So papa’s got a brand new bag this fall, paraded it around the office, earned come envious glares from the coworkers and decided it was the best style investment he has ever made. And knowing that the briefcase is made from beautiful vegetable tanned leather, he can feel certain that this bag will not lose the initial wow factor soon, in fact it will get more beautiful and pronounced with time. And it will - that’s what it was designed for.
But if from time to time you designated just a couple of minutes to care for your leather briefcase that would improve it even further.
So what do you do to ensure the optimal return of investment of your leather briefcase?
- We hardly see how that would be possible, but if you are planning to not use it for a little while, keep it in the dust bag. It will protect it from dust, sun or getting scratched by other things.
- Treat your leather briefcase with balsam once every month or few. Use a small amount of the balsam and rub it all over the surface of the bag. That will nourish the leather, ensure that it retains all of its natural oils, stays supple and it will also make the unique patina – the caramelization of color - more pronounced with time.
- Avoid contact with water as much as possible. Leather doesn’t play well with water and moisture does pose the threat of ruining the material. So since winter is an all-around moist time when we constantly deal with either rain or snow, it might be wise to spray your leather briefcase with water protector.
- If your bag did get wet, allow it to dry naturally in room temperature without any forced heat. Keep in mind that as leather dries, it gets fixated in shape. So if it is in folds as it dries, those folds will be around for a while. Therefore it is best to stuff it with paper for the drying process.
When your briefcase is dry you will notice that its leather seems a bit dry and has lost some elasticity. That is exactly the reason why we suggested avoiding water – that’s what it does to leather. But here again you should remember that you have the magic can of leather balsam, so treat your bag with it generously and it will restore your bag back to shape.
And that’s it! 5 minutes of your time per month and your beautiful leather briefcase just keeps on blooming.
