If you have been using Leather Mate (or Urad as it is known in Canada and elsewhere) and have been using too much you may get a wax build up that sometimes will look “streaky” or too shiny. Take a cloth soaked in warm water and use this to remove the excess wax from your leather. You may have to rub a bit to do this but it will work. You can use this to remove the excess wax from other products such as Super 7 as well.
Find out more: http://www.leather-mate-urad.com
I want to give you a bit better understanding of when you would use one of the colors of Leather Mate as opposed to the neutral (sometimes referred to as ‘clear’). The neutral Urad or LeatherMate can be applied to any colored leather such as brown or black leather, red, tan or blue.
The benifit of using the black is that, to start, it helps with scuff marks. LeatherMate has no shoe polish in it and very little pigment so it is not adding much color but enough to, over time, to help fill in areas of wear and scuffing. Neutral will make black shoes look great but black Leather Mate will make them look fantastic!
Brown Leather Mate (Urad) will add pigment to a whole range of brown’s from dark brown to medium light. It can be used on Oxblood and Burgundy as well.
Always test on a small area first.
More info at Leather Mate website
Here is a trick for getting the salt stains out of your leather boots or shoes. Lay a damp cloth (with a bit of vinegar) over the leather which will absorb the salt. Leave the cloth on the leather for 10-20 minutes. You may have to do this a few times depending on how bad the shoes or boots are and how much salt.
Once they are dry apply some LeatherMate/Urad leather conditioner which will protect against further damage. Applying Leathermate/Urad will also draw the salt out but may take several applications.
Ideally, you would apply LeatherMate to your shoes or boots before wearing them in the nasty weather – by doing this you will prevent salt damage. In the winter, apply Leather Mate/Urad once a week to protect against salt and water – yes, Leather Mate will also help waterproof your leather.
Find our more or order Leather Mate/Urad here.
Here is another tip on leather care: Saddle soap will strip out the oils of your leather saddle and other tack.
Use sparingly if at all . Use a product that will clean without stripping out the oils and also replenishes. Also, always, when applying any new product to leather – test a small, not so obvious area first. Make sure it is not going to discolour the leather.
Here is a simpler way to remove chewing gum or bubble gum from leather: a hair dryer. Use the hair dryer to slowly heat and dry out the gum. Once it is dry take a clean cloth and carefully work the gum off the leather. A tiny bit of grease will help remove any small marks that are left after removing the gum.
This technique can be applied to any leather but it will obviously be mostly used for shoes or boots that have been used in the winter where salt has been applied to the roads and sidewalks to get rid of ice and snow. The salt is not always obvious. Often when your shoes or boots get wet later in the year you will see the salt come to the surface. It is important to get the salt out as it is very destructive to leather. Read the rest of this entry »
We had good show at the Calgary Stamede this year. We introduced the Urad/Leather Mate product. There were two other leather products at the show – one was Super Seven and the other was a product from Australia. The others are good products and are good for the leather but as they are beeswax based they do leave the leather a bit stickly and dull. Ok for some leather prducts but for a leather sofa or your saddle not exactly what you want. These products do waterproof well.
We were very popular with one of the crews doing the harness racing. At first they were hesitant to use the Urad/Leather Mate on the harnesses. After they went a couple of days with the best hooking harnesses they came back and bought several jars. They said that it kept the harnesses looking great for days and ws very easy to apply. After that when word got around, many of the other harness racers were coming to see us.
There is plenty more information at Urad/Leather Mate
A quick note: if you are trying to find Leather Mate and going to be in Sturgis, at the motorcycle rally, you will find it there – it may be under the name Urad as well. It has been sold there for years and you will find thousands of people there using it. For more information on the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, check out the website.
If you are spending hours on your saddle getting it ready for a show then check out a way where faster is better: Urad for Saddle Care. This goes for english, western or dressage saddle care.
“You may be interested to know that URAD [Leather Mate]is very much favored by the side-saddle fraternity in Great Britain. Our saddle are, in the main, very old and as you can imagine it is very difficult to keep the leather supple and in good condition. I have restored four very sorry looking saddles to near show condition using Leather Mate Show and Leather Cleaner. For regular maintenance it is so much easier and less messy than leather oil. Incidentally, my side-saddles date one from the 1890s, two from the 1920s and one was mane in 1909!”
Heriet”
Check us out at our Leather Mate site
