serious scuffing in places and several cracks that had grown into full splits.

I periodically searched services every year or so and last fall found Advanced Leather Solutions in the San Francisco Bay area of California. My seats were in their shop a few months as the process for removing oils to get the leather where they can bond repair panels under the surface requires many applications over time. Along the way, they sent video updates so I could see everything that took place. Anyone seeing the before and after would be amazed. The scuffing, open cracks and splits are gone yet they maintained the patina that only time can bring. As you’re probably aware, preservation instead of restoration is a growing trend in our hobby and in my opinion this company is a great resource for anyone who wants to repair and preserve original leather. For those interested, a video of the processes performed on my seats can be downloaded from their web site at www.advancedleathersolutions.com.

Thanks,

Mike Buchanan

Cape Girardeau, MO

It is projects like this that sets Advanced Leather Solutions apart from the ordinary leather repair and restoration company. While our bread and butter work is the mundane repairs and restoration, our true skills are tested with the out-of-the-ordinary projects. They create the opportunity to extend the boundaries of our technical and artistic abilities.

We are seeing more and more of this from our clients who want to preserve and conserve old leather --- to keep that “look” yet resolve the problems life presents. For example, a current project involves water damage suffered on century old dining chairs where the leather on the seat tops is structurally disintegrating. Our goal is to artistically conceal the water damage without causing further deterioration to the leather. This is truly a challenge.

If you want to learn more about the conservation and preservation aspects of leather restoration, feel free to contact us.

This is the link to the video of the Jaguar XK-120 project:

http://advleather.com/xk120vid.html

Insights Into Bicast

2010-09-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

For years I've taken phone calls and e-mails from distraught consumers who made the mistake of purchasing bi-cast (bicast) material when they thought it was real leather. It is sold as leather but it is clearly NOT the real deal. Just as fiberboard isn't real wood, bicast isn't real leather.

As a general rule, leather that has suffered damage can be successfully repaired. In the case of bicast this is problematic as any repair can only be as strong as the surrounding material. With bicast, the material is inherently weak. As such, a repair to bicast will, in all likelihood, fail.

At the end of this blog entry you'll find a link to photos that have been sent to me by consumers depicting their classic problems with bicast material. They show the wide variety of ways bicast fails. In the world of furniture there has never been a more true application of the phrase "buyer beware." Bicast is a problem waiting to happen.

Here is the text of an excellent article written by Barbara Carney, a leather restoration expert in the Chicago area.

Bi-cast and Bonded Leather is NOT Leather! So, What Is It?
.
"Bi-cast and bonded "leather" can be the right choice for you – Here’s the complete story so you can make an informed decision.

"The term “leather” is used to describe 2 completely different types of material used on furniture:

1. Real = An intact animal hide processed to look and feel good. Very strong.
2. Bi-cast / bonded = Plastic with a little leather and maybe some fabric glued to the back. Not so strong.

"Note: Imitation leather = Plastic with fabric glued to the back. Not so strong.

"What’s going on? Leather’s very desirable because it:
· Looks good - many different possible textures, colors and finishes
· Strong, durable – can last decades; can be repaired and recolored
· Feels good to touch – soft and flexible
· Breathes, so you don’t get clammy or too hot
· Shows you have taste and could afford the nicer things

"Real leather soils easily, so a protective paint-like colored coating is added to approx 85% of the real leather furniture sold in the U.S. It’s a thin, breathable plastic that stays flexible and still has an appealing leather feel and light smell. Consumers easily confuse this with the thicker, non-breathable plastic layer of the lower cost bi-cast and bonded leathers. By adding a little leather – about 17% - which you don’t see or touch, it’s legal in the U. S. to sell bi-cast and bonded products as leather – which most people will think means real leather. In Europe and New Zealand it’s illegal to call such products leather.

"Bi-cast is a clever product. Typically, it’s a thick layer of plastic made to look and feel like leather, laminated on top of a thin, weak layer of leather. This layer is a “split” - horizontally split from the bottom of the original hide in a big sheet. In bi-cast, you don’t see it or feel it. It adds none of the characteristics of real leather, except one: If you check the inside surface, it looks and smells like leather. Why bother? A savvy consumer may know how to check for real leather by looking at the inside for the characteristic rough suede and the smell, or a trained salesperson may show it to the consumer – “See – it’s leather!”

"Bonded leather goes one step farther: Powdered leather fibers are mixed with a resin and extruded in a sheet, like paper or particleboard. There’s no physical characteristic left of the original leather. It’s a recycling method for using scraps. Just like the asphalt on your street might contain recycled plastic bottles. The layer containing the leather is on the back, just like bi-cast.

"As Furniture Today magazine says: ...calling these products bonded leather "is deceptive because it does not represent its true nature. It's a vinyl, or a polyurethane laminate or a composite, but it's not leather. If you tar and feather someone, does that make them a chicken?" Obviously not.

"Sometimes it's even scented like leather. In the end, it's plastic - it's clammy, it's much less durable, it can't be repaired - unless you consider duct tape and a slip cover a repair. Some split or delaminate and peel after a few months or just a year or 2. Some are more durable, but it's very hard to know when you buy it. You’d need the
test data on the number of “rubs” to be sure."

Thank you Barbara for this excellent piece. I hope it will help alert the unsuspecting consumer to make wise choices when selecting their leather furniture.

Click on this link to see pictures representing a sampling of the problems bicast presents.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpgillan/BicastPicturesFromClientsShowingTheVarietyOfWaysBicastLeatherFails#

Dyes vs. Pigments Re-visited

2010-09-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

There is a common misuse of the word “dye” in the leather repair and restoration business. While I’ve discussed this before here, it’s time to address the issue again.

There are two methods for coloring leather. 1. Dyes. 2. Dyes and then pigment coated. It is very rare that leather would be pigment coated without having been dyed first.

Starting with the basics – Animal skins are tanned. This process converts the skin to leather. The main purpose of tanning is to preserve the hide. It stops the natural degeneration or rotting process. At the end of the tanning procedure and before the color step, the hide is called a “crust.”

The crust is highly absorbent. Think of a chemise. The crust is infused with a dye which we all know to be a coloring element. The actual dye molecule is very small. It penetrates into the fiber structure of the crust (leather) and establishes the color. Typically it penetrates completely through the leather (struck through) so looking at a cross cut, you see the same color from front to back. The dye is not molecularly bound to fiber structure, rather it as floating within the fiber bundles. Because it is free floating, one of its attributes is migration. It will transfer or move.

Water will accelerate migration. Consider blue jeans. They fade when washed. The dye molecule migrates out of the medium (in this case denim) and is flushed down the drain. I have had occasion to witness this phenomena with leather many times. A damp white cotton cloth wiped across dyed leather will pull the color.

Dyes have a unique beauty. Because of their small molecular construct, dyes are translucent. You look into the leather to see its color. It accentuates the natural beauty of the leather. Because the porosity of leather is inconsistent, some areas of the hide will accept more dye than others. This creates the natural mottling affect you see with dyed leather. Its beauty can’t be beat. We classify this leather as being “unfinished.”

There is a dark side. The dye molecule does not tolerate UV light very well. That wave length or spectrum of light hits the dye molecule and breaks it up. This process gradually leaches the dye from leather causing the leather to lose its color (fade). Furthermore, dyed leather continues to have a high level of porosity. Spill a liquid and it will soak into the leather, potentially staining the leather. In reality the stained area has been re-colored. So trying to clean it is like trying to clean a tattoo from your skin.

Bottom line: dyed or unfinished leather is beautiful when new, but it is aesthetically vulnerable to staining and fading. Only about 15% of all leather furniture is unfinished. It is typically the most expensive leather as only the finest hides (least flawed with unsightly hide characteristics) can qualify to be unfinished.

Most leather then goes through a secondary coloring process with the application of a pigmented coating. The pigment molecule sits on the leather’s surface. As a coloring element the pigment molecule is a big, robust molecule with excellent covering power, like snow on the ground. The pigment molecule is carried in a binding chemistry that locks it in place. That binder chemistry is uniquely engineered for leather. It establishes a film on the leather surface that is opaque. The color you see is from a topical colorant that is a pigment. This is known as “finished” leather.

Pigments lack translucency so the color is flatter than dyes. But pigments are far less sensitive to UV so they don’t fade nearly as radically. Consider and automobile leather car seat. They don’t fade despite tons of sun exposure. They are colored with a pigment. Additionally, the film of color on the leather will resist absorption. If something spills, you can wipe it off the leather as it won’t immediately soak in.

You can not successfully re-dye leather using dye as the coloring element for a whole bunch of technical reasons, not the least of which is that you will be wearing the color on your clothing if you sit on the furniture. Setting the dye so that it doesn’t transfer easily can only be done at a tannery under very specific and controlled processes.

Leather can be re-colored, but only with a pigment application. If it was dyed (unfinished) leather in the first place, the re-coloring process is with a pigment that provides full covering power, thus converting the leather to a “finished” or pigment coated status.

Of course we do this color restoration process professionally all the time, and it is the essence of the Do-It-Yourself kits offered by Advanced Leather Solutions. Taking it one step further, because it’s an opaque chemistry, the color coating can be changed to whatever color desired.

The next time a leather technician says he/she can re-dye your leather, be weary as that person does not understand the fundamental difference between a dye and a pigment.

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

What Is Best for Leather Color Application – Rub or Spray

2010-09-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

When doing a full color restoration to leather furniture, automobile leather or garments there are two application options with Advanced Leather Solutions color system – rub and spray. But, which is best?

