Leather care
– Colours of leather may appear differently on different monitors. Read carefully our Colors and decor page before choose the color.
– Leather naturally will over time darken in colour. Natural leather will get tan over time, the same us our own skin. The less you keep the item under the open sun, the less it will tan. Use proper leather care regularly to keep products in good condition and help it to save the color.
– Please, bear in mind that because we dye every item by hand. Every piece of leather soak the dye a little bit different and that is why colour of items can vary slightly.
– Edges of leather items will rub off a little with time. It is a natural feature of leather. To keep the edges of the leather beautiful and not cracking, take care of the leather regularly.
– If your leather item became wet, dyes can leach out a bit when the item is new, this will stop over time. If your leather item got wet we recommend first wipe it down, than let it dry naturally (not near or on the radiator, under open sun and etc, just dry naturally in the good ventilated place) and than, when it is dried, use a leather balm to put back in oils that have been lost.
– Keep items dry and clean. Grease, sweat, and water can quickly break down leather, causing it to rot. Wipe the products dry after each use, regularly take care of the leather and then the product will serve you for many years and will age beautifully.
– Brass and stainless steel hardware may become dull over time. To get the shine back you can use a special cleaner for brass\ stainless steel.
– Trigger clips may become stiff over time, especially if it left in a wet place. You can use multi purpose oil to lubricate the springs and get the clip working smoothly again.
– Leather loses its natural oil every day, this needs to be put back in to stop it drying out and cracking. Apply special oil for leather tack 2-3 times a month and leather conditioner about once a week or after every cleaning to keep your item in good condition.
– Use special products for leather ammunition. You can buy them in a horse tack stores. Don’t use cheap shoe polish from the supermarket. They contain a lot of silicone, they make the leather shiny, but at the same time they dry it out without replenishing the natural loss of oils. As a result, the leather becomes dirty in appearance and over time will begin to crack or even rot. It’s better to buy a good quality leather balm from a well-known brand (they cost about 20 euros for 500ml), a bottle of leather neatsfoot oil or veg leather oil (they cost about 10-15 euros for a 300-500ml bottle) and a leather soap (about 10 euro). This set will last you for many months or even years of use. You can also use them for your other leather items such as bags, shoes or gloves.
Don’t confuse balms and leather conditioners. The balm can be used to soften the leather, nourishes it with the oil it needs, and prevents rotting. Conditioner is a product that adds shine and protects against moisture. There are 2-in-1 products, but if you use two different bottles, apply the balm first, let it soak in for at least 2-3 hours, and then apply the conditioner. Balms also have a moisture protection function, so you can only use the balm.
– Saddle soap is a product for washing leather products. To use, you need to wet the sponge or brush a little, then apply a little soap to the brush or sponge and then thoroughly clean the leather product with this foam on the sponge or brush. Do not pour water on the leather or rinse the product itself in water! Water damages leather products VERY badly. After you have cleaned the product with such foam, wipe off any remaining foam with a dry cloth and allow the product to dry naturally. After this, apply oil or balm to the leather, and then, if desired, when the product has completely absorbed balm or oil, you can apply conditioner.
In general, the sequence of applying care products is as follows:
1. if the leather is dirty, first wash it with saddle soap, let it dry completely (can take up to 24 hours), then apply an oil, let it absorb completely (2-6 hours), then apply balm, let it absorb (about 2-3 hour) and after that you can apply conditioner.
2. if the leather is not dirty and you need to apply oil. It is applied 2-3 times a month to replenish lost oils and soften the leather. Oil acts more deeply than other products. Wipe the product with a rag to remove dust and hair. Then gently apply a small amount of oil onto the leather. Apply it ALL over the leather, incl the arias around buckles, leather belt loops and ets. Do not miss a spot. Let it soak in (2-6 hours). After this, apply leather balm and let it soak in completely (2-3 hours). Afterwards, if desired, apply leather conditioner, let it dry (about 1 hour) and you can use the product.
!!! Be careful, oil makes the leather a little darker, so if you have a bright or light-colored product, it is better not to use oil, but to use a colorless balm with vegetable (!!!) oils, it will saturate the leather, but will not make it darker.
3. for applying balm. Wipe the product with a rag to remove dust and hair. Then apply to the balm, let it soak in completely (2-3 hours). Afterwards, if desired, apply leather conditioner, let it dry (about 1 hour) and you can use the product. Apply the balm once a week if the product is used in gentle conditions (does not get wet or dirty too much, it is not too humid outside), and after each use or 2-3 times a week if the product is used in aggressive conditions (relevant for equestrian ammunition, and also if the product gets dirty, wet, or there is strong humidity or heat outside). Never apply any leather products to dirty leather!
4. for applying conditioner. Conditioner is applied to add shine to products and to protect them from water. It is applied last, only to clean leather. You can’t just use conditioner and that’s it. Conditioner does not replenish the oils in the leather, which is very important, so the leather, if used only with it, will eventually crack and or rot.
– Do not leave leather products on or near a radiator, under open sun, oven or fire as this will cause the leather to dry out.
– Regularly check items for wear and tear. If your item becomes damaged please contact us to arrange a repair.
– Take good care of the jewelry (conchos, rivets and etc.) on the products. Do not twist them or try to tear them off. Rotation and other stress will weaken the strength of the attachment and lead to breakage or loss of jewelry. Wipe down jewelry if it gets wet. Make sure your dog does not have free access to items with decorations without supervision. Do not let you dog to play or chew items to avoid it to swallow jewelry.
Other products care
– Keep it clean and dry.
– Clean items by hands or use «Hand Wash» program of your washing machine. Clean only in cold water (up to 30°С) with colour protecting washing powder.
– Do not dry it on a radiator or under the open sun. All syntenic materials will naturally lose the colour with time, but open sun, often or incorrect washing and drying will make that process much faster.