Getting a stain out of leather?

[adamgottschalk]

I really love this vinage 1950s Schott brown leather jacket. It goes great with my brown Borsalino.

I had the buttons changed.

Unfortunately, there's a pretty wicked blue/green/black stain right at the fold in the collar (some slight soiling on the pockets too). Luckily, it's not visible at all when I'm wearing the jacket. I've tried Kiwi saddle soad and Bick's #4, which cleaned it up some, but not as much as I'd like.

Is there anything more I can do? I get the feeling I might have made it worse...? Any help appreciated.

 

[Elmonteman]

Leather Cleaner

Hey Adam, Not that I'm an expert but there is a product called "Pristine Clean" usually used in conjunction with "Leatherique" that you might check out. It's made in the US. I've used both products a few times with pretty good success even though I haven't followed some of the directions for achieving optimal results. If you are familiar with Aero Leather Clothing, they sell it and I know they use it along with the companion product. Here's the link: http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/...?page=displayproduct&subcatid=162&prodid=1524

If you google "Leatherique" you can find a source a little closer to home. I mention Aero only because they know leather so I think it gives the product a little more credibility. Good Luck!

 

[adamgottschalk]

Sun, great idea

Try putting it in direct sunlight for an hour or two then using leather cleaner.

I've been teased before about being oh-so-Martha-Stewart by my musician friends when I recommend they clean out their guitar cases by putting them out in direct sunlight. I'll give that a try. Problem is, there isn't much sun around Portland Oregon this time of year :cry:

 

[adamgottschalk]

Thanks

I've been thinking about this and I think it's wear. I can't really tell without actually looking at the area, but it looks like the fold has worn through the dye. Most garment leathers are what we call chrome tanned. Without giving you a long disertation the tanning salts are a bluish green color and the leather is a light bluish green grayish color after tanning. There are two ways to dye leather, surface and drum. Surface dyeing process sprays the dye onto the surface of the leather. Drum dying immerses the leather in a drum of dye. Drum dying penetrates the leather all the way through so the color doesn't change if it's scratched or abraded. Surface dying is only on the surface and the base color of the leather will show through a scratch or abrasion.

If you look at the area under strong light you should be able to see where the dye has been worn away. It will look like worn away paint. The fix is to redye it. Shoe repair men have spray dyes to cover scratches and scuffs on shoes. You should be able to match the color. If done correctly it should outlast you.

Thanks for the tip and info. I was starting to suspect it might not be just a stain. I will look into the possibility of re-dying it.