There are clear pluses and minuses to both.

Spray System with High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) Air Equipment:

Advantages

Even color application
More efficient use of material – less waste
No potential for streaking
More “factory like” result
Less labor intensive
More variety of mottling techniques if required

Disadvantages

Over spray considerations
Must tape-off all not leather components
Must have expensive equipment (Compressor and Air Gun)
Not practical for in-home application due to over spray
Requires top-coat as sealer coat

Rub System with Wipe-on Color Applicators

Advantages

Simple
Easy to master the application technique
Does not require experience
Single pass - does not require a top-coat
On-site application does not require taping-off

Disadvantages

More material consumed
Takes longer – more strenuous
Potential for streaking
Not as fine a finish as spray

In the end, both systems produce excellent results. The choice of one over the other is often dictated by the nature of the assignment and availability of application tools.

For a consumer, the rub system is better suited as it’s so simple to master and doesn’t require specialized application equipment. For the professional leather technician the rub system offers the ability to work on-site with no threat of over-spray issues.

In a professional shop environment the choice is generally to spray as it more efficient use of labor time and materials and will produce a finer, more factory like result.

In our shop we use a hybrid approach. In either case leather has to be properly primed for quality adhesion. Then, we spray a section of leather with one hand and wipe it while wet with the other. This mechanical wiping motion promotes better adhesion as it drives the color down into the grain pattern. We then spray each subsequent coat to create a smooth, even color distribution, followed by topcoat application applied via spray. Here is a video link to YouTube that shows a color change in our Hayward, CA leather restoration studio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycZhJTSrKJ0

Both approaches have their place. Our rub system has worked wonders with consumers, empowering them with the ability to restore their own furniture using the Advanced Leather Solutions’ Do-It-Yourself kit concept - a rub based solution. Check it out at this web-site:

http://www.DIYLeatherSolutions.com

Our professional leather technician clients have generally standardized on the spray approach. However, some use both depending the circumstances. For example, Leather Doctor in the Columbus, Ohio area uses both --- the rub approach when doing in-home restoration and the spray option in his shop facility.

To learn more about the art and science of leather restoration contact us at Advanced Leather Solutions or go to our web-site http://www.advleather.com.

Advanced Leather Solutions Training Programs

2010-09-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I've received numerous requests for information on our training options. This gives the full details.

Advanced Leather Solutions Training -

To become an effective leather technician requires knowledge and the right products. The market offer choices:

Buy a Franchise for a bucket full of money.
Attend a one day “Training Program” in a class room with a few dozen other people and see a sales pitch.
Join our program where we teach the basics first so you are armed with the ability to think through each leather repair and restoration project your client presents. Our program is not just theory or a sales pitch. It’s founded on the real world experiences of over 23 years and tens of thousands of repair and restoration projects under our belt.

Our training program offers multiple options tailored to the needs of the individual.

This is NOT a franchise offering yet has all of the essential ingredients of a business opportunity. Our program has:

No Franchise Fee

No Territorial Limits

No Royalty Fee

No Contracts

No Monthly Technical Support Fee

No requirement to purchase products from us

No non-compete agreements

Our program is not a sales presentation with demonstrations at the front of the room.

Our program is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Ours is an in depth immersion where you learn the “how” but more importantly the “why” as well. The goal is to teach the underlying fundamentals so you can think for yourself, not simply do by rote.

There are training 3 options: Full hands-on, Distance learning, Custom

Hands-On Training

We offer a complete hands-on training program and an optional full Leather Repair and Restoration business starter kit.

The class is scheduled on as needed basis at either our Hayward, CA (San Francisco Bay Area) facility or in our Redding, CA (Northern CA) production factory.

The following is a general overview and some additional information that includes:

1. The course objective

2. A sample lesson from the Training Guide
3. A detailed course synopsis, including fee structure, and accommodations for our out-of-town guests.
4. Course outline

THE BASICS OF LEATHER REPAIR

Objective Statement ---

This course is intended for people who repair leather. The candidates include independent leather service technicians, automobile detailers, leather furniture manufactures, leather supply houses, transit companies, warranty companies and retailers to name a few. At the conclusion of this course, the attendee will have a basic grasp of how to access a problem, develop a strategy for repair and execute the appropriate steps to create the most effective solution possible.

Course Includes ---

1. 3 1/2 days of hands-on training with each attendee working from his/her personal kit. The lead trainer has been repairing leather furniture for over 23 years, having successfully repaired thousands of damaged leather furniture pieces. The course takes that deep practical experience and brings it to each attendee.

2. 180 page Leather Technician Field Guide that covers the course material. It is written in an organized, easy-to-read fashion. The attendee can focus on the hands-on activities without the need to take notes as the specific techniques are all well documented in the training guide.

3. Access to our DVD library of “How-To” instructions with a three year subscription and access to our technical library of on-line video instructions.

4. Toll-free telephone support for three full years. Our technical support team is ready to answer any questions and assist in any way possible in solving the problems faced by the attendee when back on the job.

5. Addition to our Web-site with a link to you in your market as a lead referral source.

6. Certification by Advanced Leather Solutions as a trained professional leather technician.

7. An attendee can bring to the class specific leather problems they may have encountered and see how our technicians solve them.

Course Fee: $3,000. If another attendee from the same entity (like a business partner of husband and wife team), the second person can attend at ½ price ($1,500).

Options:

A fully outfitted professional level mobile kit with electrical wiring built in to support the included compressor, top-of-the-line airbrushing equipment, professional quality heat gun, etc. Additionally the kit contains all the other necessary tools and chemistry for repairing damaged leather. This is the same kit our service technicians use. It has evolved over the last 23 years of field repairs by our technicians to be as reliable, efficient and complete a repair kit as possible. If purchased at the time of training, the kit fee is $1500. If purchased at any other time the kit fee is $1750. We can ship anywhere in North America via UPS. You will be responsible for shipping cost.
Business Development Plan for starting a leather repair business which identifies markets, recommends pricing and offers samples for marketing materials. Customer relations issues are discussed so the repair technician is guided with effective answers to the difficult questions the consumer may be asking. Three year on going marketing support going forward is included. Fee is $1,000.

Course Synopsis

This course is intended for those who desire a fundamental understanding of the leather repair process. The goal is to impart sufficient knowledge for an individual to accomplish simple repairs to damaged leather. This includes a basic grasp of key principles and concepts including:

1. The nature and types of leather

2. How to assess the damage and develop a repair strategy

3. The repair processes for typical damage to leather

4. The compounds and chemistry necessary to affect a repair

5. leather finish color matching

6. Finish application techniques to conceal and disguise the repair

It is important to note that this training program is based on the real-world experiences of our field technicians who garnered this knowledge through 23 years of leather repair and restoration. Its focus is solutions to common problems encountered on leather furniture. It is not an academic exercise. Nor a sales pitch for a franchise. Rather, it’s a practical, solutions-oriented program dedicated to sharing the hard-fought knowledge, tricks and short-cuts that only experience teaches.

When completed, each participant will be able to create strong, invisible and long lasting repairs to damaged leather. However, we believe that the practical training process is on-going and will continue well after the formal training is concluded. The true test of your skills will come when you are in the field faced with real-world challenges under the harsh lights and discerning eye of a client. In that regard, we commit to have our technicians available to answer questions and help guide you through difficult repairs as you encounter them. Thus the training continues after the formal training ends, boosting your confidence and improving your effectiveness.

Each participant that successfully completes the formal training program, followed with three months of direct field experience, will be certified as a competent leather repair technician, and will be added to our qualified professional resource base. This list will be posted to our web-site so those in need in your area can find you easily and have confidence that you are appropriately trained, using state-of-the-art materials, and backed by a leader in the industry.

Course materials

Each attendee receives a fully out-fitted, professional leather repair kit with all the tools and materials necessary to solve leather related problems in the field. Additionally all attendees receive a Leather Technician Field Guide entitled the Basics of Leather Repair. The guide is complete with all the pertinent concepts and procedures defined and outlined, with ample room for notes. Its structure follows the course outline. This document will be your “Bible” of leather repair. It’s to be used as your field reference guide.

The Training Process

This 3 ½ day program consists of two primary methodologies:

1. Instructor-led concept workshops

2. Hands-on direct application of concepts and procedures

Each day consists both instructor-led and hands-on training. We believe in as much one-on-one training as is practical, therefore each session will have limited attendance.

Location

All hands-on training will be conducted at our shop facility in Hayward, CA or in our production facility in Redding, CA. Hayward this is the heart of the beautiful San Francisco bay area, a highly desirable travel destination for people from all over the world. Stay an extra few days and enjoy the bay area. Redding is the gateway to California’s fabulous Mt. Shasta region with the northern Sierra nearby.

Travel

From outside the bay area, Oakland International Airport is the closest air travel access. Oakland airport is a hub for Southwest airlines. The airport is 15 minutes from the training site. Additionally, San Francisco International Airport is only 30 minutes away and San Jose International Airport is a 40 minute trip. For those traveling via car, or are local to the bay area, the Marriot Inn and Suites Hotel and our shop facility are at the junction of Route 92 (San Mateo Bridge) and Industrial Blvd.

Accommodations

The Marriot Inn and Suites Hotel in Hayward is a three diamond award-winning facility. It’s an affordable new hotel with comfortable amenities. A full, buffet-style breakfast is included in your room rate. Please be sure to mention that you are booking for the training program for best possible rates.

