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Keep your
leather in great condition. Here's helpful information on
leather, its care, and proper fit.
If you have any questions about caring for your
leather, please e-mail
us and we will answer them to the best of our ability.
Leather Care - An Overview
Storing Your Leather
Hopefully you don't store your leathers in plastic. That's
a no-no. If leather is stored in plastic, in a warm environment,
water can condense inside the plastic and mildew your leather.
Once leather gets mildewed, it usually cannot be saved. Also,
hardware rusts. If you want to cover your leathers for winter,
cut a hole in an old bed sheet or pillow case.
After you pull your leathers out of the closet, feel the skin.
If it feels dry, it probably needs conditioned. Any good leather
conditioner will work. We use a product called Lexol. It's
usually sold in a little brown jug. Use an old sock and work
it into the leather. Any time you purchase a product for your
leathers, try it first on a hidden area. Many products will
darken leather if the leather is not a finished leather.
When to Condition
How many times a year should you condition your
leathers? If you ride a lot in hot sunny conditions, or get
caught in the rain, you will need to condition it several
times during the season. You can usually tell when your jacket
or chaps feel dry. Incidentally, rain will really dry out
leathers because when the rain evaporates from the jacket,
it pulls moisture away from the skin. I would recommend conditioning
your jacket once it dries if you are unfortunate enough to
get caught without your raingear.
Can I use mink oil on my jacket or chaps? Many people swear
by mink oil to condition and waterproof their jacket. The
way I describe it to customers is mink oil vs Lexol is like
putting Vaseline on your hands vs Jergens lotion. Mink oil
will clog the pores of your leather just as Vaseline creates
a barrier between your skin and the environment. That's why
it will make your jacket waterproof. It will also eventually
dry out your leather because the pores are clogged. You will
also notice your jacket may have a whitish haze to it. That's
what happens when mink oil solidifies in cold weather. To
answer the question, it makes more sense to put mink oil on
your boots, if you so desire, and use a conditioner specifically
designed for quality leather for your apparel.
Keeping it Dry!
Does my jacket need a water repellent? A spray
water repellent will not hurt your jacket, however, if your
jacket is a finished leather (most bike jackets are) it doesn't
need a water repellent. A water repellent will help any unfinished
brushed or naked leather. However, if you get caught in a
downpour, don't expect any water repellent to keep your leathers
completely dry! Water will eventually soak into the leather.
Once again, try any water repellent on a hidden area before
spraying it on the outside of your garment. One thing I like
to use spray water repellents for is treating my good leather
dress shoes and boots. I saturate my shoes or boots with the
repellent, that way if I walk through puddles in winter after
the parking lots have been salted I have a chance of keeping
the salt from soaking into my leather and leaving that terrible
salt line behind. I have never found a way to get that salt
stain out of my shoes or boots once its there. Incidentally,
it's not the water that spots leather, it's the minerals in
the water that stay behind once the water evaporates. ALWAYS,
ALWAYS SPRAY WATER REPELLENTS IN A HIGHLY VENTILATED AREA,
OR BETTER YET, OUTSIDE. Some water repellents have been known
to make people dizzy or cause other health problems if they
have a lot of silicone in them.
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6 Questions to Ask When Shopping for Leathers
You're all excited because you just learned
there's a new leather store opening in your area! This is
great news, before this new store, the closest place to buy
leathers was Elmo's Tattoo and Cycle Repair Shop.
So you decide to ride to the grand opening of the new leather
store. They are advertising "biker jackets" for
$79.95. It sounds like a great deal. You and your partner
hop on the Bike and ride the 10 miles to the new store. You
fight the hordes of shoppers through the mall and finally
find the leather store.
When you enter the store, you're in heaven! The smell of leather
is overwhelming. You think to yourself that you could stand
here all day and inhale (it's not illegal yet to sniff leather).
The store is filled with shiny chrome fixtures and black leather
jackets. There are anxious young sales associates everywhere
asking if they can help you every time you take a step.
Before you get caught in a buying frenzy and drop big bucks,
stop and think about a few basic questions you might want
to ask to determine if you are making a good choice in a leather
store. Trying to keep things simple, I would like to recommend
6 questions to ask before you make your leather purchase.
Keep in mind there are many more questions you could and probably
should ask, but let's face it, in today's society good employees
are hard to come by, and many employees will not know the
answer to these 6 questions.
1. Am I dealing with a reputable company?
The first thing you should find out is, am I
dealing with a reputable company rather than a fly by night
operation? How many years has the company been in business?
