Quick Leather Repairs

Sooner or later, your leather goods will be subject to damage of varying degrees. This could be an unsightly scratch or scuff, or a more serious tear in the material. If you've never had your genuine leather become damaged before, this can be very discouraging. However, many of these are repairable without the need of a professional. Here are a few instances where you can quickly repair your leather on your own, so you can continue to use your items as if the damage never occurred.

Leather Scratches

Scratched leather is difficult to ignore. There are different ways to go about scratch repair depending on the severity of the scratch. If scratches are very light, a leather touch-up marker can be a huge help. Simply dab the marker color onto the scratch and allow to dry for a few minutes. Then apply a quality leather conditioner to both blend in the color and replenish lost moisture to the leather. For light to medium scratches, use leather oil on the affected area. Start by cleaning the area so you don't rub any contaminants into the leather. With a small amount of oil, rub it into the scratch with a circular motion. Allow this to completely dry, and then repeat this process with leather conditioner. This will replace the moisture in the leather and improve its water resistance. Be sure to wipe off any excess conditioner and allow it to dry before using your leather again.

For deeper scratches, there are several ways to approach them depending on what you have on hand and the seriousness of the scratch. You'll begin the repair by cleaning the scratched portion of the leather. If the scratch must be repaired very quickly, you can address it with petroleum jelly. This will be absorbed by the leather, hopefully lessening the harshness of the scratch. If you have a bit more time, you can continue on by using a very small dab of distilled white vinegar on the scratch. Next, there are a few different options you can try. One is olive oil, which is what you may see suggested by others. You may also try colorless shoe polish to try to blend the scratched area. What about suede? Since it's a very fragile type of leather, your options are limited to using a soft wire brush and a suede specific conditioner to buff it out.

Leather Scuffs

Much like scratches, scuffs in leather can typically be repaired with conditioner. These can happen from everyday use like tossing a leather bag onto the ground or dropping a purse on a rough surface. Scuffs are very common around the edges of bags, on the face of wallets, around zippers, and other areas that take on impact. The good news is that leather scuffs are easily remedied. After cleaning the scuffed portions of the leather, use a high-quality leather touch-up marker in the right color. Don't get any color on the stitches and other embroidery, as this won't be able to be blended in. Let the color dry before applying leather conditioner. Not only will this help buff out the scuff marks but will also blend in the color from the leather touch-up marker. Allow the conditioner to completely dry and finish up by buffing off any excess still left.

Leather Tears

Tears in leathers are alarming, but they don't necessarily render leather goods useless. For small tears, you can mend them with a few different items. You'll need a sewing needle, fingernail scissors, thread, fabric scrap (close to if not the same color as your leather), fabric glue, and tape (scotch tape is fine).

First, replace the edges back into their original position and tape them down. Turn the leather item inside out to access the tear from the interior. If it's near the seam, use a seam ripper to open the seam. If not near the seam, use fingernail scissors to open the lining. It very well may be that neither of these apply to your item if you have direct access. Take your fabric scrap and place it over the tear. With the fabric glue, affix it into place and hold it in place for a while to let the glue set. Make sure the scrap is larger than the tear! Turn the leather item right side out and apply the fabric glue underneath the torn edges to complete the scrap repair. Allow the patched area to air dry naturally. Once completely dry, stitch the hole closed that was opened to access the leather (this may not be applicable to your item).

When scratches or tears are too severe to handle on your own, enlist the help of a leather professional. Own Bosca leather than has been deeply scratched or torn? You are welcome to contact us so that we may offer recommendations on how to best treat your genuine leather or a good replacement for your item. Like you, we want you to get the most out of your Bosca leather accessories for as long as possible.