Argent Lion Leatherworks

Leather & Leather Care Instructions

THE Leather

If you've recently bought (3 years ago or less) a leather bag or sofa or jacket and it's gone from Ferrari to sorry in record time, then you need to read every word of this next section.   If the leather you buy lasts you for years and years and is as nice or better looking than the day you bought it, skip to the next section, you don't need to read this.

Leather Quaity - Argent Lion leather goods are made of 4 - 9 ounce Full Grain and Top Grain leather and tanned with various oils to keep them from being destroyed early by dryness and moisture.  There are four grades of leather.

Full Grain Leather is the best leather money can buy and the only leather good enough for Argent Lion Leatherworks  products. It comes from the top layer of the hide which is the toughest part. From the middle layer of the leather to the top, the fibers are mostly woven together vertically making it very strong. The natural surface of full grain leather burnishes and beautifies with use.  Some companies sort of spray paint their inferior leather to try to make it look like full grain leather, but it just ends up looking like someone spray painted some cheap leather. From what I've seen, maybe 2% of all products are made of Full Grain, and those rarely sell under $400. This leather is expensive and requires very expensive machines to work.  Full Grain leather shows the life of the cow by the scars it carries.  If it's been bitten by coyotes or branded, kicked or gored or has been torn by barbed wire or mesquite thorns, those scars will be there.

Top Grain Leather is the second highest grade of leather. The leather is split from the top layer of blemished hide then sanded and refinished. This is how they get rid of scars and scrapes and light cow brands. Top grain leather does not easily burnish and beautify with use and therefore it's spraypainted to look like my books.  It's strong and durable for holsters, knife sheaths, belts, and a lot of really great products, but not good enough for Argent Lion  to use for my books since a large part of the strongest fibers are now gone leaving mainly the horizontal (easily pulled apart) fibers of the leather. By the way, did you know that the leather shavings are used in cheap dog food?

Genuine Leather is the third grade of leather and is produced from the layers of hide that remain after the top is split off for the better grades.  The surface is usually refinished (spray painted) to resemble a higher grade.  It can be smooth or rough.   Caution:  This inferior quality of leather becomes evident with use.

Bonded Leather is leather's bottom.   Leftover scraps are ground together with glue and resurfaced in a process similar to vinyl manufacture. Bonded leather is weak and degrades quickly with use. Most Bibles and Hymn Books are covered with this. Maybe you should consider availing yourself of my custom book covering services as well?

Leather Care

To insure that your leather lasts at least as long as you do, here are a couple helpful tips; 1. Never leave your leather exposed to the elements. Leather is super absorbent, even when sealed properly. Water, chemicals, and the elements will discolor your leather items. The life of your leather will also be dramatically shortened if it is not handled and kept conditioned. A leather that is too dry will begin to crack and the finish will fade as well. 2. Handle the leather often. The natural oils in your fingers and skin will naturally help to preserve it against moisture and dryness. 3. If you are planning to store your leather product for more than 3 months in one place, rub in a light coating of Mink Oil (Available at any shoe store) and seal in an airtight plastic bag. This will keep it from drying out and won’t “rot” your leather either. A little mink oil goes a LONG way. A simple light application is all it takes to keep your leather goods safe and protected for a very long time. 4. Vegetable oils and extra virgin olive oil also help to keep your leather conditioned. Just be careful with how much you use as the oils will go rancid after more than a few months. Although it will preserve a high-carbon knife/sword blade for many, many years, it will inevitably destroy a good leather sheath/scabbard in 6 months. Never, ever, use the oils on the inside of your leather products. Only use it on the outside. The leather will absorb what it needs and “sweat out” the rest. Check it every month or so and wipe off the excess oil that the leather “sweats” out. 5. If your leather should become saturated with water, you should dry it off with a clean soft cloth or shop rag. Press on the leather firmly with the cloth, do not wipe it. It will take some time to dry like this, but it will increase the chances of saving it. As it dries, you may notice that the leather becomes more rigid and hard. A light coating of mink oil will restore its flexibility and help to purge any remaining moisture. Allow it to dry naturally indoors, and be sure to wipe off any remaining mink oil excess. 6. If your leather has metal in it (i.e., rivets, screws, conchos, fittings, etc.), make sure that you dry these areas VERY well. Get as much of the dampness out of that area as you can. If you can safely remove the metal fixtures, then take them off and dry them by hand. A good coating of 4 in 1 oil is an excellent idea as well once they are dry. Once you have done that, use the monk oil on the leather area and completely cover the metal and seams with it as well. This will make a protective seal between your metalwork and the leather. 7. DO NOT USE MINK OIL ON SUEDE LEATHER!!!! It will absorb into the leather and leave you with a greasy feeling slick skin instead of a softer, more durable cover. If you do decide to use mink oil, on suede, make sure to wipe off the excess thoroughly and use a curry comb or light wire brush to brush out the suede areas. You’ll have to do this about 5 to 10 times until the oil has been completely absorbed and the top layer begins to dry out.      Thank you again for choosing Argent Lion Leatherworks! www.argentlionleatherworks.com