I recently received my ‘PTJ’ monogrammed leather goods by Made-well, and put them to use on my short trip to Sydney last week. Adventuring puts quite a lot of strain on my travel materials, so although I’m careful, scratches and scuff marks are inevitable. Basic leather care like moisturising is so important for the life of your things, not to mention, it speeds up the ‘wearing’ process (more baller looking stuff). Me being me, I don’t like the fresh-off-the-shelf look that new things have, so I always work hard at conditioning my leather goods to get them looking more aged and loved. I also don’t like using expensive mink oil to condition my leather: I prefer to leave this job to the trusty solve-all that is… cocoanut oil!

How I condition leather with coconut oil.

You will need:
Refined coconut oil
A clean rag or small towel

Clear a workspace and gather together your leather goods. Make sure each item is clean (brush off any dirt). Pour some oil onto your cloth and start by concentrating on the corners and rough edges that are the most worn. The oil should quickly seep into these spots, giving them a dark colour which will soon even out. Now apply more oil onto your cloth and rub over the remaining surfaces. If your leather is really dry, it will drink up the oil very quickly, in which case you will need to apply multiple layers (concentrating on the driest points).

Store your leather in calico bags away from sunlight. To prevent your leather goods from ever cracking, I recommend regular oiling to ensure that your leather stays flexible and has longevity.