Care of your Hayden Harnett

[kings_20]

Originally Posted by Stormy Heart

We cannot prevent flaking. It happens when a foil type overlayer was improperly applied. The problem is under the surface. Not all HH metallics are made like the pilot (which flakes). Pewter, for example, has ground reflective minerals actually impregnated into the top layer, which is the best way to make a metallic. It won't have that Reynolds wrap smoothness, but does have durability. KINGS where on Mother Earth did you find a Pyrite !! ??? I can't wait to see what THAT's about ! Unless you can find a Silicone protectant spray, leave the metallics alone. Avoid alcohol and petroleum based products !

Thanks for the info Stormy!! I got my Pyrite Havana from a lovely TPFer on the marketplace. I will post pics later this week :)

[asark]

Originally Posted by h82bl82

asark, what color exactly is fir? Is it a brown?

No, fir is a forest green colour. Almost like a military green.

[Stormy Heart]

Not knowing the exact AG formula,(it does 'condition') but considering that it darkened your Gaza, Asark;
just follow the 'glove leather' rule that says delicate leathers darken with emollient conditioners.
Lambskin has plenty of natural lanolin in it, and I have never found a reason to replenish it. It does pick up oils quickly, so a
Wilson's type spray protectant (Kiwi, Meltonian, etc) would be all it needs. IF YOU WANT. I don't use anything at all on mine.
*But ~ If you do scuff it noticeably, a little lotion conditioner applied with a-tip on the scuff ONLY would be OK to correct the
color. (I'd use plain drug store lanolin)
My Bittersweet Gaza had a lot of brown shades going on, which bothered me.
I know ~ it's made that way, but there was too much variation IMO, so I conditioned
the lighter panels to intentionally balance the shades and bring more consistency
to the overall look. It was strictly a cosmetic procedure. (you know how I
love to experiment and play with leather)
For kicks, I ironed a lambskin with wax paper once, which gave a great and interesting result.
There isn't much I haven't done to lambskins, including tie-dye! They even take machine washing without losing natural oils.
The point is ~ they are more resilient than you'd imagine.
HH uses high quality lambskins that are low maintenance. Just look at how good the used ones look !
I'll bet some have been with a few owners already and still look
nice. The distressed finishes in general, are very forgiving.

Ms Kings~ you're welcome ~can't wait for Pyrite PICTURES !!!!

I love HH ~ Any dry cleaner who has leather service can help you, unless you are allergic to chemicals. What color is your Havana ?

Thank you Jan

[h82bl82]

Originally Posted by asark

No, fir is a forest green colour. Almost like a military green.

Okay, thanks. I'd probably like it.

[h82bl82]

Thanks Stormy Heart, I'm glad to hear how tough lambskin is.

Originally Posted by Stormy Heart

Not knowing the exact AG formula,(it does 'condition') but considering that it darkened your Gaza, Asark; just follow the 'glove leather' rule that says delicate leathers darken with emollient conditioners. Lambskin has plenty of natural lanolin in it, and I have never found a reason to replenish it. It does pick up oils quickly, so a Wilson's type spray protectant (Kiwi, Meltonian, etc) would be all it needs. IF YOU WANT. I don't use anything at all on mine. *But ~ If you do scuff it noticeably, a little lotion conditioner applied with a-tip on the scuff ONLY would be OK to correct the color. (I'd use plain drug store lanolin) My Bittersweet Gaza had a lot of brown shades going on, which bothered me. I know ~ it's made that way, but there was too much variation IMO, so I conditioned the lighter panels to intentionally balance the shades and bring more consistency to the overall look. It was strictly a cosmetic procedure. (you know how I love to experiment and play with leather) For kicks, I ironed a lambskin with wax paper once, which gave a great and interesting result. There isn't much I haven't done to lambskins, including tie-dye! They even take machine washing without losing natural oils. The point is ~ they are more resilient than you'd imagine. HH uses high quality lambskins that are low maintenance. Just look at how good the used ones look ! I'll bet some have been with a few owners already and still look nice. The distressed finishes in general, are very forgiving. Ms Kings~ you're welcome ~can't wait for Pyrite PICTURES !!!! I love HH ~ Any dry cleaner who has leather service can help you, unless you are allergic to chemicals. What color is your Havana ? Thank you Jan

[I love HH!]

