How to Restore Leather Books
Leather bindings suffer for a few reasons, mainly overuse, atmospheric conditions and neglect. Conservators use hard-to-get organic chemicals (like benzyl alcohol) to clean and restore books, and have weeks to finish a job. Presuming your book has more sentimental than monetary value, you can restore it with some inexpensive materials.
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Things You'll Need
- Lighter fluid
- Cotton swabs
- Deglazer or leather detergent
- Loose paper
- Antique finish
- Wool daubers
- Art brushes, small
Instructions
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Cleaning
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1
Dust your book with a lint-free cloth; it must be perfectly free of dust before you apply any finish or oil.
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2
Find any stains. Moisten a cotton swab with the lighter fluid, and brush the stains lightly (not hard enough to rub off any leather). Repeat until the stain is gone. Allow the fluid to evaporate completely, before repeating.
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3
Clean the cover with leather deglazer (such as Fiebing's) or a leather detergent (such as Talas), if the cover still appears grubby. A deglazer is an organic compound that evaporates completely, and loosens any dirt.
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4
Moisten a wool dauber or cotton ball with the cleaner, and drag the ball over the surface of the book. Do not rub.
Restoring
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5
Use an antique finish for leather; not a stain. The antique finish resembles shoe cream, while the stain is a liquid.
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Match the finish to the color of your book. The leading provider, Fiebing's, offers antique finish in 10 colors, including black, light and dark brown, light and dark mahogany, cordovan, neutral and "British Tan." One or a mix of these stains will suit your volume.
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7
Wrap the pages of the book in paper (wax paper is ideal), and close the covers of the book, such that you will not stain the pages with the finish.
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8
Dip a wool dauber in the antique finish, and wipe off most of it on the mouth of the bottle. Apply a light coat of finish somewhere on the back cover of the book to familiarize yourself with its effect.
Spread the finish, quickly and lightly, over the entire cover. Stay away from any lettering and gilding on the cover. Buff the leather with a lint-free cloth. Apply a second coat if needed.
Apply finish carefully around any lettering or gilding with your small art brushes.
with a lint-free cloth. Buff to a shine -
9
Apply a moisturizing finish like Fiebing's Tan Kote, to prevent rubbing off the antique finish and keep the leather supple. Do not use a lacquer-based finish, which will crack; or neatsfoot oil, which is too heavy for a book binding.
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Tips & Warnings
For ongoing care, keep your book behind glass, if possible, and out of direct sunlight.
Dust your book regularly, with a lint- and chemical-free cloth. Dust acts as a drying agent, and if it comes in contact with any moisture, will stain your volume.
Open and flip through your book, on occasion. A never-opened book becomes brittle and inflexible, suffering more than a rarely-opened book.
Cracking along the hinges does not mean the book will fall apart---it has leather thongs or binding tape to hold it together. Handle the book with care, but consider having it rebound.
If the leather flakes easily, with light handling, then you have "red rot." See a conservator, but the conservator will likely recommend rebinding.
