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[Il Palazzo]

I've a bit of wood and fibreglass I'm using to pretend I'm an archer. It's got a handle wrapped in what I think is natural leather (of whatever beastly provenance), with the coarse side up.
Great for gripping, and looked rather handsome when new. But it drinks dirty sweat a bit too eagerly, and after a few hot days on the range it started to look nasty.

Does anyone have any idea how to clean and maintain something like that? I can't take it off the handle, and I'm rather wary of damaging the laminate underneath with too aggressive ideas. Like dunking it in water - which is incidentally the only thing I can think of.

This is probably basic stuff, but I'm drawing a blank here.

[wierd]

Saddle soap + tooth brush

[Il Palazzo]

I think that's more for cleaning the smooth side of leather. At least I don't understand how rubbing in wax-based product would help pull the stains from inside a porous surface.
Have you used a paste like that?

[wierd]

Yes.  As the name implies, it is used to clean saddles, and tack.
(Among other things, when I was much younger, I did equestrian type things, including trimming horse feet, shoeing/unshoeing, and making custom bridles and other horse tack, along with my older sister over the summer months.  We took care of our gear, so yes-- I have used the shit out of some saddle soap.)

It is also useful for anything else made of leather.  Unlike normal soaps, which cause stiffening and shrinkage, saddle soap conditions the leather and gently cleans out the funk without ruining the leather.  While I understand that you might feel this is more fore "closed" (shiny) leathers, it also works on the underside of leather that is more "open" and rough. (Such as on the undersides of cinch straps and the like. Cinches are usually rough/open on the bottom so that it has more friction and 'grab' to grip the metal D rings attached to the saddle, to prevent the cinch from slipping while in use. Due to it being a friction based hold, in often "unclean" (ahem) conditions, they can get quite filthy if you do more than just light riding in fair weather. As such, you will likely need to clean them regularly. Hence, how I know about saddle soap. ) A horse's mid-rift is considerably more nasty and sweaty than anything your hands can produce, I guarantee you. Saddle soap can get THAT out. Your wrapped handle is clean by comparison.) 

It is a combination of bee's wax (sometimes with lanolin and other natural oils), and Castile soap.  You get a small saucer of water, dip the bristles of the toothbrush into the paste, then work it with just a little water to make it semi-frothy, then gently scrub the leather. (GENTLY!)

You dob it dry using something like a microfiber cloth.  Sometimes it takes more than one pass if the leather is heavily soiled.


If you dont want to order off amazon, you can usually find it in the leather shoe section of shoe stores or at Walmart.

[Il Palazzo]

Thanks, for all that info. I'll look for an equivalent with local vendors (there ain't no Walmarts here, but people do ride horses).

When you say 'scrub the leather', what do you mean, exactly? Like with a dull knife or something? I'm guessing the pressure gets the soapy solution out of the pores?

[wierd]

Ok, you know how your use your toothbrush on your teeth and gums?

Small circular motions, with light, gentle pressure?

Same thing.  A toothbrush is essentially a tiny scrub brush.

Just try not to be aggressive with the scrubbing. Let the bristles just flow over the surface.

You dob the soapy solution off the leather with a cloth, like the afore mentioned microfiber one.  If you feel there is too much soap in the leather, use a damp cloth first if desired.

The leather is SUPPOSED to absorb the soap. It *IS* a conditioning agent, as well as a cleanser.  It keeps the leather supple.


Obligatory educational video

[Il Palazzo]

Fantastic. Thanks!

[Il Palazzo]

Does it matter if the soap is glycerine-based or beeswax-based?

Wait, I've just looked at the video you edited in. The guy says he thinks it's not for suede (I think that's the word for what the handle is made of. Honestly, I feel like I missed that part of education).
You think it's fine?

[wierd]

Is it REALLY suede, or is it nubuck?

https://www.leathercaresupply.com/blogs/news/leather-suede-and-nubuck-whats-the-difference


I find it very hard to believe that they used suede as a handle grip, because it is NOT very durable. It is very easily torn, and degrades easily. This is why special cleansers are used for suede.

Can you post a picture of your grip, so that I can look at it?

[Il Palazzo]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-BnpCXjLqTkd68D-29kLd51K5Vb-cQ6q

hey, it's even kinda clean down the bottom edge.

[wierd]

odd.. That might actually be suede.

OK.  For that, look for cleaning and care instructions for suede shoes.

One common denominator in care instruction is something like this:

For hard-to-remove stains—or, if you wear them during the winter, for salt stains—the best method is to use a solution of two parts water, one part white vinegar. Apply a small amount of the solution with a soft rag or a towel, and then let it dry. Once it's dry, go over it lightly with your suede brush.


A suede brush is a very soft bristled brush that looks like a scrub brush. White vinyl eraser is often used to help lift scuffs off the delicate surface as well, and is paired in this example



Nubuck is thicker, and tougher than suede.  You could probably clean nubuck with the saddle soap, if you were really gentle, and did a cleanup with a damp cloth afterward.  Suede? Not so much. It's sensitive shit.


...

That COULD also be "Rough-out" leather though...  How thick is the leather?


Full grain leather is the full thickness of the hide, and is the strongest and sturdiest stuff out there. It's premo stuff, and costs a mint if it is defect free. 

Top grain leather and Nubuck will be about the same thickness, and have had the top of the hide sanded to either disguise defects/blemishes in the leather, or to give it the suede like texture; both will be appreciably thinner than full grain hides, but still much thicker than suedes.

Suedes have had the entire top surface of the leather sanded off, and consists entirely of "split."  This is the weakest part of the hide, and the least durable. Its claim to fame is that it is soft and velvety to the touch. It is not really meant for durable goods, and is meant more for luxury items.

Here a section cut of  full grain leather.



Top grain leather sands (and polishes) the top of the grain off, to disguise imperfections.

Nubuck sands down to just above the "junction", and has a velvety feel.

Suede is the bottom most portion of the hide, and has the top grain layers completely removed.



This 'could' be a 'rough-out' piece of full grain hide, that was of inferior quality for use as normal leather. (Eg, scars, other blemishes, et al.) It would be durable, as it is full thickness, but would be treated like suede, because it is inside out.

You could probably use saddle soap on rough-out, but not on suede.

[Il Palazzo]

For what it's worth, it feels coarse to the touch, and I'd call it tough. At least compared to those two black bits for arrowpass, above and below it, which have velvety texture.
It's about a millimetre thick, I'd say.

In any case, thanks again. I'll experiment with the methods you recommended, starting with the gentler ones.