Restoring Antique Leather Chairs

I am looking for an advice on how to restore a set of six leather chairs. They were made in Vienna more than 100 years ago. I think it is a pigskin stretched over a wood frame and nailed on the outside of the chair frame with the decorative pins. I have posted some pictures at

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can see that the leather is cracking, and seems to be deteriorating faster and faster, especially the seats. Please advise: Can it be fixed, and how?

Reply to
Student
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If you care about the antique value, hire a specialist. While I'm big on DIY for most things, restoring antiques is one of those jobs where specialized knowledge and skills are needed and there's no do-over.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Pigskin is generally thin and scarred. That is likely either thick bull or buffalo leather, instead.

The leather has been allowed to dry out and break. It is now unstable, and while you might make it softer with mink oil, the cracks and chips are not repairable. Yer SOL, Sam.

Yes, replace the old leather with new, complete with tooling.

-- Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary. -- Peter Minard

Reply to
Larry Jaques

That's some nice leather work. Too bad it's deteriorating.

An option, if you have the connections, which isn't difficult to create, is to purchase some cowhide and have a prisoner tool the leather. There are some excellent leather workers, mostly in state prison (long-termers!), and cheap, too. Despite their social condition, some prisoners are excellent service providers in certain fields and their services are available to the general public, just like any other service provider. Just because they are in prison, doesn't mean they can't provide a service.

Some juvenile detention centers, more apt to be local, have inmates that tool leather, also.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

Addendum: .... Then get an upholsterer to reupholster the leather onto the chairs.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

I'm with Mr. Clarke. Have the chairs assessed by someone who understands the restoration of antique furniture or risk destroying their value.

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

I don't know anything about proper restoration, BUT - leather is organic, and once it starts tearing, peeling or cracking, there's no way to "put it back" to its original look. An expert could tell you how to keep it from deteriorating further - simple massage with saddle soap would be my first move, but that might not be the best thing.

N.

Reply to
Nancy2

Chances are very good it isn't even leather, a number of these embossed seats were actually a man made fiber material that resembles leather. In any event click here for a source for both:

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Reply to
nospam

both:

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I first read the post, before seeing the pics, I was thinking oilcloth, as well as leather. Usually oilcloth is thin, but there are examples of built-up applications. I'm not sure as to how thick oilcloth might be formed (the carved/tooled look).

As an upholsterer, I, personally, wouldn't tool the leather. The leather would be tooled by an appropriate leather craftsman, then I would apply it to the chairs. It's not out of the question that some upholsterers can tool leather, though.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

Based on some of the deterioration shown in the pics, I think it is leather - when the surface deteriorates, you get that powder-like reddish substance - almost like sawdust - in the next layer down. I can see that plainly in one picture. Oilcloth or turn of the (20th) century fake leather wouldn't be thick enough for tooling, in my opinion, nor do I think it would hold the pattern because even with layers, the backing is fabric of some kind. I've tooled leather in my time, but not any fake substance.

N.

Reply to
Nancy2

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did say they were over 100 years old. No such thing then as fake leather.

Reply to
CW

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As a restorer of furniture since the 1960's I have to disagree, much cheaper grade furniture sold in catalogs during the turn of the 19th century used fake leather, but not likely used on these pieces. If I had a dime for every one of them I tore the stuff off of I'd be a wealthy man.

From what I can see in the images the material used here is embossed, the design is stamped with dies. Chairs like these tend to be 1880 to Edwardian period pieces, but I've seen Spanish revival examples date into the 1930's

Reply to
nospam

You are confusing the word fake. Try imitation -"that which is made to resemble"- as in, simulate, mimic. Not necessarily for fraudulent purposes but for style and economical reasons. Of course, there were perfectly acceptable man made 19th products (and techniques) which resembled (simulated) leather.

Reply to
Just Another Lurker

Artificial leather has been around for more than 100 years, according to Wiki. It was used for lots of things - even the coverings on things like suitcases and typewriter cases.....

N.

Reply to
Nancy2

Thanks everyone for your opinions!

I think I misused the word "restore". I am not in antiques neither as business or hobby. What I really care the most is to stop further deterioration. It makes sense that saddle soap or mink oil would work well on leather. But now you guys made me unsure if this is the leather at all! How can I tell? The reason I thought it was a pigskin is that on the surface there are miniature "holes" in lack of a better word, typically found on pigskin.

Replacing the covering with the new leather is not an option at this point, as we want to preserve the original look. Hiring the specialist is not an option at this point either.

Last question: For the cracks, do you think I could carefully insert a strip of cloth or thin leather so that it sits under both sides of the crack, then apply appropriate glue. It may not restore it to the original look, but should stop the crack from enlarging.

Thanks again!

Reply to
Student

business or hobby. What I really care the most is to stop further deterioration.

------------------------------ There is no free lunch.

At a minimum, you need to get an opinion of a professional restorer.

If you pay for the opinion, you will be dealing ".. at arms length".

A good position in business affairs.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

If you don't care about preserving the value then forego an opinion from an expert and just do whatever you want.

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

Student wrote: ...

Well, I'd surely think a minute inspection of the cracking would reveal clues of sufficient indication to tell whether it was/is actually leather or not...

One gets what one pays (or chooses not to pay) for is generally good thing to remember.

...

Then, otoh, how much are you willing to risk that it may cause a complete failure by creating a mismatched stress point that doesn't give compared to the old material surrounding it?

I've paid essentially no attention to this thread, but the above caught my eye and couldn't let it go...

If this piece has any value at all, it would be desecration at about its worst possible incarnation to do such butchery to it.

--

Reply to
dpb

For stability, hot glue should secure a tear. Place a good upholstery grade cloth under the tear, using a probe (regulator, in the upholstery business) to smoothen it out. Carefully insert hot glue. Do a practice application on some other item, as the hot glue can get stringy or mis-applied if you're not familiar with using it in tight places. Hot glue holds pretty well, as hot glue is often used for gimp trim and a few other places on furniture.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

Addendum: If you would like, I can possibly setup a hot glue tutorial, via still pics, and email them to you, showing how I would proceed with a tear repair. I've never done a leather tear repair, but if all you want is to stabilize the tear(s), I would think the hot glue would work to some extent.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

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