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How To Make Your Leather Distressed?

Distressed Leather Bag

We have a tendency to like Old Songs, well Remixes, ripped jeans etc. That’s the trend to like everything which is Ripped, remixed or Distressed. No seriously, Everything old is new again.

And there comes the concept of distressed Leather.

Distressed leathers are extremely stunning, but you must know exactly what you're getting. These leathers are fantastic, but consider your lifestyle before purchasing a worn leather. They're high-end and beautiful; many of us are accustomed to seeing these hides utilised in clothes such as worn bomber jackets and worn-in purses.

Distressed leathers are now more than ever used to create this style of clothes. They are more popular than ever before, and why not? They are stunning, and no two hides are the same. It's a one-of-a-kind item for you!

What is distressed leather?

Distressed leather is full grain and oil tanned leather, with full grain indicating the highest quality leather and the oil tanned technique determining the distressed leather's attributes.

The oil content makes the leather soft and supple, while the waxes and oils used during the finishing process give it a faded, charmingly aged appearance. Distressed leather appeals to us for a variety of reasons.


Why do people love distressed leather?

To begin with, it is full grain leather, which means that only full grain leather can be handled into high quality distressed leather, which has a stretched and vintage appearance with natural characteristics of the hide such as healed scars, scratches, and creases that are regarded as constructive traits.

Secondly, distressed leather has the potential to repair scratch marks. If you have a scrape on your distressed leather items, you can rub the region with the scratch with your fingertips, or apply some leather care wax on the scratch and wipe it away.

Finally, distressed leather requires less upkeep. It does not need to be maintained on a regular basis; in fact, it requires significantly less than most leather. because the natural oil in the hide keeps it healthy and clean without the need for additional moisturising over time.

We are big fans of distressed leather! And we can write the silliest reasons to convince you to buy Distressed Leather Products!!!

How to make new leather look old?


Leather takes time to age. Leather enthusiasts love their leather goods distressed. Sometimes trying to distress leather can harm your leather, finding a safer alternative to this question is something we are up to.

But again we have got your back with yet another tip and trick, using a spray bottle, and lightly mist the leather with rubbing alcohol. You may also apply it with a cloth or even a toothbrush.

Be sure to not drench your bag you just want to dampen it with the rubbing alcohol, which will then dry out the leather and begin producing a weathered look.

How to make leather look vintage?

There are many ways to make your leather look more rustic aka vintage. Not every trick would guarantee you the desired results. The traditional way is demanding because it requires a long time.

Such that it takes great patience to see the results of aging. It is however something worth the wait.

Moreover, cleaning and taking care of leather is important in the aging process of leather. This is because leather like any organic product will break down as time passes.

How to age leather?

Aged Leather Bags

Do you want a Bag that appears like it's made it through the nuclear holocaust? Is it possible to have a bag that tells stories? What's your story? A bag that demonstrates years of experience without the need to wait years? Then continue reading!

One option is to take it with you on every hike or vacation. You might also bring it to work with you every day. That is to say, take your leather bag with you everywhere you go! The scars or scratches on the bag will tell a tale about how much you adore it!!

Well, this is more of a natural way to age leather.

There is another alternative, but it is what I call an "Artificial approach." You'll have to put in a lot of effort to get that Vintage texture. By "work hard," I don't mean some hard core industrial process, but rather utilising chemicals and applying them.

All you need are 6 “ingredients”

  • 90% rubbing alcohol
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Fine grit sandpaper
  • Shoe Wax
  • A Buffing Brush

And follow the following steps:

1. In a bucket, place whatever you wish to distress, such as a leather bag. Put on the rubber gloves and spray rubbing alcohol all over the leather.

2. Squeeze, wring, scrape, and beat up the leather in every way you can. Don't be afraid to go forceful if you want it to seem like it's been wrinkled and worn from years of hard use. If your leather is coloured, the rubbing alcohol will remove some of the colour, which is why you should use gloves to avoid getting pigment on your hands and clothes.

3. Remove the leather from the basin and clean it down after you're satisfied with the rubbing alcohol alteration. Then take a square of sandpaper and thoroughly scrape the whole surface. You may be a little harsh here; the scratch marks will (largely) buff out in the following stage, leaving a slightly worn-in look.

