Vegetable-Tanned - Leather worn-out Club Chairs need some serious Tender Loving Care

Hi Roger,

I read a blog that you had responded to and it seems that you chaps know what you are talking about

http://www.leathercleaningrestoratio...o-former-glory

I would like to buy one of your kits for a spot of home restoration. (Leather Doctor Kit V5.dr – Vachetta Leather Degreaser Kit<http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet/the-465/Leather-Doctor-Kit-V5.dr/Detail>).

Do you have a UK distributor, or Is it possible to get this kit sent overseas?

Many thanks in advance

Jamie


Hi Roger,

Thanks for the quick response. I have attached an image. They are very worn out chairs, so are going to need some serious TLC... And accept that they are never going to be perfect (not the look I wanted).

The leather is very worn and thin in places (sides and tops of arms) and torn in others. The leather seats under the covering are very powdery and stiff and the leather has split on many seams.

Have zero chair conservation experience, but a fair dose of common sense and a good work ethic, which I find carries you quite far.

All advice very gratefully received.

Regards

Jamie

Attachment 1582

These two chairs are identified as unfinished vegetable-tanned leathers.
The points you mentioned are associated with the leather natural fatliquor (fat, oil and water) depletion phenomenal.
As the natural fatliquor diminishes through ageing and non leather-safe cleaning solution through its lifetime without replenishing,
it will contract, shrink, stiffen and loose it’s stitch-rip tensile strength averaging 2000psi.

Solution to restore the leather chemistry integrity is by hydrating to relax its stiffness and separates the stick together fibrils and preconditioning for a more effective fatliquor replenishing.

Leather protein fiber is an “amphoteric” material and it may have weakens it ionic positive (+ve) charges dues to alkaline solution exposure from previous non leather-safe cleaning. A low pH 2.0 acidifier will help to recharge the protein fiber ionic more positive (+ve) is a consideration, so that the hydrogen bond between the fatliquor and the protein fiber increases. In principle the more the fatliquor is replenished the softer the leather will be with increase tensile stitch-rip strength as well.

The appearance of the leather shows color ranges from brown to black.
The black marks on the body contact like the upper back and the armrest would mostly be oil, grease and sweat.
To decontaminate these areas from the leather structure would require a degreaser with a low pH 2.2 (Degreaser-2.2) and rinse with a low pH 2.0 acidifier (Acidifier-2.0). Degreaser-2.2 perform a dual function role, both as degreasing from below surface as well as charging the protein fiber ionic more positive (+ve).
The black appearance on the non surface contact areas could possibly from the tanning that leaches out from alkaline solution over exposure accumulated through it lifetime. Restorative appearance rectification is by using Vachetta-2.8 to reduce its darkening effect.

For a combine sequence of restorative process for leather integrity and appearance my recommendation is as follows:
1] Decontamination Cleaning:
Use Degreaser-2.2 follows with Acidifier-2.0.
2] Browning Treatment:
Use Vachetta-2.8
3] Leather Rejuvenating:
Use Hydrator-3.3 follows with Fatliquor-5.0
4] Concealing scuff:
Use Protector-D

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant

Product information:


Attachment 1585
Leather Doctor Kit V5.dr – Vachetta Leather Degreaser Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit V5.dr, vachetta, saddlery and veg-tan leather degreaser kit is an innovative leather-safe degreasing system for removing grease and sweat contamination. When sweat accumulates and ages it shift alkaline, besides the apparent darkening effect it will also impart a sticky feel to the leather. Leather is composed of protein fiber with other leather constituents like the tanning agents and the fatliquor. The tanning agent preserves the leather while the fatliquor softens it. The protein fiber is amphoteric while the other component is non-amphoteric. They come together by hydrogen bonding. When the pH of the leather rises due to the sweat, the protein fiber begins to shift ionic negative and breaks bond with the ionic negative tanning agent and the fatliquor. The protein fiber loosing the ionic attraction from the tannin agent denatures and revert the leather to rawhide as experience with tackiness or stickiness in extreme cases. The stiffness of the leather is due to the loss of the fatliquor that lubricates the fibers thus the fibers becomes stick together and when flex cracks. The darkening effect is partially contributes by high pH exposure, as alkaline darkens and acidity lightens the appearance of leather. To rectify the compound problem the grease and sweat contamination is remove. The protein fiber is degreased and recharged ionic positive below its iso-electric point (pI) by using Degreaser-2.2 follows by Acidifier-2.0. This combination degreasing and rinsing process should improve the darkening effect while reversing the leather to a healthy squeaky feel. Hydrator-3.3 helps rectify alkaline overexposure areas by facilitating colloidal water movement to redistribute the leather constituents from surrounding areas, while purging foreign contamination to resurface and charging the protein fiber below its iso-electric point (pI) ionic positive to hydrogen bond with the ionic negative fatliquor more effectively. Fat and oil is replenished with Fatliquor-5.0 to return the leather for softness and suppleness when dry. Protector-D heals and conceals scuff and abrasion marks; imparts 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 for a safer degreasing approach to pH sensitive leather. Leather is an amphoteric material and shifting of it pH value obliviously causes the leather to darkens, denature and reverts to rawhide.


Attachment 1586
Leather Doctor Vachetta-2.8
Vachetta-2.8 is a specialty leather browning cleaner design especially for unfinished veg-tan leathers popularly known for handbag as Vachetta. This is a waterbased pH 2.8 cleaner, which is particularly effective in emulsifying oily soiling, lightening suntan, tarnish and liquid browning staining effect. Use in conjunction thereafter with Hydrator-3.3 to relax, Fatliquor-5.0 to soften thus prevents cracking and Protector-D to seal, conceal and allow leather transpiration in a holistic care system. When vachetta leather color turns to dark in extreme cases especially to constant body contact areas like handles, it will require Degreaser-2.2 follows with Acidifier-2.0 to decontaminate the oil, grease and sweat as the first phase prior to browning treatment.

Great advice - Thanks for all your help roger. Could you send me the cost of this pack, as well as delivery to the UK?

Many thanks in advance

Jamie

Info sends thru your email.

You may also check it from the on-line store. . .

for Kit V5.dr see - http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...t-V5.dr/Detail

And for Vachetta-2.8 – see http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...ent/Categories

Roger Koh
Leather care Consultant