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Semi-Aniline leather can be problematic to restore, if our domestic customers contact us in regard to restoring this type of leather we always tell them it's a job for the professionals.
But even us professionals can find this leather frustrating, it absorbs well in some areas that have received more wear but doesn't grab colour on the other areas that haven't been worn .. This can lead to a very uneven colour result, or dye transferring from the surface.

Semi-Aniline Facts
The leather is dyed (as an aniline leather) but a protective top coat is applied, this may be clear or a colour tinted sealant.
It is semi-absorbent, it absorbs liquids usually around 20 seconds
Tends to be problematic during the colour restoration process in attaining a consistent colour tone.

Guide To Restoring Semi-Aniline Leather

• Clean all areas using water based leather cleaner and soft cloth.
• Repeat using the solvent prep leather cleaner.
• A strong dye gel is required to restore the base colour, the strong version gives extra penetration into the leather. This is applied using a cloth, only one application can be applied to the surface, as you apply the extra strong dye gel have a dry cloth in your other hand to remove the surples and even out the colour.
• Do not over apply as this will result in excess dye sitting on the surface, dye cannot adhere to leather surfaces, excess dye may cause colour removal resulting in a faded area of colour tone.
• When the leather has dried use a dry cloth to remove any accidental surples dye from the leather surface.
• A sealant can now be applied, a clear sealant is suitable if you are happy with the depth of colour, but some semi-anilines have an obvious 2 tone appearance so a tinted coloured sealant should be applied to re-create the effect and add an extra depth of colour ... We can provide the tinted sealants for you.
• The leather sealant will seal the leather and lock in the dye.

Tips:
Contaminated areas such as grease may cause adhesion problems to the sealant, remove as much as possible before the cleaning process, never guarantee a restoration if a grease problem is on the leather
Compared to pigments dyes are not colour fast to light, it will be inevitable that over time the leather will begin to fade again.
Compared to pigments which do not transfer colour when wet, dyes are not colour fast and can become soluble when in contact to water (Think about the amount of dye a dark pair of jeans will lose in water when wet) it can be quite normal to see transfer on a damp cloth when cleaning an aniline or semi-aniline leather.

NORTH WEST LEATHER TRAINING COURSES IN LANCASHIRE
North West Leather Repairs provides professional friendly training courses using the Buffalo Leather Repair & Care system, they provide advice and guidance on the Buffalo leather repair product range, whilst also offering knowledge on leather repair processes and leather types during the course.

North West Leather - About Us ….

We experience daily interaction with our service customers, we know exactly what the consumer needs, and we have passed this knowledge into our training course, this enables the tradesman to apply the best possible solution available.

We liaise closely with Buffalo leather repair & care products who produce leather repair and care formulations that perform to high expectations that are required of our customers.
All of the products have been formulated from "Hands-On" professional experience.
We work with all of Buffalo’s leather product range on a daily basis, therefore we monitor the quality and performance of the products ensuring your complete satisfaction & confidence that the products work and up to date repair advice can be given.


Why choose a our training course ….

No costly franchise fees. Franchises will also charge you monthly administration fees, marketing fees and a percentage of your monthly turnover… They may also expect you to attend further expensive training courses, and in return they cannot guarantee in providing business leads, but they will guarantee that you can only work in a specified area which will stop you from expanding further afield.


Once you have completed the course Buffalo are also available to give you any advice you may require. Other competitors courses may draft in a trainer who is not employed by their company and cannot give you further advice once the course is finished.

Other training courses can involve large groups of trainees over 1 -3 days. We know these courses are not beneficial as each individual works at their own speed or intellect which impedes the content of the course and is frustrating to the trainee. Our courses involve 1-3 trainees, they are intensive but informal enabling tuition covering all aspects at your own speed until you are confident to move on to the next stage.

We provide up to date and current knowledge of leather repairs, including marketing and price structure, Buffalo can provide you a website to suit your requirements, and your own branded re-sale products.

We offer a variety of courses covering all aspects of leather cleaning, leather repairs and restoration, or we can tailor a course to suit your requirements.

For Prices Contact:
Ian Longson
Contact: 07541 705154
Email: nw.leather.repair@gmail.com

If your leather feels rough to the touch after pigmented restoration our following hints and tips can help you to avoid these issues.

Obviously if the leather was very cracked or worn initially it may still feel rough to the touch if the area had not been sanded using 1500 wet/dry sandpaper.

The other reason can be because each stage of the colour restoration and sealing process had not been dusted off between applications when the processes were dried. Residue dust gets trapped between applications producing a dull appearance which will feel rough to the touch.
Remedy
We have found that wiping over the area using a dry power pad slightly rubs down the surface so that it feels smoother, again you will need to wipe away the dry dust residue, then re-seal the surface.