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Riley
09-13-2015, 06:08 AM
I would like some advice on restoring/caring for a pair of loveseats. I need help in identifying what type of leather I am working with and what product and techniques will work. I purchased the set off the showroom from a local store about 4 years ago and it was already showing signs of drying and minor cracking. I treated them with leather oil which darkened them slightly but still maintained the rich butterscotch color that I wanted. Body oil stains are evident in many of the pictures. Pics 8 & 9 show staining from battery acid from a picture frame light which leaked. Acid is from standard Duracell D cells. The leather has very little stretch to it and the only tags I found are shown in pic 15. Thanks

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:14 AM
pics 1 - 3 show general condition548954905491

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:16 AM
pic 4 shows body oil stain in headrest area5492

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:20 AM
pic 5 shows some food grease staining on corner. I will note that all cushions are permanently attached.5494

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:22 AM
blood stain along front edge5495

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:28 AM
pic 7 shows where food grease cleaning was attempted leaving watermark and leaving leather smoother and shinier than rest of piece.5496

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:33 AM
pics 8 - 11 show result of battery acid. Some attempt was made at cleaning to minimize damage. Splatter on seat cushion from same.5497549854995500

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:37 AM
Maybe this tag can help you identify sofa.5501

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:40 AM
pic 13 shows some body oil staining, most notably under upper cushion. Both pieces exhibit excess "sheen" in various sections.5502

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:44 AM
good representation of the condition when purchased; rich color, some range scars, not shiny.5503

Riley
09-13-2015, 06:47 AM
pic 15 the only tag I could find5504

Roger Koh
09-13-2015, 06:14 PM
>>> I need help in identifying what type of leather I am working with

This leather is identified as Aniline (A.f) – Full, based on typical characteristic observed.
Aniline leather is a leather type colored exclusively by transparent staining dyestuff with the beauty of the grain magnifies or amplifies with a clear urethane topcoat either in gloss or satin luster.


>>> advice on restoring/caring

The advice on restoring /care will be based on this Aniline (A.f) – Full, Leather Problem Solving Guide matrix.

5511


Roger Koh
Leather Care System Formulator / Practitioner / Consultant / Instructor / Coach

Roger Koh
09-13-2015, 07:15 PM
>>> what product
The products are found on the top row of the Aniline (A.f) Full – leather problem solving guide matrix


>>> and techniques will work.
The numbers indicates the step to take in sequence.


>>> I purchased the set off the showroom from a local store about 4 years ago and it was already showing signs of drying and minor cracking.

Drying is the diminishing of the original fatliquor (fat and oil) content. Average modern tannery standard will measure about 14% when read with a leather moisture meter or an equivalent wood moisture meter. Fatliquor (fat and oil) are volatile organic compound the same as our car engine oil. As the percentage diminishes through evaporation the leather becomes stiff and when flexed leads to cracks. To replenish or top-up the difference the stiff and shrunk leather will require a Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 rejuvenating system. Minor cracking will be less prominent once the fatliquor is top-up to the original averaging 14% fatliquor content.


>>>I treated them with leather oil which darkened them slightly but still maintained the rich butterscotch color that I wanted.

Any leather oil that does not show a pH value will be just non-polar oil. It will just soak into the leather filling up all the air space and suffocates the leather without any breathing air space for the natural transpiration and may rot the leather eventually. What you need is what is been used from the tannery – Fatliquor, the lifeblood of leather. Fatliquor is ionic negative (-ve) charged emulsion of fat and oil that hydrogen bond with the ionic positive amphoteric leather protein fiber. Similar to electro plating or power coating fatliquoring works by hydrogen bonding. Thus leaving all the airspace for natural transpiration for seating comfort without the darkening effect.


>>> Body oil stains are evident in many of the pictures.

Body oil is only unsightly, but the sweat is damaging as when it ferment shift the amphoteric leather protein fiber ionic negative (-ve), thus repels the other ionic negative (-ve) as well, denaturing the leather and reverting to raw hide. One sign of leather denaturing is the tackiness feeling.


>>> Pics 8 & 9 show staining from battery acid from a picture frame light which leaked. Acid is from standard Duracell D cells.

Acid is neutralized with Basifier-8.8 to stabilize the neutral pH or isoelectric-point or pI of the leather for leather chemistry pH integrity. Appearance may have to be improved or corrected with color refinishing. To hide the stain an opaque color pigment such as a matching Micro-54 is used. To accentuate the beauty of depth a matching transparent Aniline-76 is used and follows with its matching topcoat.

Roger Koh
09-15-2015, 09:41 AM
>>> pics 1 - 3 show general condition

Pictures show the common characteristics of “Aniline” leather finish type.
It is not a gloss luster finish, thus body oil, grease and other leather oils altars the original appearance negatively.


