Leather care is a serious business. Here at Simeon Morris we take the utmost care to ensure that all our products are made to the absolute highest standards of quality and craftsmanship possible. To maintain this quality and to increase the longevity of your piece, please note the following guidelines.
LEATHER CARE AND PROTECTION
Your bag leaves our atelier with a water resistant preparation applied to the leather. However, prolonged exposure to water will potentially stain or mark the leather, especially on a paler colour like our London Tan. We recommend you keep your bag out of torrential downpours.
SOAP
To keep your bag clean we recommend a good saddle soap such as Fiebings neutral saddle soap. Alternatively, you can use Saphir leather cleaning soap, available here.
NOURISHMENT
To prevent drying over time and to stay supple, leather needs some nourishment. This will help replenish the natural oils present in the hide. Such products will also keep your product water resistant. Here at Simeon Morris we highly recommend Saphir Medaille D’or 1925 Nappa Specialist Leather Balm, available online here and from Bowhill & Elliot in Norwich. This really is the creme de la creme of leather conditioners, helping to nourish and weather proof the leather. It imparts a soft shine, and also smells divine!
WHITE BLOOM
A white bloom can sometimes be seen on the surface of your leather. This is totally natural and a sign that this leather is of the highest quality. But what is it? During the finishing process of English bridle leather, a mixture of oil and fat called tallow is applied and then brushed in. Tallow impregnates deep into the skin and keeps it supple and well nourished. Overtime, this will work its way back to the surface of the leather, giving that characteristic bloom. A stiff horsehair brush will buff the white away and give back a good shine. Alternatively, you can heat the surface of the leather gently with a hairdryer before buffing with a brush.
POLISH
Lastly, we recommend Saphir Pate De Luxe Wax Neutral colour, available here and from Bowhill & Elliot in Norwich. This is an exquisite wax shoe polish that not only protects and weather proofs but imparts a lustrous shine and delicious smell! We do not recommend using a coloured polish as it may adversely affect the finish of your piece.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As you can see, there are a number of different things to think about, and potential products to try and buy. You don’t have to do all of the above but using something that both nourishes and protects your leather will go an extremely long way to greatly increasing the longevity of your piece, and therefore your enjoyment of it.
