I am looking for some feedback from anyone that has taken the IICRC Leather Cleaning Technician class.

I am having trouble getting myself to take two days off to attend this class. Is leather care something that I can learn from a book, DVD or Internet research or even an Internet course?

I am thinking that I may be able learn the basics myself then take the Advanced Leather Repair class (1 day class). What do you all think?

Richard Brooks
Hit The Spot
Exceeding Client Expectations

Richard, I clean a lot of leather and have never been to a IICRC class on leather. I am a fan of DVD training as it as like being there and you can back it up and go over it again if you did not understand it. You will do fine if you really want to succeed and do some practice before you start charging for your service

Thank you Ray, I value your opinion highly. Can you recommend a good leather care DVD or home training system?

Richard Brooks
Hit The Spot
Exceeding Client Expectations

timely thread. i am debating taking the 2 day LCT course.

what DVD(s) you recommend Ray?

thanx for the thread Richard --- Derek.

I do not know if there are any available or not for leather cleaning, but Lonnie on the VLM board should know

I also appreciate Rambo's comments, and do take them all on board.

However, I do not know what type of leather Ray cleans, protects, restores, etc;

What I do know is, if you do not know what type of leather you are working on, you may soon own a leather sofa or whatever.

Not all leathers can be cleaned, let alone protected, with the same generic products.

Let me try and explain a little bit.

There is Nubuck leather (N), also called Distressed, Bomber or Suede, this is actually an Aniline leather on which the surface has been brushed, and has a similat texture to a velvet on leather. Many people confuse Nubuck with Suede, although in fact Suede is the flesh side of a piece of leather, and Nubuck is an effect that is done to the grain side, making it incredibly soft.

In Australia, I have found that most upholstery is Nubuck, whereas Suede is for clothing and bags, etc;

Aniline (A), also called Natural, Pure, Naked or Unprotected Leather.
These are coloured with a transparent dye stuff that allows you to see the actual surface grain & markings.


Both of the above leathers are the softest, most luxurious leathers that you can buy, as well as being the most expensive.

They are also the hardest to maintain, clean and restore.

Then there is Pigmented Leather (P), also called Finished, Semi Aniline, Everday, Protected or Painted Leather.

Simply put, it has a painted (pigmented) surface, then usually a Urethane finish applied over the top, which gives it more resistance to spills, kids, and other common soiling.

It is a harder to the hand feel, and more forgiving.
It is the biggest seller on the market, and relatively easy to repair, compared to the above leathers.

It is also the cheapest, beware of the Chinese and other Asian imports, some of which may be cured in urine, be it human or animal.

After this, you get into the exotics such as Oil pull-ups, Wax pull-ups, Bycast, etc;

Bridgepoint put on Leather courses, as do Lonnie McDonald, Leather Master, Fenice and no doubt, many others.

Before I touched any leather, I would do a course so as to distinguish the various types of leather you will be working on.

A lot of leathers can look the same, and if you use the wrong products on them, you can ruin them.

Having said all that, Leather is a great way of earning a lot of money, with no machinery outlay, only product and time.

Most high class premises not only have leather, but also rugs, again high income earners $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

For more info, check out Lonnies web site, (Leather Pro), Leather Master, etc;

Hope this helps, and sorry for being so long winded.

Cheers,

Shorty.



PS::: There is also a vinyl product on the market now that is easily confused with Aniline Leather, if you can look at the back, the webbing gives it away


PPS::: One of the most informative courses I have ever done on leather was Tony Wheelwrights Leather Restoration course, but it is advisable to first know what you are talking about before jumping in.

Not long winded at all. Thank you for the great information Shorty.

"cured in urine" Tell me it's not so.

Richard Brooks
Hit The Spot
Exceeding Client Expectations

'fraid it is so mate.

True story going back about 3 years, prior to coming to Vegas to check out MY 'Mex; with Rick & Nancy at Connections, I read in an Australian Furniture magazine about the U.S. lifting it's duty on Chinese imported leather furniture.

Consequently, this particular load was "dumped" down under.

The article also explained that SOME Chinese leather was cured in urine, be it human or animal or both.

On my return to Oz; I was asked to check out a leather suite in an influential area.

The lady was in the garden when I rang the doorbell, she came up behind me and said, "Do you smell anything"??

Scared crikey out of me she was that quiet.

I started to apologise and explain that I had been working, possibly my cologne was wearing off.

She laughed and said "No, I mean do you smell something bad"??

Now, the door was still closed at this time, and sheepishly I said, "Actually yes, I can smell what I think is urine"

You would have thought a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she was that elated.

Thinking back to the article,& before she opened the door, I quickly said, "Do you have a leather lounge made in China"??

Her answer was a classic, "YES, how on earth did you know"??

When she opened the door, the smell was overpowering, I helped the family move the suite onto the rear patio.

The rest is history, after a stat; dec; and a court case, she got all her money refunded from the supplier.


I have since been cleaning all of her families carpets, rugs, mattresses and upholstery.

I am a hero in their eyes.

Cheers,

Shorty.

Shorty the following info is taken from the "History of Leather" part of my course Manual which you have, Chapter 2.

The production of leather from animal hides was a time consuming and dreadfully smelly process. So much so that tanneries were often situated far out of town for reasons of air pollution rather than health. Leather only works, as it does not hold water in its pores, evaporating the water off leaving an air porous layer that helps in the case of feet to insulate them. If water somehow remains in the skin, the collagen protein fibers will begin to break down and rot. The hides of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and deer, and perhaps horses, were all used. Once the animal was slaughtered, the skin was removed and the first job was to remove any excess bits of flesh and fat.
In order to do this the hide was soaked and pounded and placed over a wooden beam where it was scraped with a special knife. If the hair on the skin were to be removed,

urine,

quicklime or wood ash was uses in solution into which the hide was steeped and then rubbed or left to soak into the wet surface. This loosened the hair and allowed it to be scraped off with a tool today
known as a 'scudder'. The hide was then washed to stop the chemicals affecting it further. At this point the hide is now technically a pelt, and it is now that it is judged as to what purpose the pelt should be put to.
Some of the pelts were then removed from the 'liming pits' and placed into vats containing

a nauseous brew dog dung, chicken and dove droppings which 'fluffs'

open the pores in the skin due to bacterial action and neutralizing the lime, a process called 'bating' the leather. This makes the leather soft and pliant, and suitable for such things as clothing.
The amount of bating that the leather underwent, controlled how flexible the hide was to be. The pelts will them spend a few hours in

a pit, containing ammonia, once derived from urine,

de-liming them further and them from here they go into the pits holding the tannin liquor. The weather and the volume of new bark affected the strength of the liquor and were always judged by experience. In turn, the number of pelts and age of the liquor determined how long they should spend in the pits soaking, all of which were

certified by the tried and tested method of DIPPING your finger in and TASTING IT .

A perfect job for Danny Strickland who is so anal in his fascination with all things organic.


The pelts were hung over a pole in the case of a deep pit or stacked in layers in a shallower clay lined pit and soaked in this mixture of water and crushed oak bark (the prime source of the tannin).
The reason for ther odor is the lack of improper rinsing. Keep in mind that all cow hide gets plenty of cow urine on it from the cow throughout the cows life.

For centuries ammonia was derived from cow urine and to this day most Jute ( which was tha backing material or most carpet was made by "retting" or rotting the plant fibers in URINE AND CRAP.

Thanks Tony, I was just about to have brekki.

I might now wait 'til lunch

I guess in some countries, things haven't changed that much, eh Bwana??

Cheers,

Shorty.

OMG!