Restoring a leather kneeling chair

I set about restoring this very worn seat. It had evidently not been protected or nourished, and the leather had turned into "flakes" in several places.

After applying 2 or 3 coats of repair paste I was not satisfied with the result, so I contacted a Sofolk adviser who explained that in this case - critical but not hopeless - I needed to start with a more radical treatment than usual.

Forget fine-grit sandpaper and get out the good old 40 grit. At this stage of deterioration, the aim is to remove the leather's outer skin completely, those famous flakes, because even if the paste fills the gaps well, they curl up and lift at the edges. So you no longer try to fill the gaps that have formed in the top layer, but to remove that layer completely.

You have to be bold. It is a little worrying at first, but you realise that even though a lot of material comes off, the leather does not tear; it holds up well and reveals a whitish layer with an almost smooth appearance: this is the core of the hide.

This is what will serve as the base to receive the restoration paste. I removed the bulk of it first, then used less and less aggressive abrasives, and I also used tweezers to remove some stubborn little "spikes" of material.

I thus obtained a "stable" surface without too much raised texture, onto which I applied the paste, a bit like a filler, to rebuild the outer skin. The best tool I found is a medium-width plasterer's knife; it does the job very well.

I applied one pass of leather paint, which makes it easier to see which areas need to be filled again, then I repeated the process until I got a finish that, while not like new, was entirely satisfactory.

I spent a few hours on it, but it would take me half the time if I had to do it again. It saved me from buying a new seat when the wooden frame was still in good condition. I can finally sit on it, looking pleased with myself. :)