>>> pic 4 - shows body oil stain in headrest area.

The care of leather is the preventing of body oil, grease and sweat building-up.
They are clean off according to their soiling type from the matrix guide, during Routine, Periodic and restorative cleaning cycle.
When it becomes a “Penetrated Oil, Grease and Sweat” stain category the topcoat in most cases are damaged and restoring it will take a longer route with reference to the guide. Refinishing relevant steps follow after the degreasing processes with Degreser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system. Unnatural stiffer creases and wrinkles continues with Hydrator-3.3 to relax it and Fatliquor-5.0 continues to replenished up the average 14% of fatliquor (fat and oil) moisture content for suppleness and strength in the Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 system


>>> pic 5 - shows some food grease staining on corner. I will note that all cushions are permanently attached.

Food grease is often a compound stain, besides the grease that produce a darkening effect removed by Degreaser-2.2 > Rinse-3.0 / Acidifier-2.0, tannin coloring derived from plants and vegetation will also need to be removed according by reduction-oxidation (redox) reaction with d’Tannin-3.5 or TanninClean-3.5. When trying to salvage penetrated stain, the delicate topcoat is compromised and refinishing inevitable to restore appearance.


>>> pic 6 - blood stain along front edge

Blood is a protein stain and so is the leather fiber protein as well. They tend to coagulate and removal will require some physical manipulating to ease off the coagulation. Refer to guide for the removal steps with ProteinClean-10 > TarnishClean-1.3 > Rinse-3.0 system. Refinishing is often mandatory when comes to aged bloodstain.


>>> pic 7 - shows where food grease cleaning was attempted leaving watermark and leaving leather smoother and shinier than rest of piece.

Watermarks are pH value related; when a high pH value above 7 is used for stain removal it has to be pH balanced with a low pH value such as Acidifier-2.0 (pH 2.0) or Rinse-3.0 (pH 3.0) to eliminate watermarks. The grease may not be entirely removed but rather it is spread out that gives the smother and shinier effect deviated from original visual and tactile-feel characteristic. Restorative cleaning is done with Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 > Rinse-3.0 system to preserve the finishes. Once the Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0 system is used refinishing is almost certain.


>>> pics 8 - 11 show result of battery acid. Some attempt was made at cleaning to minimize damage. Splatter on seat cushion from same.

Often times leather behaves just like a litmus paper and will record the extreme ionic pH value differences in colors. In this case the staining is below the pH neutral or isoelectric-point or pI (pH 3 – 5). It will require a leather-safe alkaline neutralizer like Basifier-8.8 (pH 8.8) to pH balanced it. Refinishing to the less obvious appearance is by blocking off the remaining stains if any with an ‘opaque’ matching pigment like Micro-54 and finished off with matching ‘transparent’ Aniline-76 system.


>>> Pic 12 - Maybe this tag can help you identify sofa.

This tag may indicate the model and only the manufacturer known the details when you enquire. The leather comes from the tannery and the technician may know the details of processing as well. However, this shows a typical “Aniline” finish leather with a very light topcoat and the topcoat is deteriorating as well giving off a dry, scaly, whitish appearance. The leather with deteriorating topcoat becomes highly absorbent and most liquid stain becomes like an iceberg, with a larger volume beneath the surface, making removing them tougher.


>>> pic 13 - shows some body oil staining, most notably under upper cushion. Both pieces exhibit excess "sheen" in various sections.

According to the guide products used are matched to the soiling level, not to under-clean it nor over-clean it and restoring back to original appearance is the recommended leather-safe practice. Preventive care is the better approach to restorative care, which will entail more work.


>>> pic 14 - good representation of the condition when purchased; rich color, some range scars, not shiny.

The rich color with lively varied tone reflects the natural character of the skin enhanced with the build-in or dye through or vat dye transparent aniline dyestuff. Urethane gloss topcoat is often used such as AnilineTop-21G to seal and amplify the color richness.
Scars authenticate that this leather is 100% genuine hide, grown from the fields and take average at least 14 months before they are recycled into usable leather.
Leathers with grains will take a lesser shine than leathers without grains, even though the same gloss product is applied and again depends on thickness of total coatings.


>>> pic 15 - the only tag I could find
A leather sample tag is often found on the deck or frame of the furniture.

Riley
12-20-2017, 08:23 AM
I am preparing purchase a restoration kit and it seems I will need to order a custom color for Aniline-76. How do I go about getting a good match?

Roger Koh
12-23-2017, 06:57 PM
>>> I will need to order a custom color for Aniline-76
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/color-matching-services/

>>> How do I go about getting a good match?
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/aniline-76/