4. Open a bottle of shoe polish in the same colour as your leather (or use black if you're dealing with brown leather and want to darken it). Apply the polish generously with a cloth or paper towels, working it in as much as possible. Wipe away any excess with a damp cloth, then buff with a brush.

5. Repeat the process, but this time use shoe wax instead of polish. This is a one-two punch: the shine helps to imitate a worn-in patina while also protecting the leather from the elements.

Can you age fake leather?

Short answer- Yes, you can. The process will be the same as the real leather aging process.

There will be just a small change- First You need to remove the “EXTRA” Shine from the faux leather and before the final finishing you will need to tenderize the leather using a meat tenderizer.

Rest all the above mentioned 5 steps will be the same.

How to distress leather boots?

How to distress leather boots

Leather boots carry a different personality, distressed leather boots is an essential if you are an adult. To distress your leahter boots you will need rubbing alcohol. Thats it. Follow the below steps.

  1. Place the rubbing alcohol in a spraying bottle.
  2. Light handedly spray the leather of your boots. You can also use a toothbrush or old cloth instead of a spray bottle.
  3. Don’t wet through the leather with alcohol, just damp it.
  4. Once the alcohol dries out, it will give the leather an eroded look.

How to age leather with wax?

  1. Firstly, clean off the boot to make sure there is no dirt.
  2. Take the wax, rub it evenly all over the boot in a circular motion but light-handedly.
  3. Rub it again all over the boots, this time be heavy-handed where you want your boots to look distressed more.
  4. Get some water, dip your fingers and smooth out the material just a little bit more.

How to care for distressed leather products?

Old Aged Leather Boots.

Distressed leather is a type of full grain leather that has been artificially aged using different techniques, giving it a rough appearance. It is simple to maintain distressed leather products, and to be honest, it doesn't require any special tools or leather cleanser. We simply need to follow the steps below to care for distressed leather products.

  • Steer away from the water.

  • As mentioned earlier, distressed leather is full grain leather that lacks a protective layer such as water repellent, making it even more important to keep your distressed leather product away from water. If you accidentally splash water or a liquid such as cola or coffee on it (which is extremely bad), blot it immediately with tissue paper or a water-absorbing cloth, but DO NOT rub it, as this will cause the water to spread.

    Then, because this will do the least amount of harm, let the water evaporate on its own. Following that, you should apply wax or mink oil.

  • Getting Rid Of Dirt And Grime On Leather

  • Simply wash the dirt and filth off damaged leather with a clean cloth. In my opinion, this is an unnecessary step for distressed leather; we only need to do it before applying wax.

  • Use Wax to Preserve Distressed Leather

  • Applying wax to a distressed leather product after a few weeks of usage is a crucial step. It will Hydrate your leather, protecting it from cracking, and giving it a distressed aesthetic. For distressed leather, all you need is natural leather wax, no conditioner. Mink oil is another fantastic option for keeping your distressed leather moisturised.

    Other suggestions for preventing harm to your distressed leather goods

    • Avoid exposing your damaged leather item to direct sunlight.
    • Don't use newspapers to fill your damaged leather item.
    • When cleaning stains on leather, avoid using water.

    Can you distress faux leather?

    As faux leather is not real leather, you cannot distress it easily. Follow the bellow steps to distress faux leather.

    1. Purchase an abrasive cleaning wipe. Begin scrubbing the faux leather with the abrasive cleaning wipe in a vigorous motion.
    2. Start at the bottom and scrub small sections of the faux leather at a time with the wipe. Dry the section of leather with a lint-free cloth.
    3. Continue rubbing the leather with the wipe while moving upward until you achieve the desired look.

    How to make leather less shiny?

    To make your leather less shiny, you done need to purchase those expensive creams, even sand paper helps.

    1. Scrape the leather using grade sandpaper, be gentle while using it.
    2. Rub the places more where distress is more likely to experience such as toes, seams and the corner of the heel.

    Where to buy distressed leather bags?

    To explore the best range of distressed leather bags, we would suggest you our very brand. HighOnLeather has been in the leather business for quite a while and knows what their customers need.

    Every product is veg-tanned and carries a natural look to them. Their products are handmade by skilled artians that do their work with sheer love and compassion.

    To know more please visit out site.

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