If you have been gathering knowledge about leather, you must have heard the word patina more times than you expected and wondered what that actually is. Well, we are here to put your curiosity to an end.
In the book, the definition of patina says that it is a soft sheen that develops on the surface by the use of time. It provides character and personality to the material. Simply put, a patina gives the leather a weathered look as it ages and makes it more valuable. A good patina will only increase the beauty of your leather piece and make it a sight to behold. But the point here is that not all leathers develop a patina. Lower-quality leathers cannot develop a patina, which is one way you can differentiate between real and faux leather. The higher the quality of leather, the better patina it will develop.
A patina can refer to many other materials like wood, metal, stone, and wax. However, it is the most desirable leather. One reason can be because it is a hallmark of the highest-quality leather and people desire the weathered look of their leather. Developing a patina also makes your leather piece personalised as it tells the story of your experiences. These reasons make patina on leather more desirable.
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Characteristics Of A Good Patina
How can you differentiate between a good and a bad patina? Well, a good patina is slight;y rich and has a soft sheen to it. It results from scratches, oil from your hands, exposure to sunlight etc. Genuine leather or any other kind of lower-quality leather cannot develop a good patina.
Full and top grain leather is the highest quality of leather and develops a good patina over time. That is because they have better properties to absorb environmental elements like heat and natural oils. They are made from the strongest part of animal hide, which makes them robust and durable. Full grain leather is not chemically tanned or split for refinement, which is why it is most likely to develop a good patina.
How Can I Speed Up The Patina Process?
If you want your leather bag to develop a patina faster, exposure to the natural elements is the purest form to make it work. You first need to identify what kind of weathered look you want for your bag because different elements bring out different properties in leather.
For example, sunlight and heat bring out the golden tones in the leather, while rain and sea water will leave solace marks, and the natural oils from your hands will leave darker patches on your bag.
The easiest way to develop a patina on leather is to use it all the time. Keeping it stored and safe will take longer to get that desired weathered look. Take it out in the open and use it as much as you can to fasten the process. The more your leather bag is exposed to the elements in the environment, the better patina it will develop.
Does Patina Mean Leather Has Gone Bad?
Before we told you all about patina, you must have thought patina makes the leather look worn out. People often stop using their leather bags. Once they start developing patina, they think their bag has gone bad, and it is time to buy a new one, but that is not the case. Just like how wine ages to be better, you can store it for decades, and it will only enhance the taste; leather also gets better with time.
You don’t have to retire your favourite leather bag just because it doesn’t look new anymore. The weathered leather look is the most desirable and valuable, so if your bag has that now, you should cherish it.
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