benjamin831
Distinguished Member
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- Oct 20, 2007
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All leather needs conditioning. Oils that naturally exist in leather evaporate over time and its fiber structure will wear out with movement, sometimes leading to cracks. Suede is no different except that what we see is the underside of the hide, which may hide damage well. We all want our leather pieces to last a long time, and that's why we should think about conditioning suede.
The problem with suede is its fine nap texture. The use of traditional conditioners will destroy this velvety finish, causing it to flatten into an ugly matted surface. The highly absorbent nature of suede also causes blotchiness from traditional conditioning methods.
What would be the best way to approach this problem and circumvent the problems with napped leather? Currently I'm thinking of putting diluted Lexol conditioner into a pressurized spray and spraying a very fine atomized mist over my suede jacket and letting the nap absorb the conditioner. The reason I picked Lexol is because the conditioner is already highly emulsified/homogenized and is more or less water soluble. Using an atomizer also means that I wouldn't have to touch the suede, crushing the nap.
The problem with suede is its fine nap texture. The use of traditional conditioners will destroy this velvety finish, causing it to flatten into an ugly matted surface. The highly absorbent nature of suede also causes blotchiness from traditional conditioning methods.
What would be the best way to approach this problem and circumvent the problems with napped leather? Currently I'm thinking of putting diluted Lexol conditioner into a pressurized spray and spraying a very fine atomized mist over my suede jacket and letting the nap absorb the conditioner. The reason I picked Lexol is because the conditioner is already highly emulsified/homogenized and is more or less water soluble. Using an atomizer also means that I wouldn't have to touch the suede, crushing the nap.