Vegetable-Tanned (Vachetta or Naked Unfinished) - Beautiful Mogensen

Hi

We were really lucky to get this wonderful vintage sofa some time ago. It's a Mogensen 2213 in vegetable tannend natural colored aniline leather. I think you are familiar with this sofa.
Now we discovered some things which we'd like to improve without destroying the beautiful patina.

1. Stains:
We are not sure what caused all the stains. But some days ago I spilled some water and it caused quite a stain. So it can be from anything. What do you suggest to improve the situation with the stains? They really don't have to go away completely, just some improvement would be nice.

2. Smell:
The Sofa smells a little. It's a little hard to determine how. Maybe a combination of old smoke, possibly some mold, just a kind of "old" smell. Sorry I can't explain better. What should we do with the leather, besides having the feather cussions inside cleaned (I found a good company which can do that)?

Tanks for your help. And please excuse my bad english, my native language is not english.

Finally, here are some pictures:

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Me again. I'd be really happy for some suggestions... Thanks!

>>> It's a Mogensen 2213 in vegetable tanned natural colored aniline leather. I think you are familiar with this sofa.

The color of this leather comes from the natural color of hides (usually cows for furnishing) and the vegetable tannin material that convert or preserves the perishable hides into non-perishable leather also decides the color. There is no aniline dyestuff used, otherwise the aniline dyestuff will fade rather than producing a natural seasoned or sun tanned color just like our skin.


>>> Now we discovered some things, which we'd like to improve without destroying the beautiful patina.
Stains:
We are not sure what caused all the stains. But some days ago I spilled some water and it caused quite a stain. So it can be from anything. What do you suggest to improve the situation with the stains? They really don't have to go away completely, just some improvement would be nice.

Beautiful patina is the natural phenomenon as the vegetable-tanning agents reacts with sunlight or UV light.
Unnatural patina such as any liquid stain that has a pH higher than it pH neutral will create unsightly stains.
This unfinished naked leather sometimes behaves just like pH paper and using a leather pH balancer like Acidifier-2.0 may correct the appearance caused by water (pH 7) without much effect to the natural beautiful patina.
However, when the ugly stains are smearing all over Vachetta-2.8 may have to be resort to and this will lighten up the beautiful patina or sun-tanning effect as well. The consolation is that the beautiful patina or natural sunlight or UV light seasoning will continue to develop.
It looks like a productive approach would be by this sequence of process:

Vachetta-2.8 > Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 > Protector-D.

Let me know if you need to further elaborate the above sequence on the why and the how to produce the best result.


>>> 2. Smell:
The Sofa smells a little. It's a little hard to determine how. Maybe a combination of old smoke, possibly some mold, just a kind of "old" smell. Sorry I can't explain better. What should we do with the leather, besides having the feather cussions inside cleaned (I found a good company which can do that)?

Smoke odor is neutralized with d’Smoke-4.7

Body odor is deodorized with d’Odor-4.5

Mold or musty odor is decontaminated with d’Mold-3.6

Pungent or decay protein odor is decontaminated with d’Bacteria-3.7

If smell is the issue, use leather-scented Fatliquor LS-5.5 and Protector-D+ thereafter instead.

Depending what you wish to accomplished, I will propose a sequence of progress to eliminate redundant steps.


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com
[email protected]


Product information - Link to Vegetable-Tanned leather problem solving kits:
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...%29/Categories


Recommendation is to have the Kit V4 and pick other individual bottles as add-on from Kit V2, Kit V5.mk, Kit V5.bk and Kit V5.bo.
Check out the sequence of process from the Problem Solving Guide
Leather Doctor Kit V2 – Vachetta Leather Care Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V4 – Vachetta Leather Body Oil, Grease and Sweat / Browning Removal Kit
Leather Doctor Kit V5.mk – Vachetta Leather Mold Killer Kit
Leather Doctor Kit V5.bk – Vachetta Leather Bacteria Killer Kit
Leather Doctor Kit V5.bo – Vachetta Leather Deodorizer Kit


Vegetable-Tanned (V) Leather Problem Solving Guide

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Attachment 3337
Leather Doctor Kit V2 – Vachetta Leather Care Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V2, unfinished leather care is designed for preventive care of vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers. These naked leathers are tanned using vegetables and plants derived tanning agents and are most sensitive to pH fluctuation. Rain and tap water often leave a lightening spot with an outer ring. The pH 7 alone of water will often cause a rippling effect on the tannin that causes it to moves. Preventive care starts with a surface tension check with Hydrator-3.3 follows by fat and oil replenishing with Fatliquor-5.0. Saturating the leather structure with fat and oil prior to use against the ingress of liquid stains is a preventive measure. When leather is full of fat and oil, it makes the leather less absorbent. Fat and oil conditioning or rejuvenating with Fatliquor-5.0 mellows and enrich the appearance of the leather while most oil conditioners will simply darkens and dulls the appearance poorly. Protector-D enhances a rub resistant draggy-feel against friction rubs and is used routinely to conceal and fill scuffmarks. Body contact areas should be clean periodically with Clean-3.8 follows with Rinse-3.0, thereafter applied with non-stick protection and commence for another cycle of use. Neglected and prolong body grease and sweat contacts will require a corrective cleaning depending on Degreaser-2.2 follows with Acidifier-2.0 in most cases. Preventive cleaning and protection to shield against sticky soiling, with the abilities to heal and conceal lightening scuff and abrasion marks keeps the leather appearance level high at all times rather than relying on corrective or salvage cleaning where the cleaning appearance deteriorates and diminishes with each cycle. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to removing vegetable, plant and water stains from vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers.