Here is the outline of the course:

Lessons:

1. Leather Fundamentals and Terminology

a. Tanning Process

b. Finishing Process

i. Examples

ii. Application

c. Dye – Pigment

i. Differences

ii. Examples

d. Basic Care Issues

i. pH issues

ii. Cleaning

iii. Conditioning

2. Leather Repair Tools

a. Kit Review

i. Chemicals

ii. Finishes

iii. Tools

b. Safety considerations

i. Electrical

ii. Drops and rags

c. Maintenance considerations

d. Kit management

3. Assessing Damage Strategies

a. Type of leather

b. What is damage vs. natural characteristic

i. If natural, should it be “repaired”

c. Nature of damage

i. Cuts and tears

ii. Rubs, scuffs and abrasions

iii. Stains

1. food

2. oil

3. urine

4. slobber or saliva - animal, child

iv. Burns

v. Scratches

vi. Ink

vii. Animal chews

viii. Cat claws

ix. Body oil

x. Holes

xi. Odor

d. Location of damage

e. Environment

i. Lighting

ii. Attitudes and expectations

f. Set-up procedures

g. Spill and overspray controls

h. What is repairable – what isn’t

i. Knowing when to walk away

i. What is an acceptable repair

i. Strive for perfection – be willing to accept less

ii. Remember – you didn’t cause the damage

iii. Goal is to improve the visual

iv. 5 foot rule

v. Independent observer rule

vi. Full disclosure before you begin

j. Demonstration of a repair

i. Remember – less is best.

4. The Preparation Process

a. Checking nature and condition of finish on leather, if any

i. Delicate leather considerations

ii. Adhesion testing

iii. pH damage

iv. Body oils

v. Fading

vi. Finish oxidation

vii. Dye transfer and related conditions

b. Chemicals for Cleaning and Priming – Role for Each

i. Water

ii. Alcohol

1. Denatured

2. Isopropyl

iii. Methanol

iv. Degreaser

v. Acetone

vi. OMS

vii. Leather Cleaner

viii. Spot Remover

ix. Ink Remover

x. Conditioner

xi. PUP and Derivatives

xii. Replenishing oils

c. Sanding

5. Sub-patching

a. When is it necessary

b. Why

c. What

d. How

e. Adhesives

f. Technique

6. Fillers

a. How they work

b. When to use what

c. How to fill

d. Curing

i. Bulb

ii. Other heat source

e. Problems and pit-falls

7. About Exotics

a. Calf skin

b. Pure aniline

c. Brushed (Nubuck)

d. Suede

e. Pig skin

f. Deer

g. Ostrich

h. Others

8. Leather Finishes

a. Basic chemical composition

i. Water base

b. Color

c. Top-coat

d. Effect of feel (hand)

9. Color Theory

a. Chroma

b. Hue

c. Value

d. Color wheel

e. ROY G BIV

10. Color Matching

11. Application Methods and techniques

a. Air brush

b. Sprayers

c. Rub technique

d. Brush

e. Curing considerations

12. Introduction to Mottled Colors

a. Basics of base and print

b. Tipped leathers

c. Interaction of two or more colors

d. Methods

i. Stencils

ii. Sponging

iii. Splatter

iv. Dusting

13. Grain matching

a. Spray grain

b. Graining tools

c. Application techniques

14. Top Coats

a. Importance of sheen

b. Protection characteristics

c. Feel modifiers

d. Coverage

e. Curing

15. Concluding the repair

a. Clean-up strategies

Distance Learning:

This is a highly affordable entry level program. It doesn’t require travel. It's considerably less in-depth than the full hands-on program. This will get you started. The program is particularly effective for those already in the furniture repair business but lack the essential knowledge about leather. It opens up additional revenue opportunities to address the enormous need of leather repair.

This program includes…

1. A starter kit of colors, primers, repair compounds top coats, etc.
2. An air brush (Badger 250-3)
3. The Technician's Field Guide
4. 5 DVD's on aspects of leather repair
5. 3 hour introductory consultation via web cam or telephone
6. Sample leather pieces for practice.

Fee is $795. plus shipping of materials via UPS

This program is a low cost entry to get your feet a bit wet in this industry. If you are serious about the business then it is much better to go with the hands-on program. Otherwise it’s like trying to teach yourself how to play piano with a book and 3 hours of over the phone conversation with a piano teacher.

Custom:

You define for us what you want to learn and we’ll create a training structure to accommodate your needs. If you are a franchisor or perhaps a major corporation with many locations throughout the world and want to pick up a fully mature training program that is tailored to your specific needs, we’re happy to offer a solution, including an in depth “Train-the-Trainer” program.

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

The pH of Leather - Or, How to Ruin Leather by Following Bad Advice

2010-09-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

In the September, 2010 issue of the popular magazine Martha Stewart Living there is an article that talks about how to clean various household items. One of the categories discussed is leather. In the article it is recommended to use household cleaners on leather. This is a serious mistake that can easily discolor or worse permanently damage fine leather furniture.

A minor lesson in basic chemistry will make this problem clear. It has to do with a not well known leather attribute – the pH of leather.

What is pH anyway?

pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity (basicity) of a substance. It is measured on a scale that runs from 1 to 14 where the center point --- 7 --- is neutral as determined by pure water. Any measure below 7 is acidic and any measure above 7 is alkaline. This scale is logarithmic. This means that a substance with a pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than water (pH of 7) and continuing down the scale, a pH of 5 is 100 times more acidic than water. The same differential applies going up the scale as well.

When you bring two substances into contact with each other where their pH differ, a chemical reaction occurs as the pH of both substances come into balance by neutralizing each other creating a salt like substance in the process. The severity of the chemical reaction is determined by the degree of differential. Mix baking soda (a Base) with vinegar (an acid) and a somewhat explosive chemical reaction will occur. There are several videos on YouTube that clearly demonstrate this reaction.

How does this apply to leather?

Leather is acidic. Its pH is measured at between 4.5 and 5.0. Household cleaners are alkaline. Windex, 409, Mr. Clean are all common household cleaners with a pH of exceeding 9.0 and topping out at 11.45 (Windex). Given the logarithmic nature of the scale, that represents a huge differential compared to leather.

Like in the vinegar and baking soda demonstrations, a reaction within the fiber structure of leather occurs when you clean leather furniture with a household cleaner. Leather is a very absorbent material. It may not be as immediate or as explosive but the reaction nonetheless will slowly but permanently damage the leather’s fiber structure, weakening it in the process. As the household cleaner is absorbed into the leather fibers the reaction breaks down those fibers. With enough exposure, the fiber bundles lose their integrity, turning to mush. Bottom-line: household cleaners accelerate the demise of fine leather furniture.

The other negative is the effect these harsh cleaners can have on the color coating of “finished” leather. It acts like a stripping agent, pulling the protective clear coating and subsequently color coating as well.

As a leather repair and restoration specialist with Advanced Leather Solutions, Inc., I receive the frantic phone calls and e-mails from people who have discovered on their own the damage household cleaners can do to the color coating or worse the actual integrity of their leather. In most cases it’s correctable, but sometimes the damage is so severe that the cost of correction exceeds the value of the furniture. You can learn more about the attributes of leather from our web-site www.ADVLeather.com.

In the Martha Stewart Living article, the author also referred to saddle soap as a possible material to use on upholstery grade leather. Saddle soap is a generic term that is applied to a number of different products. However, the same pH issue applies. In most cases saddle soap has a pH exceeding 10, thus highly alkaline.

Despite the best intentions sometimes advice can be far more dangerous than good. The lesson here is to be sure that any time you apply a chemistry to leather, identify its pH so that you are actually helping solve a problem correctly, not executing a “seek and destroy” mission.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of a product usually defines its pH. These can generally be found on-line.

Leather Repair and Restoration Training

2010-09-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing a significant increase in interest in our leather repair and restoration training program. For those interested, here is some information about our training program.

Course Title - THE BASICS OF LEATHER REPAIR

Objective Statement ---
This course is intended for people who repair and restore leather. At the conclusion of the course, the attendee will have a basic grasp of how to access a problem, develop a strategy for repair and execute the appropriate steps to create the most effective solution possible.

Course Includes ---
1. A fully outfitted professional level mobile kit with electrical wiring built in to support the included compressor, top-of-the-line airbrushing equipment, professional quality heat gun, etc. Additionally the kit contains all the other necessary tools and chemistry for repairing damaged leather. This is the same kit our service technicians use. It has evolved over the last 23 years of field repairs by our technicians to be as reliable, efficient and complete a repair kit as possible.

2. 3 1/2 days of hands-on training with each attendee working from his/her personal kit. The lead trainer has been repairing leather furniture for over 21 years, having successfully repaired thousands of damaged leather furniture pieces. The course takes that deep practical experience and brings it to each attendee.

3. One hundred eighty page Leather Technician's Field Guide that covers the course material. It is written in an organized, easy-to-read fashion. The attendee can focus on the hands-on activities without the need to take notes as the specific techniques are all well documented in the training guide.

4. Our commitment to follow-on telephone support. Our technical support team is ready to answer any questions and assist in any way possible in solving the problems faced by the attendee when back on the job.

5. Access to our library of DVD based training modules with a 3 year subscription. Here is a sample training related video sequence we have up on Picasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpgillan/StitchingTechniqueForAnOpenSeamOnLeatherFurniture#

6. Customer relations issues are discussed so the repair technician is guided with effective answers to the difficult questions the consumer may be asking.

7. Certification as a trained professional leather technician.

8. An attendee can bring to the class specific leather problems they may have encountered and see how our technicians solve them.

