Topic: Leather Seats - What have you guys done?

[WkndWarrior]

Hey guys, I recently purchased an unfinished leather seat from Dime City Cycles. Since I have never "finished" leather before, I am new to the whole process. I have spoken with Dime City and they told me I could simply put mink oil and let the leather patina over time, or I could use a laquer, wax, or acrylic for a more traditional finish.

What have you guys done/seen/heard of people doing with their seats? Any recommendations? Pictures of the differences? Best products to use?

Thanks


--Erik

[DHuffman]

I didn't know they had "unfinished" versions. Can I ask what you paid for it?

[Yamahawk]

Truthfully, I wouldn't use mink oil, as they tan leather to get the animal oils out of it, and eventually the mink oil will break down the leather. On my leather boots, I would use Neat's foot oil. It is leather friendly, and will also protect the leather.... and it will 'patina' also from your jeans. Saddle soap for cleaning, just like a good saddle needs too. I would explore what is used on horse saddles, also... All them Cowboys can't be wrong
Charlie

[DaveBarbier]

I agree just to treat it like a leather part. Mink oil is totally for leather and is widely used but there are other options. I use Skidmore products but I’m no expert. The leather will patina overtime no matter what you do.

Here’s mine over a couple years. More glossy from my ass buffing it and darker where I sit.




Might not be the best pictures but if it helps then here you go.

[Yamahawk]

Looks Good Dave! And yeah, Mink oil is to waterproof leather which it does well, but the leather will eventually rot due to its makeup.
Charlie

[DaveBarbier]

Looks Good Dave! And yeah, Mink oil is to waterproof leather which it does well, but the leather will eventually rot due to its makeup.
Charlie

Thanks Charlie. Regarding the mink oil, for the record I do not buy that it’ll make leather rot. Keep in mind that leather itself is a skin and will eventually fall to the passage of time like any other material. Mink oil speeding that process up to any noticeable degree? I don’t think so.

[DaveBarbier]

But let’s not turn this into an oil thread, haha. Leather forums have the same kind of thing as we do, haha.

[Yamahawk]

But let’s not turn this into an oil thread, haha. Leather forums have the same kind of thing as we do, haha.

I hear ya Dave, but its my personal experience, and was told this by a Red Wing Boot store too...
I would talk to a leather tack shop, that specializes in saddles for horses, and see what they recommend. Probably just a good saddle soap, but you never know...

Charlie

[RandomOrbit]

For leather bicycle seats there is a product by Brooks called Proofide which waterproofs, polishes and patinas their leather bicycle seats beautifully. I also have had good results with my own home made mixture of beeswax and olive oil. Melt the beeswax and mix in enough oil so that it hardens to a softish paste at room temperature. Rub it into the leather with your fingers. let it soak in. Maybe repeat application if the leather was dry. Let the wax dry to a haze, then buff it out with a cloth. You can do that with any number of products I make my own not to be fancy, but because it's way cheaper to make it myself than to buy a product with a high concentration of beeswax.

[johans]

AAAh , my area of expertise . I own a leather upholstery and refinishing shop for the last 30 years that specializes in leather designer furniture and business jet interiors in the NYC area . corporateleather.net 

A "naked" unfinished leather on a bike seat is not a good thing. Any moisture , rain or body oil will seep into the pores of the leather and stain it unevenly.Water will flash off and dry the leather out and oil will weaken the fibers of the leather ( leather is very porous ,similar to wood as far absorbing oils and water) .  Whether the leather was tanned as a veg (vegetable) or chrome ( chromium salts ) tan , it needs to be sealed . A naked or straight analine leather is tanned to soften it and you have a very soft durable leather that actually feels like leather. Most dye systems are a urethane base now. Older systems were a lacquer base that is very brittle  ( same as auto paint systems ) . The finish actually seals the leather ( as well as giving it a color , there are no blue cows ) . With a lightly finished leather ( semi-analine ) you have some of the original leather feel with some protection. Heavily finished leathers have lost that "hand " and feel like vinyl ( like modern auto seats) but offer great protection to body oil,spilled drinks ,sun damage ect..). After the finish has been applied there needs to be a top coat applied to protect that base coat , through that you can adjust the gloss/ dullness through additives . Even a pearl flake can be added to the top coat ; these systems are very similar to modern auto refinishing procedures. All decent modern systems are water based .They are usually a proprietary product . The over the counter systems  ( Sem auto products ect..) are not advised. PM me and i can talk further , i don't want to post a short story on the entire process.