In this day and age, if a company has been in business 5 years
or more, they've managed to do something right to survive.
2. What is the return policy?
What is the return policy? This is an extremely
important question. KNOW THEIR RETURN
POLICY BEFORE MAKING YOUR PURCHASE. A company should give
you the option to return an unworn garment that is still in
the same condition it was when you bought it and that have
the tags attached and within a reasonable amount of time (7-10
days) if you decide you need to return an item. Be aware if
a company has an exchange only policy. I've heard many horror
stories about customers who are stuck with a $400.00 jacket
they don't want, doesn't fit, or was a gift for someone who
can't wear it.
3. What is the warranty?
What type of warranty do you have on your products?
A reputable company will stand behind the products they sell.
If an item is found to be defective, a good company will repair
the defect, or replace the item, within a reasonable length
of time. There are so many variables to consider when determining
if an item is defective. Some defects are easy to recognize.
Bad zippers, seams coming unstitched, snaps that don't snap,
or buttons that pop off.
Many defects are due to normal wear and tear to an item, and
many imperfections are not defects at all Take for example,
a customer wants to return a jacket because the lining on
the inside of the wrist is snagged. After questioning the
customer, we find out that the customer wears his watch on
that particular wrist and every time he puts the jacket on
or takes it off, he snags the sleeve lining in his jacket.
Who should be responsible for this problem? The customer will
contend that it was a faulty lining, and the retail store
will say the defect was due to customer negligence. Since
I am from the retail side of the fence, I would say this was
customer negligence, but a good store will work with the customer
if the customer is willing, to find a solution. A good solution
would be to repair the jacket at a small expense to the customer.
If the customer is unreasonable in his demands, then the solution
becomes more complicated.
Something that would not even be considered a defect is small
scars visible on the leather. Top grain leather will normally
have some visible scars or imperfections. As long as it isn't
excessively scarred, you should be willing to accept that
as normal. If a customer is not willing to accept leather
with small scars, they should buy vinyl. Vinyl is man-made
and will not have any imperfections!
4. How do I care for the item?
What type of care is necessary for this item?
Always ask the salesperson how to care for your purchase.
Once again, if the salesperson doesn't know, or if you aren't
comfortable with the answer they give you, ask them if you
could talk to the manager. Remember, it may be the salesperson's
first day on the job.
5. Does it fit?
Ask the salesperson to evaluate the fit of the
item you are considering. A good salesperson should be able
to tell you some things you need to be aware of in the proper
fit. For example, your chaps may be comfortable when you're
standing in the store, but what about when you are sitting
on your bike? Or with a coat, is the sleeve length long enough
when you simulate your arms in the location they are in when
you are riding your bike? This doesn't mean stretch your arms
out as far as they will go, and then try to wrap them around
your body as far as you can. How often will you do that movement
in your lifetime? Just make sure the sleeves fit for normal
usage.
6. What type of leather is it?
What type of leather am I buying, and how does
it benefit me? Many times the features of the leather are
more important than the type, but a red flag should be raised
if no one at the leather store is able to tell you what kind
of leather you are considering purchasing.
A simplified definition of leather is an animal
hide that has gone through a tanning process in order to preserve
it. There are many variables when it comes to tanning leather
and determining the quality of the leather. The type of leather,
the tanning process used, the health of the animal, the part
of the skin that was used and the construction of the garment
to name a few. Common types of leather used for apparel are:
cowhide, lambskin, sheepskin, buffalo, pigskin, and goatskin.
Cowhide is the most common type of leather used
for motorcycle apparel. It is a very durable leather. Cowhide
is used for items such as boots, chaps, jackets, vests, saddlebags,
horse saddles and horse bridles to name a few.
Water buffalo is being used more and more for
the manufacture of motorcycle apparel and accessories. It
is a less expensive leather than cowhide. It is abundant in
some countries that are huge manufacturers of motorcycle leather.
(Pakistan in particular is a large manufacturer of motorcycle
leathers) Water buffalo is also a durable leather. Many times
it can be identified by the visible pores in the leather.
Lambskin is a soft, supple leather. It is normally
not used for motorcycle apparel because it is not durable
enough. However, it is used extensively for basic jackets
and other apparel where the softness is appreciated.
Sheepskin is a more mature lamb, and is therefore,
usually a heavier, more durable hide than lambskin. There
are a few companies that manufacture motorcycle apparel out
of sheepskin, however, sheepskin is a more expensive leather
and most consumers would be unwilling to pay the cost associated
with such a garment.
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