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Keeping your
new lead or collar well cared for will substantially extend its life and help
keep it looking great.
Leather, like our own skin, needs to be cleaned to remove oils
and dirt, and then moisturized to maintain its suppleness.
We recommend applying leather conditioner to your Smith Morrow
product when new. After that, clean and condition the leather as often as is
needed to keep it clean, soft and supple.
Remember that leather readily absorbs oil products so
conditioning
will darken its color, as will time and use. Some conditioners, such as
Stübben's Hamanol, tend to be better at maintaining the original color of the
leather. Other conditioners, such as Dubbin and Neatsfoot Oil, will
significantly darken light leathers even on the first application.
While there
are many approaches to caring for leather, what follows is a description of the
approach that works well for us and the leather products we prefer to use.
Softening:
For leads, during the initial break-in period, we recommend that flexing the
lead to soften it always be done with the finished side out and by wrapping the
lead around a finger and gently stretching it. Avoid the stitched sections of
the lead when doing this. When done down the full length of the lead in
both directions, the result is an evenly softened lead with minimal creasing of
the finished side of the leather. It’s our experience that this process isn’t
necessary with collars. The warmth and the movement of the collar on the dogs
neck is all that is needed.
Cleaning:
Just as a result of daily use and handling, leather that looks clean may not
be. Regular cleaning is an important part of leather care and is strongly
recommended. To clean, apply to a damp, soft sponge just enough liquid glycerin
soap, such as Stübben’s Leather Soap, to make the sponge slightly sudsy. Scrub
the lead thoroughly. Rinse the sponge, wring it dry, and use the dry sponge to
wipe excess soapsuds from the leather. Let the leather dry.
Conditioning:
After cleaning, squeeze a small amount of leather conditioner into the palm of
your hand, rub your hands together and apply the conditioner to both sides of
the leather. Use only the amount of conditioner that the leather will absorb.
Let it dry for 24 hours, then buff with a soft dry cloth.
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