Restoration Leather Conditioner 236ml spray bottle by Preservation Solutions, a water-free conditioner for old and fragile leather
Kept Store

LEATHER CONDITIONER

Sale price£29.50

For the leather that has seen some years.

Old leather dries out and stiffens, and the usual conditioners either cannot get into it or carry water, which only hastens the decline. Restoration Leather Conditioner was formulated for exactly this: a water-free conditioner that penetrates fragile, hard-to-reach leather and softens it without swelling it.

It is a favourite of book conservators — it leaves stitching and glue untouched, and tooled, embossed or gilded leather keeps its detail. Equally at home on a worn armchair, an inherited bag or a jacket that has been in the wardrobe too long. A 236ml spray bottle.

Learn more

What makes it different

Water is the quiet enemy of old leather. Most conditioners are emulsions — oils carried in water — and on leather that is already breaking down, that moisture can push the deterioration further along. This conditioner carries no water at all.

It is built on a solvent with no sulphur content. That detail matters: many low-grade petroleum solvents carry sulphur, which attacks the thread holding a binding or a seam together. Here the stitching and glue are left alone, and because the leather does not swell, tooled and embossed surfaces keep every line.

Conservators reach for it on fragile, difficult-to-penetrate leather — book covers, cases, straps, upholstery — and for conditioning leather after it has been washed. Leather already crumbling to a red powder (what the trade calls red rot) should be consolidated by a conservator first; this conditioner is for the stage before that.

How to use

Clean the leather first. Apply sparingly with a soft cloth or brush and work a thin coat in. Let it penetrate fully — overnight for very dry pieces — then buff lightly with a clean cloth. Repeat on leather that drinks it in. Test a discreet area first, and use a light hand on pale leather.

Suitable for

  • Leather book covers and bindings
  • Old, dry or fragile leather
  • Tooled, embossed and gilded leather
  • Bags, cases, straps, jackets and upholstery

Good to know
  • 236ml (8 fl oz) bottle
  • Contains no water; sulphur-free solvent
  • Clean first with Leather Cleaner
  • Not for suede or nubuck — use Suede Saver
  • Made in the USA by Preservation Solutions

Learn More

Why conservators choose it

The conditioner for leather other conditioners cannot reach — and should not wet.

Water-free

No moisture to hasten the breakdown of leather that is already fragile.

Kind to detail

Does not swell the leather, so tooling, embossing and gilding stay crisp; stitching and glue are untouched.

Conservation-grade

Used by book and object conservators on older leather showing the first signs of deterioration.

You may also like