Patent leather
Contents
Patent leather
Patent leather is a high-gloss, grain-free leather, which has been gloss-finished on the surface or covered with a glossy, mirror-smooth film. Patent leather is used for shoes, caps, clothing, wallets and handbags. In the clothing sector, lacquer leather is rather rare and is usually associated with clothing for sexual preferences. Nowadays, you can see many high-gloss materials in the bag and shoe area. In the low price range, it`s mostly high-gloss artificial leather.
Patent leather shoes of the highest price class. -Patent leather shoes embossed with foil lamination for 39,95 €.
Traditionally, high-gloss leather or patent leather were worn on special occasions. Therefore, the leather did not get traces of use so quickly . Today, such leather is used every day as shoe ore wallet. Wear correspondingly gets visible faster. Other smooth leather is similarly sensitive, but the softness of these leather and the matte surface prevent damage or make it optically not so obvious. The eye perceives surface differences on gloss surfaces faster than on matt surfaces. In the case of high-gloss varnishes, scratches and other damages should be better avoid.
Handbag made of high gloss finished leather. The hair pores remain visible.
Foil Laminated handbag. The hair pores are completely covered.
Neon green imitation leather with patent leather optics. - Leather jacket made of patent leather.
Crinkled patent leather
Crinkled patent leather is a patent leather, were the surface has been crumpled and creased. The effect is like with embossed leather. The wrinkles remain permanently.
Patent leather converts to crinkled patent leather.
Cleaning and care of patent leather
For cleaning, a damp cloth is sufficient for patent leather. In particular, light lacquer leather appears to have a sensitivity to absorb dyes. Therefore, never store patent leather in dark bags, never put in plastic bags and never in contact with other leather bags. Transferred dyes penetrate the high-gloss surface like a tattoo and cannot be cleaned anymore. Ballpoint pen strokes or similar. Use cleaning spirit (try to cover the exposed area) to remove the discolouration before the dyes are absorbed.
Discoloration in patent leather by contact. Impossible to clean. Louis Vuitton: New patent leather bag, even discoloured on both sides.
Line from a permanent pen on patent leather. There is now way to remove by cleaning.
Sometimes it happens that old patent leather becomes sticky with time. It must then be assumed that this is a decay process. Unfortunately, there is no solution to this problem. You can clean the leather with a mild leather cleaner and wipe it with a cleaning spirit (test before!). For a moment, the stickiness decreases as long as the condition is not jet too bad.
Older patent leather bag became sticky and blunt in the folds. A rescue is not possible.
The patent leather is glued already inseparable. It's too late for a rescue.
Important: Especially when old patent leather is treated with oils or grease based products, the stickiness starts or is even reinforced. Patent leather does not need oil or grease (any kind of classic leather care including shoe polish) for conservation. The leather is behind the completely covering high-gloss surface and therefore cannot reach the leather fibres. A care treatment would only make sense if the covering layer needed oil or grease. This is not the case.
Additional information