Cracked and Split Leather

Frequent readers of the forum know that we preach cleaning and conditioning on a regular basis to avoid issue with your leather down the road. As my daughter Sarah says to me "Dad, its like Flossing. Everyone tells the Dentist they do it so they don't get yelled at, but almost no one does it like they are supposed to." She's right!

Here's a Hancock and Moore Austin Recliner we sold to a customer in 2016, and the top bustle is stained and cracked. This is in Cavalier Navy, which is one of the more stain and spill resistant hides. Given proper maintenance and wipe downs, this leather should last 40 years or longer. As you can see, the leather is shot at 6 years. The good news is for $ 310, we are going to make a new upper bustle casing with zipper, and it the old one will be detached by an upholsterer, and the new one sewn on for a couple hundred bucks.

Attachment 14738

What happens is hair and skin oils, especially from men, will saturate and degrade the tannins and fibers of the leather. You first see this as a stain which is usually only at the contact points form head and hands. Once the stain occurs, you cannot get it out, but can still stop the cracking and splitting. The goal of course is to not get to the staining part at all. You do this by simply cleaning and conditioning your leather every 6 months, every 4 months with high use items. In between treatments, simply wipe down the head and hand areas with a damp cloth, doesn't have to be fancy. This applies to all leathers, from every manufacturer. A little maintenance prevents problems down the road and greatly extends the lifespan of your hide.