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Once, at a party, I ripped my dress trying to sit down. It had gotten caught on a sharp edge of the table, and when I tried to sit down...RIIIIIP!! No, it wasn't a leather dress, but this is the perfect example of how leather gets damaged, through carelessness and when you least expect it.
There was nothing I could do about my dress because the fabric itself ripped, and stitching it up would make it look terrible. The same cannot be said about leather. When it rips or tears, you can actually repair it! Unfortunately, professional repairs cost a lot of money, which is why many people, including myself, look for alternative ways to repair damage. This is exactly what led me to the Leather Repair Kit by Leather Magic . My black ottoman had gotten kicked and toppled by accident one time to many, and it was starting to sport a series of scratches and two tears near the seam closest to the floor.
When my Leather Repair Kit arrived, I wasted no time opening it up. The kit comes with nine different colors of leather repair compound, some glue, mixing dishes, and some tools to repair the leather with. It also comes with some wipes, instructions on how to repair damage, as well as instructions on how to mix colors so you can match it to your leather. Basically, everything you need to get the job done.
Now, my ottoman is black so I didn't have to mix anything. I just went to work, following the instructions adding a small patch, coloring it in and using the glue. I also colored in some of the scratches. After about an hour of work, I examined the results. They looked pretty good, but I decided to give it two days before making the final assessment. So after 48 hours, I looked again, and it was great! You couldn't see the little tears or the scratches unless you really look for them! I was really happy!
However, I want to make this an objective review of Leather Magic's product. Knowing that a good number of people have complained about the product being messy, dried out, not being able to fix big rips, not being able to repair vinyl, or that it's hard to mix the colors, so I decided to put it to the test. I took an old pair of tan leather shoes that had a fairly big crack on the side and got to work.
Unlike my ottoman, which didn't require I mix any colors, this job was a bit trickier. While the product does tell you what to do to get the right color, you have to be very careful when mixing your colors because a little more of one color can ruin the mixture. My suggestion is that you add a little at a time. There are shades of tan, and the closest shade I could get it to was one that was slightly lighter than the shoe's original color.
Although I was working with paint and glue, I didn't make too much of a mess because I worked slowly and neatly, being careful. The product never dried out on me while working, though I suppose if it did, being a water-based product, I can just add some water to it.
Another hour of careful work went by and I looked at the shoe. It certainly looked better, but it didn't look great, either. So, I suppose it's true that this product is not for big cracks, tears or rips. It makes sense though. If you can see a big rip, then you can see a big repair! After all, we're not professionals! Also, the manufacturer's site says that the kit can only do surface scratches and tears, cracks, and holes that re up to 2 inches in diameter. If you're trying to fix something bigger than that, then this is not for you.
I didn't test on whether or not the product works on vinyl, but the manufacturer's site clearly states that it's not meant to be used on vinyl. Though there was one customer who got great results repairing suede, and it wasn't meant for that either!
So, the question is, is the Leather Repair Kit by Leather Magic worth buying? I would say, be honest with yourself. How confident are you when it comes to your repair skills? Can you be meticulous and careful, and do you have the patience to work slowly? If you are confident that you can do this, then this product may very well be worth buying! The success of your repair is not dependent on the product. Rather, it's dependent on your own abilities.
Think have what it takes to repair your leather yourself? Get more details on how to use the product from people who have used it! Click on the photo to read more reviews.
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