Leather Care Guide

Take Good Care: Leather Guide 

Personality is a good thing.

Our leather products are made to age and develop beautiful character over years of use. Taking good care of your Iron Rivet products is very important to ensure they last for decades to come. 

The great thing about everything we make is that there is quite little maintenance required to keep everything looking, feeling, and even smelling wonderful. Below are some tips for taking care of your Iron Rivet products.

Dry Leather 

Over time, leather tends to lose some of its oils and waxes and become dehydrated. If you notice your leather is starting to become a little dry, you will need to replenish some of those oils and waxes it has lost. We recommend using Smith’s Leather Balm, a tried and trusted all-natural leather conditioner. Just take a horsehair or soft bristle brush and apply a little balm over your leather. With smaller products like key fobs or wallets, just use your hands! Its all-natural ingredients are totally safe and will hydrate both your leather and hands.

Stained Leather 

Depending on the type and color of your leather, staining may occur and is much more noticeable on lighter leathers. We believe marks and stains are a form of character that will develop over the life of the product. However, we also understand some stains are undesirable. If your product develops stains that are undesirable to you, please reach out to us: info@ironrivet.com. Stains are very specific to the leather type, and there is no general fix for all stains so we’re happy to guide you on best practices to take great care of the products you love.

Scratches and Blemishes 

Scratches, scuffs, and other surface blemishes on leather are normal and almost impossible to avoid! Other companies might tell you to baby your leather goods. We’ve seen suggestions from “don’t let your products sit in the sun” to “don’t put your products on the ground as this may cause scratches and dirtiness,” which we think defeats the whole purpose of having sturdy, high-quality goods in the first place. You should not be scared to use your leather goods for everything you do aside from deep-sea diving and doggy tug-of-war. Once your product gets dirty, scratched, or scuffed up, just take a horsehair, soft bristle brush, or a soft cloth and gently brush or wipe those surface marks. It may take a little time and elbow grease, but that’s the method we use when our products get a little worse for wear. You can also use a small amount of Smith’s Leather Balm, for those deep marks. Better yet, give us a shout at info@ironrivet.com and we’ll give you tips for how to freshen up your favorite pieces. 

Storage

Your Iron Rivet products are made to take a beating - and to withstand it gracefully. However, we do recommend that you try and keep your leather in a clean, dry place when not in use for extended periods of time. You may also want to keep your lighter colored leathers from rubbing against dark materials such as raw denim or other dark colored leathers. 

The most important thing to do to have beautifully aged leather goods is to use the hell out of it! Your pieces should tell your story. So don’t shy away from taking your favorite Iron Rivet products everywhere you go. The more you use them, the more they will develop that gorgeous aged patina we all strive for.