Wow! I've spent some time looking through this forum and it seems like I've finally found the right place to get some advice! I have an aniline leather couch that's about 6 years old (maybe older... it was the floor model & had some pretty significant sun damage when I got it -- at a big discount). It is the Oscar sofa from Norwalk Furniture in leather.
Over time, the seating area with the heaviest seat traffic has started to wear in various ways -- each panel of the seat slightly differently. Here is a shot of the whole couch:
Here is a closer shot of the area that's been sat on the most:
If I remove the back cushion , the difference between the original leather color and finish and what I'm sitting on today is very apparent:
Here are two close-ups of some of the panels I'm most worried about. They have become rough to the touch, feeling almost like tough suede when I run my hand over the couch. Some areas also seem to be thinning... in one photo you can see where a small hole appeared in the leather. I gave it a temporary fix by placing a scrap of leather behind the hole and using leather glue to secure it.
It looks like at the very least, I need to introduce my couch to the Leather Doctor Hydrator and Fatliquor. In the past I have used Soft Touch Ram Leather Furniture Conditioner but it does not seem to have been enough!
I am not concerned about the change in color, but I do want to protect the leather from possible future damage.
Thanks for sharing your expertise!