Cleaning Leather

[Hemlock Mike]

I have a buckskin jacket which has gotten kinda' dirty especially around the cuffs.  Will saddle soap clean it ??

Mike

[Micheal Fortune]

Mike I don't know about saddle soap.

I am a bartender and often wear black leather vest.  After a while they get dirty and pass off black stains to my white shirts, the leather cleaning guy says he does some sort of magical "dry cleaning" thing to them for the amazing low price of $75!

He won't elaborate on the process and I won't part with my $75 so what I do is every couple of weeks is get a wet, warm rag and scrub my leather.  I don't get it soaking wet or anything.  This seems to work for me and the leather and color holds up quite well.

[The Arapaho Kid]

Hemlock:  My suggestion on cleaning that jacket would be...before you start experimenting with different cleaners....take it to a cleaning shop and have them dry clean it.  It may cost a few pennys, but I think you'll be better off that way.  Cleaning leather is tricky...especially with Buckskin.  Saddle leather and gun leather is easy, but Buckskin is a bit tricky. 

[Delmonico]

Is it real buckskin or buckskin cow leather.  Also if it is real buckskin is it chemically tanned or brain tanned or vegitable tanned? 

[Hemlock Mike]

I reallyn think it's kinda cheep :-(  I tried a small spot with solvent and it left rings.  The bad place, I cleaned with Glass-Plus and it don't look too bad.  Maybe I'll try it again.
Solvents take the oils out of leather and it looks bad.  Hey -- It's supposed to rain tomorrow night ---------

Thanks

Mike

[litl rooster]

  Hemlock...Delmonico asked the right questions... Mine is it it Sueade or Leather? If it is sueade(spelling) take it to the dry cleaner....  If it is leather get a bar of glycerne saddle soap warm water and a sponge. apply a to an inside seam under the lapel a spot not visiable. Then wipe excess off. Don't be afraid to rub the spot you test. Allow to dry. This may leave a darker spot if it is true Buckskin, and not cowhide. However if you clean the whole coat it will be pretty even.
Micheal it sounds as if the dye is washing out on your black vest.