The fee for a single person (including the technician's kit) is $3,600. A second person from the same entity is an additional $1,200. We require $1,000 deposit and the balance due upon arrival for the trainingsession.

This program is in essence a "Business in a Box" concept. It doesn't have any of the financial burdens and territorial limitations of a franchise that may cost many thousands of dollars more. For more information, contact us via e-mail: Kevin@ADVLeather.com, or via phone in the US at 510-786-6059.

Advanced Leather Solutions SG Series Marketing Info

2010-09-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

The following is marketing information for those who wish to become resellers of the proven SG Series of leather performance products made by Advanced Leather Solutions, Inc. Here at ADVLeather.com we chemically engineer the best performance for leather care products. Those who use the products praise the results. Those who distribute the products to their customers report back to us that their customers are also praising the merits of SG - 5, our leather cleaner and SG - 25 our leather conditioner. As a reader of my blog, you too can take advantage these superb products, either under your own private label or take advantage of the brand awareness Advanced Leather Solutions has already created. Here are the details...

Advanced Leather Solutions --- The SG Series of Leather Performance products

Intensive cleaning and moisturizing for automobile, leather garments and furniture

Chemically engineered specifically for leather

Safe and easy cleaning action --- SG - 5 cleans automotive and upholstery grade leather. The cleaning action is safe for leather, surrounding and lifting dirt away from the leather, even if deeply embedded in the grain pattern. Because it is safe for leather, frequent repeated application will not damage the leather. The cleaning action brightens the leather without the use of harsh bleaching agents.

Intensive moisture replenishment --- SG - 25 is an intensive moisturizer for automobile and upholstery. These replenishing oils and other softening agents are absorbed deep into the leather, where they restore the leather’s vitality.

Improves suppleness --- As leather dries, it loses its soft, supple feel. The intensive moisturizing agents in SG – 25 bring back lost suppleness, prolonging the life of the leather even if exposed to harsh heat and intense sun.

Restructures top layer --- SG – 25 actually restructures the protective top layer (top-coat) to your leather. Through use and sun exposure, this top layer loses its effectiveness. It can even feel rough or chaffed to the touch. The SG Series restructures this protective layer improving the long term wear characteristics. Repeated use of the SG products builds this protective layer adding durability to your leather. It leaves even old, dried leather feeling silky smooth.

pH balance -- The SG Series is pH balanced. Leather is acidic at 4.5 to 5.0. Most leather cleaners are alkaline. This means they are actually harming the leather. When Leather’s pH is out of balance, it accelerates the breakdown its internal fibrous structure. The SG Series of Leather Performance products brings the leather back to its appropriate pH, reducing the long term damage to the leather caused by inappropriate pH leather care products.

Anti-bacteria and virus Agent Added – Pets and kids are germ factories. SG – 25 not only conditions and protects your leather, it also adds anti-bacteria and virus protection. With the system, when we say clean, we mean hospital clean.

Easy wipe on and rub --- Easy to apply with a simple, cleaning and conditioning wipe and rub technique. No more cleaners that dull leather. No more conditioners that make the leather feel sticky or oily.

Long term effectiveness --- The SG Series of Leather Performance ingredients have staying power, reducing the frequency of application required. Even after a single application your leather will feel better, last longer and give you the overall performance expected from leather in high-end automobiles.

The warmer the better --- The warmer the environment, the better SG – 25 performs. When leather is warm, the moisturizing agents quickly revitalize the leather. Even old, dried, tired looking leather can be brought back to life.

Suggested Marketing Channels

SG – Series of Leather Performance Products is an after-market product targeted to automobile and furniture owners who want to protect their investment in leather. It will also work on a wide variety of other leather goods like jackets, motorcycle leather seats, saddlebags, briefcases, shoes, etc.

Example channels should include the following:

Auto Dealerships (new and used)
Aftermarket auto supply stores (Pep boys, etc.)
Auto paint shops (Earl Schibb, etc.)
Auto detailer
Car washers
Auto clubs
Large chain stores
Furniture retailers
Direct sales via advertising in auto trader, etc.
Direct sales via internet
Flea market booths

Additional considerations:

It can be used for horse tack leather as well.

Targeted demographic markets include middle to high income households and auto owners who care about their leather.

Suggested Sales and General Awareness Tactics

Create an article for publication in a trade journal. Focus on uniqueness. Examples available for ADVleather.com
Make up 1 or 2 oz samples and distribute through above channels – try it, you’ll like it approach.
Create point-of-sale displays again emphasizing uniqueness of product offering.
Direct sales to each of the above listed sales channels.

Bottle and Label Considerations

We recommend HDPE cylinder rounds, natural. These are semi-clear plastic bottles so you can see the contents. Use a poly-tops white closure with a flip top for ease of use. Make sure the ink on the label is not susceptible to having the ink run when it gets wet.

How to resolve a Dent in Leather

2010-09-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

It's not unusual that we will encounter a dent or compression mark in leather from moving damage.

Here is a picture that shows the issue. Some people think steam will help resolve the dent. However, The water will stiffen the leather after it dries and may leave it's own reference (e.g. a raised ring). The correct approach is with dry heat applied with a heat gun. That should tighten up the compression area. In this case it's the outside back. There is no formed foam substrate under the leather panel that is also compressed. You have to remove the panel. With a heat gun, focus the heat on and around the compression zone, continually moving the heat gun so as to not over cook in any single area. Do not focus the heat onto the leather in a single spot for more than a few seconds. It may take some time (15 - 20 minutes) but the leather should respond. If you wanted to be a bit more aggressive, then de-tack the bottom panel and with a spray bottle, mist the inside of the leather with water. Do not soak. Then apply the heat. De-tacking also gives the added advantage of pulling the panel tighter when re-tacking. There may be a slight reference of compression when all is said and done, but it will be vastly improved.

Here is a potential outcome.... the compression area tightens as expected. However, in a day or two, it reverts back, but to a much less degree like 10% to 25% of the original compression. (The leather has a memory and thinks it should be in that compressed shape.) If that happens, then you do the dry heat procedure again. Generally it only requires two applications. This is why we take on compression issues in our shop only, else we may be making multiple trips to the client.

In the event the compression is in an area that is backed with foam and the foam is compressed as well (e.g. the top of an arm) then disassembly is required to replace the damaged foam, or at least add batting material to shore up the divot under the leather. The leather can be treated as usual with heat, but the foam won't respond.

Effect of Alcohol on Leather.

2010-09-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the body of an email recently received and photos as well.

"I have a recliner which is brown leather, 20 years old, but was in good condition. We sprayed it with fulll-concentration rubbing alcohol to kill mites. The alchohol has left white areas which are residues or stains (bleached areas). They don't wash off with soap, tho while they are wet they appear to be restored to the original brown color. I'm not sure if we need something special to clean them, vs. needing to restain the leather."

As you can see, the alcohol stripped the color from the leahter.

Alcohol is a stripping agent and will pull the color out of leather, leaving the affect you see.

This is correctable, but requires a full refinish or a kit for you to do the work.

Finally, As an aside, mites are generally not an issue with leather as its not a woven material, so there is no place for them to "hide" as they would with a fabric. A good leather cleaner would have done the trick for you and not effected the color.

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

Can nubuck leather be restored?

2010-06-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail regarding nubuck leather restoration. The sender asked several questions about restoration issues for nubuck. Her questions are common so I am posting them here along with my response.

1. Can the oil extractor be used without redyeing after? - No. the oil extractor pulls out the offending oils but does not resolve the stain. You must apply color to conceal the stain.

2. Can I redye the nubuck and not turn it into a finished leather/ maintain the soft nubuck feel? - No.

A.) The coloring chemistry required to conceal fading or staining is NOT a dye. Dyes are translucent, therefore lack covering power. To conceal staining you must use a chemistry that consists of large robust molecules for covering power. That's the essence of a pigment. So you would transform from an unfinished (dyed) leather to a finished (pigmented) leather.

B.) Regarding the feel issue, our process is designed to have minimal impact on the tactile presentation when the process is applied according to our instructions. Nonetheless, we cannot claim it will feel like your nubuck when it was new. It will appear to be new, but it will have a finish on the leather whereas now there is no finish on the leather, so to a degree, you trade off tactile for visual.

3. Can I send a swatch to you to do a sample so I know how much harder/stiffer it will be after re dyed? Yes. Keep in mind that we will select a random color for this test as it's to test feel related issues only. Else we have to invest in a technician's time to do a color match. We charge $75 for a color match. In this case color is not the issue.

4. How long do you guarantee the color to not rub, crack or peel off. There are three variables in the process. A.) The chemistry, B.) The application technique and C.) The initial condition of the leather.

A). The Chemistry --- Our DIY system is based on the same chemistry (improved over the years) we've been using professionally for over 20 years. It is manufactured by us to strict standards --- chemically engineered to withstand the rigors of a normal household. Because we make these finishes, we are in control of the quality of ingredients. Frankly we believe that they are as good as if not better than anything coming our of a tannery today.

B.) The application technique --- I cannot control your application technique. If you do not follow the instructions, I can't control the outcome. We have client's where we have completed conversions from nubuck to finished leather who have had many years of additional use from their faded, stained leather. Our guarantee is 100% money back for the kit if you are not satisfied after you do an initial test on your leather. Beyond that, the long term viability of the process is a joint responsibility, your application and our chemistry.

