Leather · daily care
A vegetable-tanned hide will develop a patina over time - deeper colour, softer hand, character marks that tell its story. That’s the goal. Day-to-day, three habits keep things on the right track:
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth at the end of each use to lift dust before it settles in the grain.
- Don’t overstuff. Leather stretches; it doesn’t bounce back. A bag stuffed past its natural shape will hold that distortion.
- Let it breathe. When you’re not using it, store it loosely - not crushed under other bags. Cotton dust bag, never plastic.
Leather · deep care
Every three to four months, give your piece a proper service. Twenty minutes of attention is all it asks.
- Brush. A soft horsehair brush, in the direction of the grain. Lifts grit out of the seams and corners.
- Condition. Apply a thin layer of neutral leather conditioner (we recommend Saphir Rénovateur) with a clean cotton pad. Work it in gently, in small circles. Less is more - over-conditioning saturates the fibres.
- Buff. Wait twenty minutes for absorption, then buff with a clean dry cloth until the surface is even and slightly lustrous.
If your piece gets wet: pat dry immediately with an absorbent cloth (don’t rub), let it air-dry at room temperature away from direct heat, then condition once fully dry.
Vegan leather
Our vegan leather is a coated, plant-based and recycled material chosen for its structure and finish. It asks for less than hide - no conditioning, no patina - but a few habits keep it looking new for years.
- Wipe clean. A soft cloth, lightly damp, with a drop of mild soap if needed. Dry with a second clean cloth. No leather balm or conditioner - oils and solvents can break down the surface coating.
- Keep it cool. Avoid direct sun, radiators, and car dashboards. Sustained heat can warp or craze the finish over time.
- Don’t overstuff, and store loosely in the cotton dust bag we ship with each piece - never sealed in plastic.
Aso-Oke pieces
Handwoven Aso-Oke is stronger than it looks - the warp and weft are tight enough to handle daily use. But the natural dyes are sensitive to direct sun and harsh detergents.
- Spot-clean only. Damp microfibre cloth, no soap. If a spill needs more than that, bring the piece to us - we know which fibres in which weave can tolerate what.
- Avoid direct sunlight for prolonged storage. The deep colours we choose hold up to wear, but UV will lift them over months.
- Never machine-wash, never dry-clean. The solvents used in dry cleaning will dissolve the dye binders.
Hardware
Solid brass develops a warm patina over time. If you prefer it bright, polish occasionally with a microfibre cloth and a tiny amount of brass polish (Brasso works), keeping the polish off the leather. Antique-finished brass should be left alone - the darker tone is the finish.
Storage & travel
For long storage:
- Stuff the bag lightly with acid-free tissue paper to hold its shape.
- Place inside the cotton dust bag we ship with each piece.
- Store upright on a shelf, away from direct light and humidity. Not in a sealed plastic container - leather needs air.
For travel: keep your piece in carry-on, not checked baggage. Cabin humidity and pressure are far kinder than the cargo hold. If checking is unavoidable, wrap in a soft cloth inside a sturdier outer bag.
Repair & restoration
Everything we make, we repair. Standard repairs - restitching, hardware swaps, edge re-painting, lining patches - are done at cost with no markup; we just want our pieces to keep living. Larger restorations (a full re-line, a corner rebuild, structural work after an accident) are quoted case by case before any work starts.
To start: send a photo via WhatsApp or email. We’ll come back with a turnaround estimate.