patina question

mbarbi

mbarbi

O.G.
Jun 8, 2006
2,797
13
#1
hi!! i just started collecting lv's this may so im not really that familiar with patina at all....

my question is about patina...is that what you call the darkening of the leather??

how can you prevent the speedy handles to get dirty?

will the leather darken by itself even if i dont use the bag???

thanks so much in advance :smile:
 
#2
The patina is the oxidative process in which the leather goes through and makes the naked vachetta turn into a beautiful honey-brown colour, and with more time/usage, turns into a mocha-brown.

How to prevent it: NO WATER (or humidity)! No dirty hands! try to use the crook of your arm to hold the speedy instead of using your hands the first year. Until the patina sets in, then it's aiight.

As long as there's OXYGEN, you can't avoid the darkening process. Search the net for patina, leather oxidation...etc and you'll see that it's because of certain chemicals in the air like nitrogeneous or sulfurous acids (if i remember correctly) that reacte with the leather and oxygen. Most ppl think it's the SUN (heat) and humidity, but NO, these are just CATALYSTS for the entire patina process.
 
#3
I think if you do a search under 'patina' alot of threads will show up.. but yes, patina is the natural darkening of the leather due to oxidation and use (your natural oils transferring to the handles). the vachetta will darken once you start using it.. I don't mean RIGHT AWAY.. but over time, it will darken. If you want to delay the process, when you are not using the bag, store it in the dustbag, and try not to expose it to the sun very much.. apparently that speeds up the process.. as for preventing the handles from getting dirty, I guess you really have to make sure that you have clean hands when you use the bag, and do not put on lotion on your hands prior to picking up the bag.. I read somewhere that the lotion will transfer to the vachetta on the bag and cause it to turn very very dark. If the handles get dirty, there are PFers who have had luck with cleaning it with Baby Wipes.. but don't use the Wipes on super new vachetta, as it will darken it.


Edit: CEC.LV4eva you already posted while I was typing this super long essay!! I should have checked before I hit submit!!! :lol:
 
#4
haha! sorry!!!!! wasn't trying to compete w/ ya! :biggrin:

oh ya! about the baby wipes Kookielf mentioned, well i don't think you should use them for the like.....at least the first 2 years....... I tried on my 1 yr old and 2 month old babies and ughhhhh.......the wipes made the leather REALLY dry!....... I'm banning baby wipes now! lol
 
#5
CEC.LV4eva said:
haha! sorry!!!!! wasn't trying to compete w/ ya! :biggrin:

oh ya! about the baby wipes Kookielf mentioned, well i don't think you should use them for the like.....at least the first 2 years....... I tried on my 1 yr old and 2 month old babies and ughhhhh.......the wipes made the leather REALLY dry!....... I'm banning baby wipes now! lol
Click to expand...


no!! your silly! :lol: :flowers:

Actually I was wondering about the whole baby wipe thing.. I used it on my speedy and trouville, and they were (at that time) about 6 months old with not much patina, but somehow had gotten some weird green color on the handle. It DID wipe off.. but yeh, the leather does feel a bit drier..

So yes I would go with the recomendation of waiting a bit before using it... or maybe treating the handles with leather conditioner IF you use the baby wipes.. but you should run a thread search or a post search.. you'll find alot of answers.
 
#6
I put my bags in the sun so they can tan a bit before I use them. I'm not kidding :smile:

I just don't like the anemic leather look. I like a bit of honey to the straps.

After I get them the color I like I use apple gaurd leather protector to "water proof" them so they don't get spots.

I haven't used the baby wipes yet... I'm afraid tbh.
 
#7
To avoid the dirt....don't have fresh lotion on your hands, have dirty hands, etc.
To avoid patina: well you'll never avoid it...but you can delay it by not leaving the bag in the sun for extended periods of time...store the bag in its dustbag all the time, etc. I don't use my 6 mo old Lodge very much and always store it in its dustbag and it's already developing a nice patina.
Cleaning: I have used baby wipes on an older speedy and had no problems. The handles were a little drier but I used Apple Conditioner and they are nice and supple again.
I would NOT recommend this on a newer bag. Yes...you'll see little black spots on the handles no matter how much you take care of it...but don't panic...this will blend in as the handles patina.
Congrats on your new LV!
 
#8
If you'd like to slow down the patina process (which is beautiful, by the way), some tPF'ers (myself included) have used Shining Monkey, a protective spray you can purchase off amazon.com. Just do a search and find the threads! Your mileage may vary, and others have used different sprays which are not necessarily endorsed by LV, but I opted to try SM to avoid water spots on my vachetta with the upcoming rainy weather in the Seattle area about to start.
 
#9
actually i like a little bit of patina on my straps....like my first lv (poppincourt haut) ..... the straps are not that white already ... and i like the color very much...

i just want my mono speedy handles to have an even color and not have a much darker color on the part where you hold it.

thanks so much for your replies! :smile:
 
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