Spills>>> can be wiped down quickly with a soft dry wash cloth and followed with a leather cleansing wipe or even a damp wash cloth, take care to remove any excess water.
Tarnish marks from hardware > gently remove with a soft pink eraser
Color Loss or discoloration to handles > Handles can be recolored and touched up with leather restoring paints or dyes.. if your feel comfortable with mixing a color match that is otherwise send the bag to a professional , some brands which make touch up colors include, Tarrago, Angelus,Saphir ,Luxury Again,Saphir, Woly,Kelly,Esquire
Worn away corners or color loss to corners > You can use touch up colors or leather paint touch ups on this leather if your feel comfortable with mixing a color match that is otherwise send the bag to a professional , some brands which make touch up colors include, Tarrago, Angelus,Saphir ,Luxury Again,Saphir, Woly,kelly, Esquire
Scratches > A light conditioner ( brands I like are Meltonian ,Saphir,Tarrago,Woly,Kelly, Luxury Again ,etc) on a wipe can help blend them back in to the patina always condition the whole bag lightly rater than spot correcting, then treat the bag to a nice neutral polish and buff.. eventually all those light scratches will blend back into the patina...deeper scratches which are more like cuts, may be helped by a professional who can add filler if needed. Neutral polishes are uncolored, brands I like are Saphir, Lincoln, Griffen,Kelly, Woly, Tarrago,
NEVER use baby wipes these can remove the finish.
Water,weather and water blister prevention / protection> I do not recommend Black Rocks or Obenauf's LP any longer as too many people were having trouble using these products, (if you have been using them with sucess then super, carry on)Brands I prefer are Aqua Seal, Luxury Again weather, Saphir water repellent etc,, google for other options always test a small hidden area first before treating your whole bag. Normally I say absolutelyno silicone but some silicone particularly on this leather may really help prevent stains... personally I prefer not to use silicone and push the patina with multiple thin treatments of neutral polishes...Griffen, Saphir,Lincoln,Woly, Tarrago etc...
Conditioning cautions> Take care when using conditioners, the very greasy type conditioners must be used sparingly as a heavy hand can remove the finish and lead to color change and blotchiness, as well as weakening old stitches, because like disolves like oils can dissolve the bees wax on the stitches. Saphir Renovator is a nice product but has a very high oil content, Also avoid mink oil type products or neatsfoot oil, or Hermes saddle baume or oil, Anyhow those oily type conditioners can be tricky and so unless you are very confident I would avoid these and leave these oily products to the professionals.
Conditioners> I like best for Box Calf ,Veau Charmonix, and Box Napal, are creamy light and lotion type conditioners rather than heavy waxy or oily ones. Saphir Universal, Meltonian Baulm, CPR, Luxury Again, Woly, Cadillac,etc... always test a small hidden area first and make sure you like the results before going over the whole bag!
Removing polish> Although a Box Calf bag may look beautiful and shiny it might not be healthy underneath the polish, I recommend removing old polish and conditioning your Box Calf,Box Napal and Charmonix at least every 2 years. A greatproduct for removing old polish is Saphir Reno Mat, Other products less harsh which work nicely are most the creamy conditioners,( because like dissolves like)
Why we should do up keep to protect our beautiful Heritage leathers like Box Calf,Box Napal,Veau Charonix, > The surface Cracks and textured rippled finish result from the leather shrinking due to the leather drying out.. having lost much of the internal conditions, fat liquors, oils etc. To keep these leathers looking their best and performing for generations learn to do some basic upkeep or send your bags to Hermes spa every few years.
The Nice thing about Box Calf Veau Charmonix and Box Napal is that with care these leathers can last generations and they also tend to be the leather which restore the best! I love them and I hope you do or will to!
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