Originally Posted by Stormy Heart

I love HH ~ Any dry cleaner who has leather service can help you, unless you are allergic to chemicals. What color is your Havana ?

Yam!

Thanks for your advice. An expert opinion is always invaluable. Cleaning leather seems really tricky to me so I wanted to make sure I could trust someone I don't know to do it!

[jandelvis]

Originally Posted by I love HH!

Yam! Thanks for your advice. An expert opinion is always invaluable. Cleaning leather seems really tricky to me so I wanted to make sure I could trust someone I don't know to do it!

OOOHHH Yam Havana! CONGRATS girl!!!

[Stormy Heart]

Cindy, Only the really GOOD lambs are strong.

[h82bl82]

^That makes sense Stormy.

[cciele]

Dear Stormy,

How do I get smoke smell out of my leather bag? I bought it used and it arrived reeking of smoke :( I tried spraying Febreze on the cloth lining and putting little socks filled with baking soda into the bag for a few weeks, but it still smells.

Help!

[Stormy Heart]

Yipes CC, that's one of the toughest to deal with.
The leather has absorbed the smoke. Did you try airing it outdoors?
It can take several days hanging open in a breeze. You have to get it out of the
leather before the lining. I haven't found febreeze very useful. Baking soda is a good idea after fresh air. (Use lots)
I have heard adding a cinnamon stick inside works, too.
(The last one I got like this ended up going into the washing machine after
Airing & baking soda didn't get it out. I swear the purse led a racy life in smoky bars before we met. Don't worry, it was a garment washed leather bag, meaning it was washed AFTER construction, so held up perfectly.)
You could take yours to a dry cleaners who has leather service. They are really good at getting smoke out of leather jackets. If you tell me what leather, & color it is, we can talk about the conditioning it will need after cleaning, if they haven't provided
that service for you.
If you find yourself around smoke in future, slide your purse under your coat to protect it. Some leathers absorb odors more easily than others. The most dangerous
odor leather can pick up is mold, so sniffing your bags is a diagnostic tool for
leather health.(& an excuse for doing what we do anyway)
If you are making BBQ with applewood, or something nice, it's OK for your bag
to be exposed. It won't smell bitter, but rather nice. The most expensive deerhides
are smoked on purpose, the old fashioned way.
It's just those dam cigarettes and cigars....

[mlinky]

Dear Stormy:

I bought a lagoon Havana Hobo on the Bay. It has several water spots and some fading on the leather inside the top opening. I tried leather wipes on the spots, no result. I have used my Stadtler-Mars White Eraser which seems to help blending in the edges of the spots. They are actually rather small and not terribly noticeable, but I thought I'd see if you had any other suggestions.

Also, as to the fading inside the opening, I thought I'd try some Leather Therapy conditioner. It often darkens light leather, but in this case, the area is faded and not normally visible. What do you think?

After I'm done, would it hurt to apply my Wilson's TLC protector?

Thank you!

[temo]

cciele, I have had some success with wrapping a handful of fresh (unground!) coffee beans inside a pourous coffee filter, and storing it inside the bag for a week or so to get rid of smells. (I don't know why, but it seemed to work for me.)

[cciele]

Thanks so much Stormy and temo for the suggestions!! I currently have the bag hanging outside to air out (hope no birds use it for target practice). I want to buy a gigantic box of baking soda and dump it on the bag, but I dunno if direct contact of leather and baking soda is a good thing...

[Stormy Heart]

CC put the B. soda inside cloth, You're right ~ alkaline or acid should never come in direct contact with leather. You could put the entire bag inside a sealed container with the Baking soda to absorb the odors. The coffee beans were a good suggestion, Temo; they do neutralize odor.
I have also used cat litter cystals to pull out both moisture and odors, again ~ place them inside a permeable cloth together with the bag in a sealed container.