C.) Initial condition of the leather --- while the leather can be stained or faded, as long as the integrity of the leather itself is not compromised, then the system works as advertised. This point is amplified in the next response.

5.The local leather repair experts in my area all maintain that touch up redye (post tanning) is usually a temporary fix with an expected lifetime of 3 years. If this were true, then we would not have succeeded in this business for over 20 years. As notes previously, a key to success is the integrity of the existing leather. As long as the epidermis of the hide is still intact, then the system works beautifully, offering like-new results. This is a critical variable. If the leather is fundamentally compromised then the issue is the leather, not the restoration system. It is for this reason we require photos so I can evaluate the condition of your leather before we produce a kit. I will not offer any guarantee if my evaluation determines that the leather is beyond restoration.

The DIY Leather Solutions Generic Color System.

2010-05-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Check out this YouTube video that shows the two brown generic coloring systems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zbRCes4NMw

It shows the difference between Coffee Bean and Mahogany from DIY Leather Solutions.

Leather Jacket Color Restoration

2010-05-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of this business is encountering people with creative flair. One such person is Barbara Carney in Chicago, IL. Barbara has been using Advanced Leather Solutions Do-It-Yourself leather color system in interesting ways.

To see what I'm talking about, follow this link to see what she's done to an old leather jacket that she found at the Salvation Army.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpgillan/LeatherJacketColorRestoration#

With our color system, people are changing color of all kinds of items, from ice skates to purses. There are no rules. Let your creative juices flow. Find an old abandoned leather "whatever" and make it uniquely yours with the leather restoration tools and products from Advanced Leather Solutions.

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

Cigarette Burn in Leather - A Repair

2010-05-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

Occasionally at Advanced Leather Solutions we're asked to repair a burn hole in leather. This can be tricky business and best left to the expertise of a professional leather repair technician. To solve the problem correctly involves a multi-step procedure.

1. The heat of the burn will distort and pucker the leather immediately surrounding the hole. This damaged leather has to be cut away, enlarging the wound to release the torque lines caused by the heat. And, the leather in the surrounding area is prepared, typically with alcohol to remove any inhibitors to quality adhesion of the color coat.
2. A "plug" of leather is cut to the shape of the enlarged hole.
3. Sub-patch material is affixed with the sub-patch adhesive to the back side of the leather under the hole to give the repaired area some strength.
4. The leather plug is glued in place using non-flammable contact cement filling most of the hole.
5. The gap between the plug and the original leather is filled with a leather fill compound.
6. Once the fill is cured, a coat of color is then added with a hand held air brush. Getting the color to match is key to disguising the repair.
7. A grain pattern is then created on the leather to resemble the grain of the surrounding leather.
8. The color coat is re-applied. Steps 7 and 8 may be repeated multiple times as the area may be sanded gently, re-grained and recolored .
9. A top coat is then applied that covers the color coat. the top coat is a clear coat that protects the leather.

When done correctly, the end result looks like this.

Typically, this level of detail is beyond the scope of a novice. The low-end (cheap) repair kits generally don't produce the results expected as success is as much about the right application techniques as it is about the right repair products. Mastery of these techniques comes with proper training and experience.

The following URL will take you to a picture sequence of the full repair process.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpgillan/BurnRepairSequence#

How to use a Badger 250 Air Brush kit

2010-05-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Occasionally we have the a client that requires an air brush as part of their Do It Yourself (DIY) Leather Restoration kit. This is a video on YouTube that shows how to assemble the air canister to the brush and control the air pressure as well as droplet size.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9CK8fyLnk4

The Animal Hospital of America

2010-04-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Advanced Leather Solutions (ALS) has established The Leather Animal Hospital of America.

A company in the UK, Omersa, creates wonderful leather animals. They've been in business since 1927 and have clients all over the world with many in the USA. To offer services to the aging leather animal population of North America, ALS has agreed to open the Advanced Leather Solutions Leather Animal Critical Care Unit (the ALSLACCU) in Hayward, California.

The Public Relations Director for ALSLACCU stated, "Our goal is provide critical services that care for, repair and restore these magnificent beasts."

On hearing the good news, a Leather Animal Society spokesperson said, "It's about time someone has stepped up. Society needs these kinds of services. After all, how we care for our leather animal friends indicates the state of our civilization."

Here is a link to the original manufacturer's web-site: http://www.omersa.co.uk/ After entering their Show Room, Click on the Animal Hospital button and then the Animal Hospital of America.

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

Jaguar XK-120, 1953 Leather Restoration Project

2010-04-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

At Advanced Leather Solutions, we sometimes find ourselves in projects that test the boundaries of our experience and skill set, requiring new and inventive strategies and chemistry to complete the project. The leather restoration of a 1953 Jaguar XK-120 seats was such a project. The client's goal was to save the original leather. This then became a leather conservation and preservation project.

The leather seating was in a very serious state of deterioration with many fissures and cracks into as well as completely through the leather. Most people would have said that the only way to "restore" these seats was to replace with new leather due to the extensive deterioration. However, with a classic car, our first priority is always to save and preserve the original leather, as this is integral to the valuation of the vehicle.

We have recently completed the project. The process incorporated both traditional and new chemistries and techniques, including the resolution of oil saturation, fiber separation and break-down, finish failure, pH damage, and other issues.

The result was both a structural and aesthetic success, while retaining the original materials, and it's "antique" patina. We documented the process via video. The video is available for download (please note, this is a non-streaming 241Mb mpg file, and may take a while to download, depending on your connection speed). Right-click on the following link, and choose "Save target as" (IE), or "Save link as" (Firefox, Chrome) from the menu, and save to the location of your choice on your hard-drive. download link.

If the download link doesn't begin bringing the video file into your computer, then click on this direct link:

http://www.advleather.com/Produce_9.mpg

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

Hand Wiped Coloring Affect

2010-04-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we'll encounter leather that has been colored with a base and print technique where the print coat is applied partially with a hand wiped affect. This give the leather sort of a European hand rubbed look. Through use, this print coat will be worn away or may fade from sun exposure. Looking at a protected area on the piece will show the original color and how the mottled affect renders. To mimic the original look requires some creativity. First the base coat has to be right and then not only does the print coat color require precision, but application technique is critical to allow the color affect to render correctly. Check this YouTube link to see such an example that we just created for one of our DIY Leather Solutions clients.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w24ClMDFVE

Copyright 2010, Kevin Gillan

Leather Rhino Restoration

2010-04-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

From time to time Advanced Leather Solutions gets involved with some interesting projects that are outside the bounds of our standard leather furniture restoration process. The rhinoceros project is a clear example.

The beast is 60 years old and has been kicking around the client's house for many years. It came to us in a serious state of dis-repair, missing its tail, eyes and its horn broken off. Here is a video posted on YouTube showing the before and after condition.

What's in a DIY Leather Restoration Kit?

2010-04-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

The simple answer --- Advanced Leather Solutions includes everything necessary to get the job done.

Our kit structure is not about quantities of material as much as it’s about making sure they are the RIGHT materials for a specific leather restoration project (e.g. colored matched to specification, appropriate primer for the leather, etc.). As professional leather furniture restorers with 21 years experience in doing this work for our clients, we know what works and what is a prescription for failure. With our program the client is tapping into our professional experience, not just buying products. With our program, we are involved as much or little as the client desires. We think of the project as the client being our hands on-site. This is a key reason why we have had enormous success with this program.

The additional beauty is that the system is water based, so safe for the environment and safe to use in a home.

Now, on to the details....

Each color restoration system is custom tailored to the specifics of that client's furniture. We manufacture most of these components in our shop. We're not a reseller. We're the manufacturer. But, more importantly, we make this material for our own professional use. As leather repair and restoration specialists we could buy from any other supplier. However, we choose to make our own for quality control and effectiveness purposes.

Here are the contents of a typical kit for a configuration like a sofa, love seat, chair and ottoman:

1. Custom Base Color - matched specifically to your leather. - 128 oz. The coloring chemistry is our unique blend. We buy raw materials and blend them for best performance and spot-on color matched to the client’s color.

2. Custom Print Color - matched specifically to your leather. - 64 oz - This is an optional component if your leather has a mottled coloring affect that we are matching. When we examine your sample swatch, we analysis the color to determine if it's required.

3. Deep Penetrating Moisturizer - to improve the suppleness of your leather. 16 oz. This is a specialty product unique to our company.

4. Oil Extractor - To address any body oil issues in the leather furniture. If this step is omitted and there are body oils in the leather (very common) then it’s the place any system will fail. - 32 oz. We created this product and it is not available from any other source.

5. Primer - This sets up the leather to accept the color. Proper priming is essential to quality color adhesion. 48 oz. This also is a unique creation of ours and not available any where else.

6. Sanding pads - This is necessary to knock down chaffing that is usually evident on the high wear areas like the top of the seats. Also, it’s to be applied as necessary between each color coat to help get you to a more factory like result. These are a specialty product manufactured by 3M and not commonly available.

7. Priming Pad - This is like a heavy duty Scotch-Brite like pad made by the abrasives company, Norton, that you will use to drive the primer into the high wear areas like the top of the seats. (Not commonly available.)

8. Priming glove - This is a great tool to use in the priming step to ensure complete priming in creases, etc.

9. Foam brush color applicator - This are not the ordinary foam brush. These are the best money can buy. Most foam brushes will not hold up to prolonged use. These do.

10. Foam block applicator - This is a unique specialty product we manufacture for ease of application. It's a closed-cell foam color applicator that we contour and cut such that it fits neatly in your hand. You cannot buy this any place as we are the only company that actually makes them.