[FuZZie]

i can talk further , i don't want to post a short story on the entire process.

If you would care to post it, we would enjoy the read.

[johans]

Heres an example of a seat on my last build 78K  for my son, i used the stock pan and built up the foam with vinyl top padding . its a closed cell foam that you can sand to any shape ( there is even a core of " memory foam " in the rear hump , it can serve as a functional seat if needed ) . After the final sanding you cover it with a poly foam and do your patterns from that.

ps - the build was 90% complete @ that point , seat was not locked down to close the gap between the gas tank and front of seat. had to finish some wiring and replace rims & spokes

[DaveBarbier]

But let’s not turn this into an oil thread, haha. Leather forums have the same kind of thing as we do, haha.

I hear ya Dave, but its my personal experience, and was told this by a Red Wing Boot store too...
I would talk to a leather tack shop, that specializes in saddles for horses, and see what they recommend. Probably just a good saddle soap, but you never know...

Charlie

I’ve asked shops when I buy my shoes or holsters or wallets and they normally push their own stuff. I just got finished reading a leather worker used olive oil exclusively and has been doing so for the last 20 years. I’m just saying it’s a debated topic. If it so clearly rots leather they wouldn’t sell I anymore. Ok, back to work everyone!!!

[DaveBarbier]

Nice stuff Johans

[johans]

you bet , i'll get that together for you guys.

[Stev-o]

But let’s not turn this into an oil thread, haha. Leather forums have the same kind of thing as we do, haha.

I hear ya Dave, but its my personal experience, and was told this by a Red Wing Boot store too...
I would talk to a leather tack shop, that specializes in saddles for horses, and see what they recommend. Probably just a good saddle soap, but you never know...

 I’m just saying it’s a debated topic.

Who knew a leather seat cover would start a new oil thread?!!   

Have you heard the one about using the Avon product "Skin So Soft" on your [vinyl] seats??

[johans]

Stev-o   

 i had a old employer ( who specialized in vintage Ferrari and Duesenberg interiors )  that one of his "secrets " was to use Original Gojo on vinyl upholstery as a cleaner / moisturizer . It actually contains lanolin which is a fat - like wax secreted by sheep .Sheep would use it as a natural waterproofing for their wool ,  pretty interesting stuff, They use to call it "wool wax" . He may of used it on old dried out Connelly leather also to reintroduce some oil back into the leather. You have to be careful with adding it to leather in the long run as it would accelerate the breakdown of the leather fibers. Think of an old guys recliner headrest that has rotted through. You have to use the Original formula w/o any pumice or abrasives.

[WkndWarrior]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! Hopefully this thread helps more than just me.

DHuffman, I purchased this seat: https://www.dimecitycycles.com/dcc-originals-naked-leather-cafe-seat-tuck-n-roll-stallone-bogey-brown.html while Dime City was having a sale a few weeks ago. I ended up paying ~$300.

johans, you seem to have a lot of experience in this area (great work on the custom seat too; it came out great!). If you check out the link above, you can see the type of unfinished leather I am working with. What I was hoping to do was give this matte brown leather a little bit of shine (without making it look or feel like plastic or vinyl). I also don't want to change the color with any dyes or stains, but a darkening that would probably occur with some oil would be fine. So ideally, I would just like to enhance and protect the current leather. I would also like to slow down the patina/deterioration process, if possible. For something like this what process would you go about "finishing" the leather? Thanks!

[DurangoCB]

I used to wear Clark's boots for a couple decades and they recommended mink oil, so I religiously lubed up my boots (there are videos online, for you pervs).  Boots lasted 18 years or so. 

That said, mink oil is, well... oily.  I wouldn't want to sit on it.  At least not in any pants I cared about. 

But then again, maybe you pervs are all riding in leather pants. 

[johans]

"WkndWarrior- Thanks for the kind words ! it appears that you have a semi-analine leather.  It is a lightly finished leather ( like i mentioned in a previous post ) with a contrasting "print".  I would do nothing but spray an additional semi-gloss top coat to seal your existing color. A true naked leather ,or crust has no pigment and is of a flesh color. If you have a compressor and a heat gun i can send you a top coat that you can apply with a cheap harbor freight spray gun to protect your existing leather. Just lightly spray it on and hit it with a fast moving heat gun to cure. This will provide that barrier coat of protection from the elements and staining that you are looking for .