How to care for leather

The best thing about full-grain leather is that it doesn't need to be babied. It needs two things, done occasionally: keep it clean, and keep it from drying out.

Clean it, gently

Wipe the piece with a soft, dry cloth when it picks up dust. If it's genuinely dirty, use a cloth dampened with lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap, then dry it at room temperature. Never soak leather, and never dry it on a radiator or in direct sun — heat makes the hide stiff and brittle.

Condition it, twice a year

Vegetable-tanned leather loses natural oils over time. A neutral leather balm or conditioner, worked in with a cloth or your fingertips, keeps the fibres supple. Twice a year is enough for most pieces; a bag that lives outside every day might want three.

If it gets wet

Blot — don't rub — the water off with a dry cloth, stuff the piece lightly with paper to hold its shape, and let it dry slowly away from heat. Wet leather is forgiving; heat-damaged leather is not.

• —Wipe with a dry cloth regularly.
• —Condition with a neutral balm twice a year.
• —Dry wet leather slowly, away from heat.
• —Store bags stuffed lightly with paper so they hold their shape.
• —Let brass patina — or polish it, both are intended.

Leather doesn't wear out. It's worn in — and that's the whole point.