BRANDT & WHITNEY, INC.

Leather Upholstery Care and Repair

Information Page

The first step before attempting repairs on leather is to identify the type of finish that is on the leather. The finish is the surface protection that is applied to the leather during the tanning process. There are a verity of leather finish types that are used on upholstery.

It is important to be able to identify the category of leather finish you plan to work on. If you wish to care for or make repairs to a leather item, you need first need to be able to identify the type of finish is on the leather. You need to have the proper repair or care products for the type of finish you are repairing. You also need to know if it is leather, vinyl or other synthetic furniture cover.

Once the type of leather is identified you can select the proper type of care and repair products in order to get the best results. 

How do I identify the type of finish on my leather?

Probably one of the most common mistakes made in trying to identify the type of leather is to mistake vinyl for leather. Don't feel bad if you misidentify vinyl for leather because the technology that goes in to making some of the synthetic materials is very sophisticated. Even professional upholsters can sometimes be fooled by the quality of the imitations available today.

How do I tell the difference between vinyl and leather?

Also should know is that a large portion of the leather furniture that is available today has vinyl on the out-side arms and out-side back. The furniture manufacturer will carefully select matching vinyl and leather to be used together on the furniture item. This reduces their cost and allows them to be more competitive in the large leather upholstery market. One method of telling the difference is to place your hand on vinyl and watch it warm up. Place your hand on leather and it will stay cooler because of its breath ability. Smell it, there is a big difference on how leather and vinyl smell. If your item is genuine leather the back side of the leather will have a some what irregular suede like finish. If your item is vinyl it will have a spun or woven fiber surface on the back.

Ok, after that discussion;

Hopefully you will have a more clear idea on whether your item is leather or vinyl. If you are working with leather then the next step is to identify the type of finish you have on your leather.

In terms of upholstery use, the three most common leather ffinishes we see are.

Protected leather finishes

Pigmented / Top coated and Bycast

Semi-protected

Semi-Aniline and pull-up 

Unprotected

Suede / Nubuck and Full Aniline

Why Leather!

Each hide or skin is an individual piece. All leather comes from one source, the hides of animals. Different animal skins are used to produce a variety of looks in leather and the most common is bovine or Cow Hide. All leathers are processed in similar methods to achieve the look and feel of a particular purpose. Once the leather is tanned and processed, certain sections are then selected for use on a particular application. This process determines the type of leather that will be made available to you. In almost all situations, similar tanning and dyeing chemicals and processes are used.

Leather quality is not determined by brand identification, rather, it is determined by the actual processes and chemicals used in it's production. Reputable manufacturers use a high quality leather in the production of furniture and automotive upholstery as well as the manufacture of Jackets and clothing.  However, there are increasingly greater numbers of lower quality leathers being used in today's market. Normally, lower priced items will have lower quality leather.  Do some shopping before you make that final purchase. Leather generally known as "By-Cast" is a very poor quality leather but becoming very popular. Don't expect this type of leather to last!
Why Maintain Leather?

Regular cleaning and replenishment of natural oils will keep the leather and its' finish  in good condition for a very long time. We have available Leather Care Kits that will provide you with everything you will need to thoroughly maintain your leather. Oils in the leather will dry out and evaporate even when the leather is not regularly used. To keep the leather soft and flexible, dirt and grime which have accumulated on the surface must be removed using a quality leather cleaner. The oils need to be replaced using a good leather conditioner.  Regular maintenance should be performed usually about once every three months.
The use of "Old Time" or "Home Made" remedies can be very dangerous, the resent changes in the chemicals and all the processes are not the same. Homemade recipes any way you look at it, are dangerous and what works on one type of leather does not necessarily work on another.