Common Leather Myths
When you’ve grown up in the family business of leather, we’ve sure heard a little bit of everything when it comes to caring for leather and common myths that pop up from time to time. So, we thought we’d debunk a few of the most popular myths about leather products and their care. As always, should you have questions on one of our Wildt Leather products, stop into the shop to chat with our owner, Bryan as he’s our in-house resident expert on all things leather.
In the meantime, let’s talk through common leather myths.
“All leather is created equal.” Well, folks, we hate to break the news to you, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. All leather is most certainly NOT created equal and it’s anything but that here in our shop. You’ll most likely hear the words, “authentic” or “high-quality”, but it’s important to understand those words don’t hold a lot of meaning if they’re false and don’t have the quality leather material to back them up. Most times you’ll be able to tell by the feel of leather if it’s quality or not, but don’t hesitate to ask for authentication when it comes to where the leather came from and what it’s really made up of.
“Cleaning leather is near to impossible and incredibly difficult.” We’ve got another false one, folks! One thing we know here at Wildt is that if you care for your leather properly whether it’s through good storage practices or conditioning it with the proper treatments, you’ll be able to care for your leather relatively easily and inexpensively too! If you’ve got yourself in a leather mess, bring your product up to the shop and let Bryan take a look to see if it’s repairable or worthy of replacement.
“Leather can’t be waterproof”. This is a pretty common statement and is quite honestly mostly untrue. Did you know that most leather actually starts out wet? Yes, you read that right! This is where the tanning process comes into play and makes all the difference in the longevity of your leather product as it’s locking in preservatives for your leather’s conditioning for the long haul. This is why we suggest knowing exactly where your leather came from and the type of tannery involved too! If you happen to find yourself dealing with drenched leather, be sure you let it air-dry and avoid applying heat from a dryer as this could cause more damage. Then, apply a high quality conditioner specifically built to care for the type of leather you’re working with.
As always for all of your leather care needs, visit our Benton store and visit with our owner, Bryan! We’re happy to get you matched with the perfect leather products that are sure to last for years and years!
Remember…if it’s a WILDT, it’ll LAST!!
