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How To Care For Your Leather Pet Accessory

How To Care For Your Leather Pet Accessory

Water is the biggest enemy of leather products.In the case of leather bags or shoes, the original shape of the leather may be damaged if it is wet and it could be stained.The leather may also crack. In addition, mould will grow on the leather if it is stored in a poorly ventilated and damp place. Mould will also cause stains on the leather.Not only would mould growth undermine the leather, it would also cause the cotton yarn to decompose. Hence, the product strength would be weakened.In order to prevent the deterioration of the cotton yarn due to mould or bacteria, we use a special technique to apply natural beeswax onto the cotton yarn just before sewing. This creates a coating on the cotton yarn and makes it more resistant to damage.

Daily Care And Product Management Methods

The best way to care for your natural leather pet accessories is to use it every day! Let your pet wear the collar daily and use the lead everyday for walks. By using them daily continuously lengthens its lifespan. It is a strange phenomenon but to use the leather goods everyday is the best technique to keep it well.

How To Maintain The Luster Of Leather

"Leather" is similar to human "skin". The human "skin" needs to be supplied with oil and nutrients everyday to prevent it from drying out. It is the same for "leather" goods but its oil supply has been stopped.
In order to prevent the leather from drying out, you can apply oil and nutrients to it with leather cream or oils. This is similar to leather bags or shoes to protect them from drying. This will also protect the leather products from mould and bacteria.

How To Maintain The Leather Collar

The pet collar that is worn on a daily basis does not need to be applied with leather cream or oil at all. This is because your pet sweats and secretes body oils. When the collar is worn on the neck, the collar is always supplied with oils to protect it. (If you like, you may use facial blotting paper to test on your pet's skin and it should quickly be soaked.)
If you apply leather cream or oils onto a collar which is often worn by your pet, it would be an excess amount which could result in mould or stains on your leather collar. Please also note that collars which are excessively oiled may become dirty with your pets' hair.

How To Maintain The Leather Lead

If you use the lead in your walks daily, you do not need to apply leather cream or oils on it. If the flexibility of the leather lead is gone and you absolutely must restore it to the original freshness, it is recommended that you apply leather cream or mink oil.
In our studio, we apply mink oil onto the products prior to shipment to protect the leather. Although mink oil is expensive, it is recommended as it does not cause discoloration.
Please take note of the following points when applying leather cream or oil.

The result of application depends on the components of the oil, its quality and area of the leather where the oil is applied. A very different effect could result from differences in the above. Hence, it is recommended that you try on an inconspicuous spot before applying the oil to the whole product.
Use only a small amount of oil on your finger or soft cloth and rub it evenly to spread thinly throughout. Please note that if you use a large amount of oil, it could be difficult to spread well and cause color stains.

How To Care For Your Product If It Is Exposed To Water

Sometimes it rains when we are walking our pet or the leather accessories get wet when our pet is drinking water.
So how do we care for the leather pet accessories if it gets wet?

Wipe the wet part with a dry cloth to absorb the water.
Do not expose it to direct sunlight. Place it in a well-ventilated place so moisture dries out slowly over time.

*Note: Do not use any heating appliance such as hair dryer to quickly dry the leather goods. High heat will cause cracks on the product.*

The Aging Of "NUME" Leather (Original Brown)

About "NUME" Leather (Original Brown)

The leather used in our workshop is all Japanese "Nume" leather (Original Brown).
The method of producing "Nume" leather (Original Brown) has been used since ancient times. The bark of trees, wood, leaves and fruit are used to extract tannin. The cow skin leather is made from tanning tannins. The cross-section of the leather is light brown or brown in color. Its characteristic is robust and less elastic. As this leather is stiff, it is used for applications such as the base of horse saddles, belts, baseball gloves and shoes.
The drawback of this leather is that it is susceptible to moisture such as rain water. As it absorbs moisture, it encourages the growth of bacteria. If it is not sufficiently oiled, it could crack or tear.

As it takes a long time to tan leather using tannins, most mainstream leather is made from Chrome tanning technique which uses chemicals to produce leather. This method is unfriendly to the environment. However, "Nume" leather (Original Brown) is made from natural tannin materials, so when the materials are discarded, they decompose naturally into microorganisms in the soil and do not create hazardous waste substances that pollute the environment. "Nume" leather (Original Brown) is an environmentally safe and friendly product which is accepted even in Europe where environmental protection is very strict.

Features Of "Nume" Leather (Original Brown)

"Nume" leather (Original Brown) is tough.
The leather is tough but it is not scratch resistant. With normal usage, it is natural to result in scratches.
However, the material is strong and robust, so the product can be used normally with proper care for some 10 years.
In addition, with usage and scratches, the product develops a new unique look.
The item on the right side of the photo shows a color sample of a product which had been used for 6 months.

"Nume" leather (Original Brown) ages with time.
"Nume" leather (Original Brown) absorbs the oils from your hand as you use it. The leather will also discolor under the influence of sunlight or ultraviolet rays. With exposure to sunlight and heat, in addition to the massaging effect on the leather when the product is used, the natural oils in the leather will gradually seep out. As the fat content in the leather rises to the surface, it creates a glossy look and waterproof effect to a certain degree. These changes are known as the aging process of leather.
Slowly over time, the look of the "Nume" leather (Original Brown) product changes. It becomes aged and more attractive.
As you can see from the photo, the product on the right side of the photo is originally brown. However, after continuous usage in a weathered environment for 3 years, the product has aged and the color has darkened to almost black even though it was originally brown.