11. Tamping tool - This is another unique product we create that allows for best results when creating a subtle mottling affect on leather.

12. Tamping tub. - This carries the print color.

13. Polishing Paper - This is a unique tool that improves the end tactile result. Polishing paper is another specialty product made by 3M but is not widely available.

14. Final Dressing - This chemistry imparts a silky smooth feel to the leather and the last step in the process. 16 oz. This also is unique to us.

15. Written Instructions - 30 pages pictures, a flow diagram that shows the overall system and each step in the procedure.

16. DVD(s) - We include a general DVD with each kit. We include specific targeted DVDs as necessary. For example if you have cat scratches we have a DVD specific to correcting cat claw damage.

17. Latex gloves - While this is water based chemistry, we include latex gloves to protect your hands.

18. Practice leather. - Each kit contains a section of practice leather so you can practice any step off of your furniture if you desire.

19. Full telephone or video conferencing support (if you have that facility) at any time before, during or after the project.

The kit will include specialty items if necessary. For example if the client has an open seam, we include the sewing tools necessary and show the client how through a DVD.

A client can purchase each of these items separately from our web-site. With the Kit System concept, we package them specific to the target configuration. As a bundle, the client is generally saving between 25% and 50% versus the "a-la-carte" approach.

Finally, if a client brought their pieces to our Hayward, CA Advanced Leather Solutions studio to restore (professional restoration is 4 – 5 times more than the cost of a kit), the client could care less what materials we consumed in the process. In that context we think of the DIY System similarly. The client is paying a fixed fee to get the job done. We deliver far more than is necessary to ensure the client has enough material to complete the project. This means the kit becomes a built-in maintenance product going forward as the client has the color.

Back to the basics- What’s in a kit? This simple answer applies. The kit contains everything I would need if I walked into a client's home to do this job for them. At the end of the day, we set this system up to maximize the probability of success.

When does it make sense NOT to repair damaged leather?

2010-04-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Look carefully at this photo...

This is a close-up taken of a leather seat cushion damaged by a dog claw that penetrated through the leather. However, look at the surrounding leather. The color coating is coming apart because the leather itself is disintegrating. This leather is known as a "split-hide." Simply put, its an inferior grade that lacks the tinsel strength you would expect from leather.

The damage is too severe and the integrity of the leather too weak to be able to hold a repair. Any repair effort would fail in short order because of the inherent weakness of the base leather. The only viable solution is to replace the afflicted panel. That would cost upwards of $1,000. as the piece would have to be disassembled to get at the defective panel. It just doesn't make sense to invest that much additional into an inferior piece. So, the piece is destined for an early entry into a landfill.

Here's a picture of the full piece. It looks inviting. The damaged panel is the back panel of the left facing seat cushion.

The novice consumer would have no way of knowing that they are purchasing an inferior product as it would look on the surface no different than quality (top grain) leather. Through use, the inherent weakness shows itself. If this was a top grain leather, the dog claw would not have been able to penetrate and the leather as you see it in the photo would not be disintegrating.

In our Hayward, CA leather furniture restoration studio we often see pieces that are more than 50 years old exemplifying the excellent durability one should expect from leather furniture. However, in today's world of cheap manufacturing techniques intended to maximize profits, the public is often being sold "leather" that has a life expectancy of only a few years.

If you are in the market for leather furniture be sure that you know what you are buying. Ask the question: Is this top grain leather? If you are uncomfortable with the response, then don't purchase it.

To learn more about leather and its properties, cut and paste this link into your browser.

http://advleather.com/leathercare.html

Advanced Leather Solutions is a resource that will be able to answer your questions about leather. We're here to help.

Does leather conditioner clog pores?

2010-04-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

I've heard some strange theories about the care and maintenance of leather. Recently, it was brought to my attention that there are people who hold the belief that conditioners are bad for leather as it will "clog the pores." I have no idea how they come up with their theory. Clog the pores? What does that mean? Is the leather going to develop a "black-head" or a pimple due to clogged pores?

Here are the facts. Keep in mind that the cow is dead. The pores are non-functional. The animal isn't sweating anymore. There are no more body oils being produced by the animal. Nothing is coming up from inside the skin through the pores. What's to get clogged?

Furthermore, a pore is just one structural element found across the topography of a hide. Looked at under a microscope (even a simple magnifying glass) will demonstrate that the pore structure represents a small percentage of the overall surface area. Leather is absorbent across its entire surface, not just the pores.

If you put a massive amount of a heavy, greasy substance as some leather conditioner manufacturers propose, the real problem is that the skin can't absorb it. So it dries on the surface and leaves the leather feeling sticky, gooey (clogged pores?).

Consider the following:

1. Leather has about 25% moisture content coming out of the tannery.

2. That moisture evaporates to the atmosphere at a rate based on 3 variables: A) humidity B) temperature and C) porosity of the hide. (An unfinished leather will dry out faster than a finished leather because it loses moisture at a more rapid rate as the natural skin surface is not coated. A finished leather has a coating that will hold the moisture in longer. In both cases moisture is lost from the suede side as well.) The more heavily finished, the slower the rate of moisture loss. The corollary is that a heavily finished leather will be less absorbent of any moisturizing agent. If its slow to go out, then its also slow to go in.

3. As the leather loses moisture, the fiber bundles lose its internal lubrication, the leather stiffens. Furthermore, it loses a portion of its mass, consequently shrinks.

4. The purpose of a conditioner is to re-instill that lost moisture - improving suppleness, prolonging the life of the leather. Period.

5. Don't replenish moisture (don't apply conditioner) and it surely shortens the life of the leather as the leather desiccates.

pH Balance

What is far more important is to understand that leather is acidic (4.5 to 5.0 oh a pH scale). A lot of harm is done by applying a chemistry that is not pH balanced to leather as it will induce a chemical reaction breaking down (rotting) the fiber structure. Consider body oil accumulation - some people are very caustic (pH below 3.5), causing the demise of the leather. Advanced Leather Solutions cleaners and conditioners are pH balanced to leather, thus helping to correct any pH imbalance combating the rotting affect.

Museums use non-volatile moisturizers.

At the conservation and preservation (museum) level, it is true that a standard grade conditioner MAY do more harm than good. Once leather gets to a certain level of moisture loss (estimated at below between 5 and 10%) then adding a greasy conditioner at that point may render the leather to mush. (Think about cardboard when it gets wet). So the goal is to make sure the moisture content of leather never gets to that low a level by regularly conditioning your fine leathers.

Most conditioners are made from organics like neatsfoot oil which is also the "natural oils" infused into the leather at the tannery. Organics are volatile, meaning they evaporate, which is the fundamental reason why leather needs moisture added from time to time.

A non-volatile moisturizer is a synthetic and does not evaporate. However, they are very expensive so the tanneries generally don't use them. Advanced Leather Solutions has developed a Deep Penetrating moisturizer which is a non-volatile conditioner. It's a highly specialized chemistry that acts like countless tiny ball bearings infused within the fiber structure. In that sense its not a liquid (doesn't evaporate). Once applied, you don't have to continually moisturize as there is no loss to the atmosphere.

Leather Jacket Reconditioning

2010-04-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits of my position is that I receive regular emails from our clients extolling the virtues of our products. It’s fun to hear how a client can take a Salvation Army find and return it into something resembling its former glory with a simple procedure.

Here is the short but powerful testament to what our SG – 50 leather care product can do to a well worn leather jacket.

“Kevin,

“SG-50 does amazing things! Softens, darkens, adds suppleness - look!”

--- BC, Chicago

Look at this one picture associated with that statement. The client took this picture after she had applied SG – 50 to the right facing side of the jacket and a little bit to the upper left facing side.

There is photo sequence taken by a client of Advanced Leather Solutions demonstrates the revitalizing properties of our premier leather care product - SG - 50. Check out how you can improve the look and feel of a well worn leather jacket.

For a complete set of the photos, cut and paste this URL into your browser and it will take you to Picasa where you can see all of the pictures taken by the client.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpgillan/LeatherJacketReconditioned#

Print Coat Failure

2010-04-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

One of the more common problems we see from our clients is “Print Coat Failure.” Look at the photo below. See how much lighter the tops of the seats are compared to the front face of the sofa, below the seat cushions. While this is a solvable problem, its roots are in how the leather was processed at the tannery.

Here is the content of an e-mail sent from someone who has this problem.

You have what's known as a "Base and Print" coloring strategy used on your leather at the tannery. While this is a common coloring strategy, There are about a dozen manufacturers that buy form tanneries where the coloring system does not hold up to normal use conditions. We've seen this type of color coating failure dozens of times before. The culprit is combination of:

1. Poor wear resistance of the top coat.
2. Poor adhesion of the print color coat.

Both are a function of the tannery that produced this leather.

Definition of terms:

Top coat is a clear coat that is the primary protective coating. It covers all leather surfaces and should provide chemical and wear resistance.

Print coat is the outer color coating in a two color system. The inner color coat is called a base coat.

On your piece, the print coat is the somewhat translucent medium brown color. The base coat is a yellowish color that is now being exposed as the print coat is worn away. The intent of this two color system is to create a mottled coloring affect where the color presented is the interplay of the two colors. This coloring approach is very common but usually much more stable then you've experienced.

In your case normal abrasion of your clothing against the top coat has worn it away. And now the print coat is quickly following suit.

