Leather Balsam and Filofax Shark Winchester

I have….erm, don’t laugh…..lots of leather items. I collect hand bound books, I have many handbags and Filofaxes, and I have leather jackets, sofa, shoes, boots, sandals, belts, jeans and even leather scrunchies for my hair.

I never moisturize or treat any of them in any way – ever. I moisturize myself a lot and I handle all my belongings often so I guess they get the good stuff that way. I think a well-used leather item is often in far better condition than one which is kept at the back of a cupboard. These items often end up dry and dusty (eek! The dreaded red rot!) or musty and mouldy.

I find my well-used items are supple and soft with a gorgeous patina. I am sure this is from being out in the fresh hair and handled so that natural oils moisturize them. The vet always comments on how shiny my cats are and asks what I have been feeding them. I am sure they are all sleek and glossy because of my Clarins!

An exception to this has been my recently purchased Shark Winchester. The outside was used and supple but the inside was terribly dry. Even I, who hardly ever feel extra care is necessary, could see that this one was dry and thirsty.

Yesterday I was early for a meeting and happened to be strolling past a cobbler’s shop. I shot in and asked for help with dry leather. He pointed towards this. I bought it and today tried it out with great trepidation. It is after all, shark leather which is not your run of the mill skin. I was afraid it would be harmed by any chemical substance in this balsam.

Well…what a difference. The inside of the binder was so thirsty it drank up every bit of the balsam. I will wait a couple of days and do it again. Interestingly, the balm smells like honey. It has beeswax in it but I had no idea that it smelled like honey. I thought that it (like refined coconut oil) had no smell at all.