Beautiful and durable as they may seem, leather handbags show their wear and tear easily, especially with scratches and scuffs. The earlier you can attend to these imperfections, the easier it is to keep your bag looking in good condition. Oct 21, 2014 Problem: Bent-out-of-Shape Leather Bag Alexandra Rowley Solution, unlined bag: Melanie Charlton, founder of Clos-ette, a New York City wardrobe consulting service, recommends wiping down the inside with a solution of five parts distilled white vinegar to one part water; this will make the bag more flexible. Jan 21, 2008 You also can substitute luan, or 16ga-24 ga metal in place of the plastic. The purpose of the plastic is to keep the bags shape once the bag is dry. Apply one coat of contact cement to the inside front of the leather bag. Dec 03, 2016 On my father’s side, my Grandfather was a leather goods maker. He used to design and make bags for Western Australian miners back in the 1960’s. This trade was passed down to.
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The stretchability of leather
Leather is a soft, flexible and stretchy material and consists of infinitely small fibres. Therefore, leather can be made hard or soft, it can be embossed or deformed (changing the shape without causing damage), it can be ironed or the grain can be reinforced. This flexibility also means the leather will stretch over time and, if sufficient force is applied, wrinkles, creases and pressure marks will form that can be as stubborn as embossing.
Leather consists of infinite fibre connections and permanently changes shape under high pressure.
The stretchability of skin, varies according to the specific tanning process and the part of the skin. The stretchability of a chrome-tannedbovine skin varies within the same hide.
The areas marked in red are more than 100 percent stretchable, yellow parts can be stretched from 75 to 100 percent. There are no values for the green areas. But there are also differences within those areas. Depending on the course of the fibre, the leather is more stretchable in one direction than in the other (horizontal to vertical).
Stretchability varies in different parts of the skin.
Wrinkles, sagging and over stretching in leather
Due it its elasticity, leather can lose its shape during general use. In most cases, this leads to over stretching and sagging.
- Due to daily use Leather furniture upholstery tends to become loose in certain areas
- Car leather seats tend to get wrinkles in the entry side of the driver's seat. Leather starts to sag in sitting areas.
- Incorrectly stored leather upholstery will develop pressure marks if heavy or angular objects are kept on or against the leather.
- Leather clothing occasionally becomes wrinkled if it is not stored properly or packed badly in travel suitcases. Other problems include bumps in the knee or buttock areas of trousers.
Over-stretched leather trousers. The creation of pressure marks on leather furniture.
Bumps or wrinkles can appear due to incorrect storage of leather or poor transport conditions. Incorrect handling of the material can also cause the leather to warp.
Heat guns are used to enable leather to change shape under stress and become more wrinkle-free. They are used extensively in every upholstery workshop where car or furniture leather are being processed. Short-wave infrared is used for the same purposes in the automotive industry. Leather is heated for 30-40 seconds to remove wrinkles. However, such processes must be done with care as, at extremely high temperatures, leather hardens and is permanently damaged.
Neatly folded leather in the warehouse. Fold in the finished upholstery.
Dents, sagging and over stretching in leather furniture
Customers who buy new furniture, are often dissatisfied when the leather upholstery stretches and develops visible wrinkles over time. Furniture leathers come in a wide variety and the problems of stretching and sagging depend largely on the thickness and quality of the leather.
Photos from a furniture store. Avoid buying such furniture if you do not want to have dents and over-stretched leather.
Thicker leather is less prone to forming wrinkles and bumps. The middle part (butt) of a cattle skin is much more unobtrusive than the margins of the skin (belly). Very large areas are also more susceptible to stretching and looseness than small areas. Leather can also be pre-stressed so that it will not stretch as much during use later. The permanent elasticity of the upholstery material is also important and must be considered.
Typical wrinkles in furniture leather.
Extreme wrinkling and over-stretching in old furniture leather giving it a saggy look
Typical example of over-stretching in leather furniture.
Typical over-stretched leather on chairs.