So now you know why this is happening, what's the fix... you prime the leather to receive the color and re-color. In the priming step you'll test for quality of adhesion of the existing color coating. This will determine if any stripping of the existing color is necessary. Go to our website: http://www.DIYLeatherSolutions.com and learn how we can create a kit for you to solve the problem. It will include everything you'll need for this job, except the stripping agent (denatured alcohol, or acetone). You can get these from a local hardware store paint department.

Call Advanced Leather Solutions to learn more.

Darwin Awards for Leather Repair

2010-04-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

I receive lots of e-mails from people all over the country and beyond. Some of them are seeking solutions for some pretty dumb actions that have caused serious damage to their leather furniture. I’ve also been in people’s homes to inspect or repair their leather as well as people bringing projects to our shop. Some of their abuses and comments prove the concept that idiocy is not an unusual human phenomenon. Here is a list of my top ten dumbest in no specific order as any one can grab the top spot. Names have been removed to protect their reputation.

1. I used my ottoman as an ironing board. The leather is totally shrunken and distorted. Can you help me?

2. I saw an article on the internet that said to use bleach to clean leather. It didn’t work so great. The leather is clean I guess, but it’s disintegrating on me. What can I do?

3. I steam cleaned my leather sofa with the upholstery attachment to my steam cleaner. The leather turned dark and seemed to have shrunk. Please help!!

4. I was practicing my golf swing and punched a hole in the back of my beautiful leather sofa. It was a 6 iron. Is this something you can fix?

5. I had a party and moved my love seat into my back yard. I had it too close to the barbeque. The whole back of my love seat got fried. What can I do?

6. My 3 year old son got ink on my new leather cushion. After I disciplined him severely I tried to remove the ink with rubbing alcohol like it said to do on some web-site. The ink is still there but the leather color is gone. (The client brought the cushion in my shop. In this case, there was a hide scar on the leather and as is often the case, the scar tissue absorbed higher concentration of color making it darker than the surrounding leather, appearing to the client as an ink stripe. We restored the color to the alcohol afflicted area. The innocent child is still in therapy.)

7. Upon arrival to the client’s home to inspect for claimed defects in the leather of a huge new sectional, I noted a few dozen post-it notes scattered here and there on the leather. The client applied them to identify all the “defects.” Upon examination of the first problem area, I pointed out that it was not a defect, rather a natural characteristic in the leather. She seemed confused. So I explained that the cow may have rubbed against barb wire, causing the wound, and that it is fully healed hide scar and therefore not a defect. She said; “What do you mean a cow?” I waved my arm toward the sectional and replied, “Ma’am you have a whole herd of cows here.” At which point she dropped to the floor, sobbing, “What have I done? What have I done?” Turns out she’s vegan and had no idea leather came from a cow. Opppps.

8. Asked to do a repair for transit damage in a client’s home, I arrived on site with my senior technician. The client is a prominent physician and was present upon arrival. He and his designer went off to another part of his house to discuss décor. When the assignment was completed, I called him in and as he examined the repaired area, with a look of amazement exclaimed, “It’s gone. How did you do that?” Lightheartedly I said, “We use lasers.” He called out to his designer to see the repair. When she arrived, he said to her, “Look, the damage is gone. They use lasers to fix it.” I had to explain to the sheepish doctor that I was joking.

9. After carefully restoring a beautiful chair and ottoman in our Hayward shop, the client arrived in a pick-up truck to bring the pieces back to his home. He inspected the furniture and was delighted with the results. To prepare it for transit, we covered it in plastic and shrink wrap as is our standard practice. The client and I loaded it into the back of his pick up I asked if he had rope to secure it. He assured me that he did. At which point my office phone rang. I turned back into my office to take the call. The client promptly left. On his way across the San Mateo Bridge, at 70 or so miles an hour, the unsecured furniture pretended to be a kite and silently lifted out of the bed of the truck, tumbling through the air like a wounded duck. Gravity took over. It flipped and turned and smashed and crashed. Road kill. 45 minutes later he was back in our shop with a severely damage piece including a broken frame. Cost to repair the damage exceeded the value of the piece. It remains in my shop as a relic and testament to the frailty of the human brain.

10. A client owns an auto detailing shop. His customer has a BMW with leather interior. The auto detailer assigned the interior cleaning task to one of his grease monkey techs. Thinking it would be a fast and easy way to clean leather he grabbed his trusty engine degreaser and vigorously applied it to all leather components. Of course it pulled the color coat off, exposing the raw leather. (As an aside, here is a list of other chemicals that our clients were told by supposed experts would be appropriate for the cleaning of their leather --- mayonnaise, acetone, milk, honey, baby oil, detergents of all types, saddle soap. )

Bonus award: Client called to say that he’s cleaned his sofa with 409. Upon full completion of the project he realized that 409 is far too aggressive and has severely distorted the color coating. He was shocked and was preparing to sue 409’s manufacturer. His reasoning for the suit was that there was no warning on the label not to use it on leather. When I pointed out to him that there was also no warning about using it on your face, he didn’t get the connection. Asked why he didn’t stop after he completed a section and noticed the damage, he explained that he thought when it fully dried it would return to normal. Duh!!

From time to time I would enjoy entering posts about the experiences of other leather technicians who may have encountered similarly brain challenged clients. It’s all good for a laugh.

Leather Repair Artistry

2009-09-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

The following two photos show a before and after sequence of damaged printed leather. Nail polish got on to the leather and the client removed the nail polish, taking the color of the leather with it leaving a visible bleached spot. In their effort to clean the nail polish, the client rubbed the leather aggressively with an abrasive tool. Notice the score marks above the bleached spot.

The afflicted area was meticulously hand colored with an artist brush. Getting the color right is the key.

Just another day at the leather restoration studio of Advanced Leather Solutions in Hayward, CA.

Leather & Vinyl Combination on Furniture - Good or Bad Idea?

2009-07-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

When buying leather furniture, ask this question, “Is it all leather?”.

Many Advanced Leather Solutions clients are surprised to find out that the “leather” furniture they purchased is in fact a leather and vinyl combination. They make this discovery when they notice splitting or cracking in the material. This most often occurs in the side panel of a seat cushion, or at a stress-bearing seam (outside arm, outside top of backrest, etc.).

The typical construction of a leather/vinyl combination is to use leather on those areas that come in contact with your body - the seat cushion top, the inside backrest and the tops of the armrests. All other panels, including the outside back, side panels, sides of the seat cushion, and arm- and back-rest anchor-panels are vinyl.

Here’s the problem. Vinyl is a synthetic material (and has nowhere near the tensile strength of leather). Leather is an organic material. The two materials are fundamentally incompatible when joined together along a seam. This is particularly apparent on a seat cushion (see the picture) where the vinyl side panel (boxing panel) is sewn to the leather top panel. Leather is porous and loses its moisture through evaporation (which is why leather should be conditioned regularly). To replace this lost moisture, the leather literally wicks (draws by absorption) oils from the vinyl where the two materials are in contact with each other along a seam, reducing the oil content of the vinyl. As the vinyl loses its moisture, it also loses its ability to flex, and subsequently cracks. This is most commonly seen as fissures that start at stitch-holes and run perpendicular to the seam line. Over time, these cracks will only worsen. Once this starts, it is not repairable.

Leather/vinyl combination manufacturing strategies (sometimes referred to as leather-mate, leather-match, or other marketing terms) are a ploy by the manufacturer to reduce cost. And in this reduction in materials cost for the manufacturer, the life expectancy of the furniture is greatly diminished. By as much as 75%, depending on usage patterns.

Recliners are the most common type of furniture for leather and vinyl match. One prominent San Francisco bay area retailer told us that 70% of all supposed leather recliners are actually leather/vinyl.

If you expect a long, useful life from your leather furniture - be careful at the point of purchase. Ask the question, “Is the piece all leather?” If the answer is yes, then make sure that appears on your sales reciept. You can check by examining the back side of the material. If it appears to be a fuzzy material or a woven fabric (usually white, but can also be gray, black, or brown), it’s vinyl. If it looks like suede, it’s probably leather.

If you already own a leather/vinyl match, pay careful attention to your conditioning regimen. We have great Leather Care products for exactly this purpose. If the leather is regularly moisturized, it will have less of a tendency to draw the oil from the adjacent vinyl panel. Also, when sitting on or exiting the seating area, try not to put undue stress on the seams where the arm or back pillow attach to the frame.

Copyright 2009 Kevin Gillan

Is it real Leather?

2009-07-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

This is a common e-mail for me....

How can I, as a consumer, determine the difference between real leather and faux? I've been shopping for a sofa, love seat and recliner for my home and have looked at all kinds of products. Every store I visit has a different take on what is real and what is a good quality. I can usually recognize real leather, but not always ----- what are the obvious clues??????????

In this blog entry, here is my advice for the consumer that is shopping for leather furniture, to determine if its the real deal or synthetic.

1. The best test is the inside of the material. The inside of leather will appear as suede whereas the inside of synthetic has a woven typically fuzzy, often white material.

2. Look at the cross section. Leather is one material (a skin) whereas synthetic is a bonding of plastic surface to a fabric substrate.

3. Pinch it. Leather is thicker, vinyl is thinner. To become familiar, find something you know is leather and pinch it to get a benchmark sense of the thickness.

4. Look for imperfections (hide scars, bug bites, etc.) Leather hides are not perfect across the surface (like knots in wood). Vinyl has no surface characteristics as it's man made.

5. Look for a repeating pattern. Like wall paper, vinyl is manufactured with a specific pattern that repeats itself.

6. Large versus small panels - Leather is from an animal that has limitations dimensionally (ever see a 20 foot cow?), vinyl is produced on a roll with no limits to size.

