Leather treatment?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
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From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Isn't automotive leather ( other than $200,000 vehicles) coated with a plastic coating for durability and stain resistance? Thought I read that somewhere. Point being, how does anything "soak" into the leather thru the plastic. Have wondered about this for a while thinking all leather treatments were snake oil. What's the truth? Anyone know? (as opposed to think)
Miles of Smiles
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Omaha Nebraska
2016 C5 of the Year Finalist
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,216
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From: Denton Texas
I don't know about you but if plastic was used to coat the leather in our cars would those with fat asses and flatulence have an adverse effect on any plastic that might be present by design. it would have to be some bullet proof plastic to last 14 years . I scrubbed the hell out of my seat covers for 14 years and they still look good. I don't see any evidence of plastic now or at anytime in the last 14 years. And IM one of those flatulent fat asses.
cesssna10
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: Big Canoe Ga
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
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From: San Diego CA
there are many good products on the market. My daughter uses leather saddle soap on her very expensive saddles.
I've used Lexol for years. Both the leather cleaning soap and the leather conditioner.
I've been doing this stuff for 55 years.
For the last ten years I've been using Zaino Brothers Leather in a bottle. It has one thing the others don't and that is a real leather smell as an added bonus.
I've used Lexol for years. Both the leather cleaning soap and the leather conditioner.
I've been doing this stuff for 55 years.
For the last ten years I've been using Zaino Brothers Leather in a bottle. It has one thing the others don't and that is a real leather smell as an added bonus.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: Atlanta Georgia
St. Jude Donor '13,'14
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
automotive leather is in fact coated. But.. it still needs to be cleaned and the leather products designed for automotive applications are designed around this concept. Cleaning is an important part of the process and it doesn't hurt to have a fragrance that smells just like real leather . There is also UV protection added to most of these automotive interior leather/vinyl conditioners.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,216
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From: Denton Texas
automotive leather is in fact coated. But.. it still needs to be cleaned and the leather products designed for automotive applications are designed around this concept. Cleaning is an important part of the process and it doesn't hurt to have a fragrance that smells just like real leather . There is also UV protection added to most of these automotive interior leather/vinyl conditioners.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2012
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St Jude Donor '14
Evil Twin.HaHa! Too True ,we were all having a lot more sex when we were younger.Now we play with our cars,we dress em up, polish them, take em out, and sit around talking bout them…..remind you of something
Heck I had some good times in a 69 dart with a six banger LOL!
Heck I had some good times in a 69 dart with a six banger LOL!
Pro
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 568
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From: Fresno California
And on a good day, even I smell like leather as oppose to some of the smells old people get. 
Where is my bottle of English Leather? it took over when Hi Karate fell out of favor and before that Canoe was the rage. When you think about it as I ponder the last 68 years, I was having much more sex when I used Canoe and drove my 58 Corvette over anything IM using today
Where is my bottle of English Leather? it took over when Hi Karate fell out of favor and before that Canoe was the rage. When you think about it as I ponder the last 68 years, I was having much more sex when I used Canoe and drove my 58 Corvette over anything IM using today
Switch to Jade East, wear that black Nehru jacket and go get em. I hope that helps.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 484
Likes: 0
From: North Dallas area TX
Isn't automotive leather ( other than $200,000 vehicles) coated with a plastic coating for durability and stain resistance? Thought I read that somewhere. Point being, how does anything "soak" into the leather thru the plastic. Have wondered about this for a while thinking all leather treatments were snake oil. What's the truth? Anyone know? (as opposed to think)
Clean the leather then follow with a nice leather dressing with lanolin. Lexol (German), Hide food (English) and probably other products as well. Do not use a product that claims a one step process.
Retired auto upholsterer.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
All genuine leather goes through a tanning process. All leather does breath, that is why it dries out and cracks. When ever treating leather you must clean it first to remove the dirt, otherwise you will be rubbing the dirt into the leather. Saddle soap is one thing that will rub the dirt into the leather !! BAD. Saddles look very cool, but uneven from all the dirt rubbed into them..
That's like saying we use soap to rub the dirt into our skin... You may be a former upholster but you know nothing about saddles or saddle soap. When saddle soap is used, it lifts the dirt from the leather pores of the top grain cowhide used to make them which is a far cry from the second and third tier of a hide used to make automotive leather.. Then the pores are filled with a conditioner like saddle wax, much like the waxes we use to protect our car's finish.
Clean the leather then follow with a nice leather dressing with lanolin. Lexol (German), Hide food (English) and probably other products as well. Do not use a product that claims a one step process.
Retired auto upholsterer.
That's like saying we use soap to rub the dirt into our skin... You may be a former upholster but you know nothing about saddles or saddle soap. When saddle soap is used, it lifts the dirt from the leather pores of the top grain cowhide used to make them which is a far cry from the second and third tier of a hide used to make automotive leather.. Then the pores are filled with a conditioner like saddle wax, much like the waxes we use to protect our car's finish.
Clean the leather then follow with a nice leather dressing with lanolin. Lexol (German), Hide food (English) and probably other products as well. Do not use a product that claims a one step process.
Retired auto upholsterer.
Last edited by Evil-Twin; Dec 5, 2013 at 08:55 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,602
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From: Westchester County, NY
Since you asked and IMHO these Corvette seats are treated with a varnish or shellac and do not absorb any products so just use the least expensive products at hand. Nothing gets absorbed they just look shiney and very quickly crack and die. I have never seen a Corvette seat of any age look good. Greetings, Rob
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,602
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From: Westchester County, NY
With all due respect, that comment was insensitive and dumb!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
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From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Bill aka ET
Last edited by Evil-Twin; Dec 8, 2013 at 03:29 AM.