Attachment 3338
Leather Doctor® Kit V4 – Vachetta Leather Body Oil, Grease and Sweat / Browning Removal Kit Leather Doctor® Kit V4 specialty problem solving kit include Vachetta-2.8 for browning removal and Degreaser-2.2 for body contact decontamination systems in a holistic approach. Kit V4 is a combination kit from Kit V3 and Kit V5.dr without duplicating of products for these common related problems. Darkening appearance from body contact and browning from liquid stain are two main inevitable common problems associated with naked unfinished vachetta leathers. Leather being absorbent absorb and accumulates body moisture from contact and when neglected resulted in a darkening appearance. Besides appearance the sweat with traces of urea may cause the protein fiber from shifting ionic negative (-ve) manifesting as tackiness and reverting to rawhide. Degreaser-2.2 solves the darkening effect by penetrating, lubricating and suspending the soiling particulates and simultaneously protonate the protein fiber ionic positive (+ve). The amphoteric protein fiber is further rinse and ionic positive (+ve) charge with Acidifier-2.0 to strengthen the ionic attraction between its other non-amphoteric ionic negative (-ve) leather constituents like the tanning agent and the fatliquor. This dual duty removes the unwanted soiling particulates and pH balance the pH chemistry integrity of the leather at the same time. Browning of vachetta leathers is associated with alkaline over-exposure, vachetta being a lower pH value than most other tanned leathers averages pH 4 is more sensitive to alkaline cleaning or stains and even water at pH 7 will cause discoloration and browning.Vachetta-2.8 with its low pH works by oxidation-reduction reaction to reduce the discoloration or browning effect to a more even appearance when the leather is left to dry naturally. Leather rejuvenating is mandatory and comes next when appearance become satisfactorily. This is accomplished with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 system. Hydrator-3.3 plays a significant role in absorbent leathers like vachetta where stains are usually penetrated. The hydrator’s surfactancy helps internal leather structure colloidal movement by moving suspended soiling particulates to the surface at each wicking process until exhausted and is often used as part of the rinsing process. Besides hydrator is used to check for surface tension and relax the leather fiber prior to ionic negative (-ve) charged Fatliquor-5.0 replenishing. Natural slow drying in between application until saturation produces a softer leather. Protecting the leather with Protector-D impart a natural draggy-feel and reduces wear to the grain of the leather, conceal scuff with its healing properties that also allows transpiration to take place or breaths naturally. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to removing the common problems associated with vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers.


Attachment 3339
Leather Doctor Kit V5.mk – Vachetta Leather Mold Killer Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V5.mk, unfinished leather mold killer kit is designed for vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers mold preventive and decontamination care during storage or after growth. Water damaged leathers and storing in a humid condition promotes mold growth. The presence of mold infestation is detected by its characteristic musty odor and moldy appearance. Mold is a living organism and damages are progressive that timely preventive anti-fungicidal control is preferred over corrective restoration. A progressive mold infestation will result in unsightly sinking pits that may require physical removal with refinishing. When leather is store away, a d’Mold-3.6 treatment preserves the leather for a potential period of 8 months. d’Mold-3.6 is a waterbased leather-safe non-phenol fungicide designed to kill mold growth. An effective mold decontamination process would include a restorative cleaning with Prep-4.4, sticky residue removed with Cleaner-3.8 and follows by Rinse-3.0. Mold growth draws its nutrients from the leather fat and oil and will need replenishing. Rejuvenating the leather includes hydrating to relax the stick together fibers and to eliminate surface tension with Hydrator-3.3. Fat and oil follows immediately with Fatliquor LS-5.5 to rejuvenate the leather with suppleness and diffusing a classic leather scent. This follows with d’Mold-3.6 treatment when dry and proceeds with Protector-D+ for a holistic leather care. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach for both leather mold preventive and corrective care.


Attachment 3340
Leather Doctor Kit V5.bo – Vachetta Leather Deodorizer Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V5.bo, unfinished leather deodorizer kit is designed for body odors contaminated vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leathers. The unpleasant human or pet odor is removed by stripping with Prep-4.4 follows with Cleaner-3.8 and Rinse-3.0. d’Odor-4.5 treatment is left to dwell until naturally dries. With satisfaction, stiff leather is relaxed and sticks together fiber separated by Hydrator-3.3 prior to fat and oil replenishing. Fatliquor LS-5.5 diffuses a classic leather scent besides penetrating and lubricating the leather structure for softness, suppleness and strength when dry. Protector-D+ enhances a rub resistant draggy-feel against friction rubs and shield against sticky soiling while prolonging the appearance of the leather longer. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach in decontaminating body odors from Vachetta, Saddlery and Veg-Tan leathers.

Attachment 3341
Leather Doctor Kit V5.bk – Vachetta Leather Bacteria Killer Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V5.bk, unfinished leather bacteria killer kit is designed for disinfecting and controlling pungent bacteria odor causing activities in a holistic approach. Protein sources are removed with specialty leather protein remover d’Protein-10. The alkalinity after stain removal is rinse and pH balanced with Acidifier-2.0 to bring the leather to its neutral pH of 3 – 5. d’Bacteria-3.7 is a waterbased biodegradable, odorless and colorless leather-safe bactericide treatment after decontamination cleaning. Hydrator-3.3 helps relax stiff and stick-together fibers and eliminate surface tension. Fat and oil are replenished with leather-scented Fatliquor LS-5.5 to rejuvenate for leather softness and suppleness when dry with a classic leather scent. Protector-D+ enhances a rub resistant draggy-feel against friction rubs and shield against sticky soiling while prolonging the appearance of the leather longer. Note that the mentioned products suffix numbers denotes its pH value in this holistic approach to eliminate pungent odor causing bacteria activities.