7. Grain Pattern - If the grain pattern is totally uniform its probably vinyl. Nature does not produce complete uniformity.

What is NOT the real deal - Vinyl, Bonded leather, Bicast leather, ultra suede. Bonded and bicast are equivalent to pressed wood or fiberboard. They are made from what used to be leather waste material. Read the article about bi-cast leather for more information. that then has a heavy urethane coating on the surface. The typical color is a glossy brown. Bonded and bicast lack durability and present all kinds of problems.

What is real, but lacks durability - Split-hide. This is the remnant of a leather hide after the epidermis has been split away.

Ask the following questions:

1. Is it top grain leather? Top grain means the epidermis of the skin is intact. This is important as the epidermis is where the durability of leather comes from.

2. Is it all leather? Many manufacturers cut costs by building leather furniture with part leather and part vinyl. This is not death mind you, but a potential problem along the seam where the leather and vinyl meet.

3. Can I see a swatch of the material used? Look at it front and back. Is it the same color on top and on the inside? Is it suede on the inside? Most leather manufacturers give the retailers samples of the leather they use for exactly this reason. Be wary if they can't produce a swatch for your examination.

4. Who is the manufacturer? Do your research and look up who built the piece. There are several quality manufacturers - American Leather, Hancock and Moore, Drexel Heritage, The Sherrill Collection, Leather Craft, Ekornes (Swedish). And then there is the very high end European manufacturers - Roche Bobois, B & B Italia, Cassina, Gamma, de Sede.

Beware of claims like "it's Italian leather." It means nothing. Natuzzi, an Italian manufacturer of leather furniture has three plants Italy, Brazil and China. Just because it has an Italian name doesn't mean its made in Italy.

Ask penetrating questions. If you aren't comfortable with an answer, run.

Some manufacturers like Nicoletti had an impeccable reputation 10 years ago. Their products today simply don't measure up. So don't rely on historical performance alone. The industry is being decimated by cheap foreign imports. To combat the onslaught some companies have capitulated and moved their plants to cheap labor countries and are now producing junk.

The unfortunate fact is there's a ton of misinformation on the web, and in the leather furniture retail channel. The probability is pretty high that you'll know more about leather now than the sales person who is selling the furniture. For more detail, visit our web-site. www.advleather.com. Go to the leather care section. If your sure its leather, the next question is what type of leather will perform best in your environment? From our web-site look at the features of the different leather types and make a determination of what will work for you. Then, pepper the sales person with questions.

Happy shopping!

copyright 2009 Kevin Gillan

How a supposed leather expert be so wrong?

2009-07-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

The web can be a source of excellent information. However, there is also hype, myths and misinformation that can have serious consequences.

Recently, a purportedly knowledgeable leather craftsman wrote the following as part of a guideline for painting leather. This is in an article that has been scattered throughout the Internet.

He wrote:

“You can clean the leather by mixing equal parts of warm water and bleach…”

Did he actually say bleach?

I have to set the record straight. Bleach has a ridiculously high alkalinity (base substance). It registers 12.6 on the pH scale. The only household item more alkaline is lye. On the other hand, leather is acidic. Leather comes in around 4.5 to 5.0 on the pH scale.

A brief chemistry lesson: The pH scale is logarithmic with pure distilled water registering 7.0, the mid-point between 1 --- the acidic peak and 14 --- maximum alkalinity. So a measure of 8.0 is 10 times more alkaline than 7.0 (water) and 9.0 is 100 times for alkaline than 7.0, etc.

When an alkaline (base) substance and an acidic substance are introduced to each other, a chemical reaction occurs as the two attempt to neutralize each other. The bigger the differential, the more dramatic the reaction. Mix bleach with an acid and watch the fireworks!

The magnitude of differential between bleach and leather is millions fold. Put bleach on leather and the reaction will cause severe damage, accelerating its demise. This is basic chemistry 101. Bleach will destroy leather, turning it to mush, like wet cardboard.

This simple understanding of basic chemistry is what sets Advanced Leather Solutions apart. We understand these fundamentals and have constructed our SG series of leather performance products from this foundation. All SG Series leather care products (both cleaners and conditioners) are pH balanced to leather. We’re not about a “seek and destroy mission,” rather we’re about prolonging the life of a valuable asset --- your fine leather. Whether it’s leather in your car, or your leather furniture, Advanced Leather Solutions has the right chemical engineering built in our products to extend the useful life of your leather, not destroy it.

Copyright 2009 Kevin Gillan

Effect of Body Oils on Leather

2009-07-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Body oils can rot leather. Check out this picture.

What you see is leather that has been saturated with hand oils from the people who sit on this furniture. The pH of the person's skin output is considerably more acidic than the leather. This pH differential causes a chemical reaction as the pH of the leather (about 5.0) and the pH of the individual using the furniture are quite different. This is NOT a universal problem but nonetheless its a common problem for us as professional leather technicians.

The chemical reaction mentioned breaks down the fiber structure of the leather, literally rotting it.

Once leather reaches this state, it can not be saved. Instead the offended panel requires replacement. That is an expensive procedure and may not be justified. So, don't let your leather get to this state.

With Advanced Leather Solutions oil extraction procedure, you can save the piece if you draw out the offending body oils before they have this type of irreversible impact.

Copyright 2009, Kevin Gillan

Before and After Pictures from Advanced Leather Solutions Studio

2009-07-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

Click on this link and you'll be taken to a brief example of before and after pictures of a sampling of projects at Advanced Leather Solutions Hayward, CA studio.

Before and After pictures.

They represent a very small cross section of our work. I have over 16,000 photos stored on my hard drive of projects we've worked on at our restoration shop over the past 10 years. Prior to that, we weren't documenting our projects photographically. With 21 years experience in this business, we've encountered pretty much everything you can imagine.

Every project is unique based on the type of leather, nature of damage, the environment its been exposed to, how it's been cared for, age of the leather, goal of the client, etc. From color change of existing leather, to selective leather panel replacement, we've done it all.

Copyright 2009, Kevin Gillan

What Makes a Good Leather Conditioner?

2009-07-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Why should I condition leather? What does a leather conditioner do anyway?

These are common questions from consumers. Here's the deal: The primary goal of a leather conditioner is to replace lost moisture.

To understand the need for leather conditioning requires a little background. In the tanning process leather is infused with natural oils that reduce friction within the leather fiber bundles. This, in combination with milling (like massaging) the leather establishes a supple, soft leather. At the point of manufacture, these oils equal to about 25% of the total mass of leather.

Here's the rub: The oils are volatile. This means they evaporate. The rate of evaporation depends on variables like heat and humidity. In warm, dry regions like the desert southwest of the United States, leather will lose its moisture content much more rapidly than in the cooler and more humid coastal regions. So with regular conditioning you prolong the life of the leather by maintaining the appropriate moisture content. This all presumes the conditioner has the correct chemical engineering.

As professional leather repair and restoration specialists, clients contract with us to clean and condition their leather. There are a zillion leather conditioners on the market. We tested dozens of conditioners seeking the one that would perform the best. They range from watered down versions of neatsfoot oil, to greasy gloppy Vaseline like products, to stinky, sticky, gooey pastes. We found products where the pH was completely out of whack actually shortening the life of leather. We discovered a lot of nonsense claims like - made from secret formulas handed down from Norwegian antiquity, or, has UVX-15 added, whatever that is. This was not working for us. In the end, we needed to be in control of quality and performance not overwhelmed by hype. Like an earlier post for leather cleaners, we knew the attributes of what we wanted in a leather conditioner so we developed a wish list and turned it over to our chemists. For Professional grade performance a leather conditioner must include:

--- Quality ingredients
--- Cream like consistency
--- pH balanced for leather
--- Good tactile presentation
--- Non-darkening
--- Protective resin
--- Pleasant "new leather" scent
--- Non-greasy formulation

Our chemists were on a mission to visit tanneries, talk with the folks at the tanners council, even dialogue with the leather preservation and conservation specialists at the Smithsonian. We learned who are the best chemical supply companies that support the leather tanning industry in the USA and secured lots of sample ingredients from them. Then the testing began.

Through this effort SG - 25, our leading leather care product was created. Besides the finest ingredients, what makes this product different than anything else on the market are two unique twists. They are the addition of a protection element and the addition of an anti-bacterial/anti-virus agent.

We understand usage patterns of leather in cars and furniture as we see how people use their leather products in our leather repair and restoration business. There is a lot of abrasion wear, especially in automobiles as the driver slides across the seat when he/she enters or exists. For long term wear resistance, we wanted a protective coating to be part of the conditioning process. So SG - 25 not only conditions leather with added moisture content, but also builds a protective clear coat.

Furthermore, in active household environments with children and pets, we wanted a product that dis-allowed the development of bacteria on the leather. So we added the anti-bacterial component.

We also wanted a product that would be easy to apply, not feel greasy or sticky, be pH balanced with leather and do what it supposed to in adding the appropriate replenishing oils back into the hide. SG - 25 has all of these attributes. It is available through our Hayward, CA leather restoration studio as well as both of our web-sites (advleather and DIYLeatherSolutions) without a lot of fanfare or marketing hype. Both consumers and professional technicians that use it have reported to us a steady stream of glowing commentary.

Perhaps it is time to pump up the marketing engine and let the world know about the best-of-the-best leather conditioner available - It is our own Advanced Leather Solutions' SG - 25.

Copyright 2009, Kevin Gillan