#EdenDIY - Club Meeting: DIY Flogger and Basic Leather Care. Tuesday 18th, 3pm EST.

Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by Melan!e
Very simple. We're not even into floggers but I might have to try this out just cause it's so darn easy, and cheap!
Neither do we, but it's all in the way you use it. They could me a lot of fun just teasing/tickling a blindfolded partner too.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Risque Risque
Wow it really comes out nice. I am very impressed!
09/18/2012
Contributor: Pixel Pixel
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
Aw c'mon you have to be a HARDCORE playah to use a Hello Kitty flogger...
Only a Twu Dominate would dare use the Hello Kitty flogger!
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by Pixel
Only a Twu Dominate would dare use the Hello Kitty flogger!


Pretty much sums it up.
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
So lets switch gears a bit and talk about leather. Did you know that leather like products were some of the first cloths used by our ancestors? Can you imagine skinning an animal and then making a coat or pants out of it? Crazy to think about, eh?

Fast forward a few thousand years and leather is a pretty big business, you can find leather products everywhere you look, not just clothing and delectable strap on harnesses. As such there is page after page of leather care websites to be found. So rather than go into great detail about the care of leather I will just touch upon a few areas. Of course my thinking is along the lines of floggers, whips and harnesses.




During the Roman Empire, Caesar’s troops sailed across the seas, their ships capturing the wind in sails made of leather. Leather has been in widespread use since its first introduction in 3000 BC by the Egyptians.
09/18/2012
Contributor: travelnurse travelnurse
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim


Pretty much sums it up.
Great for humiliation, We may be onto something!!
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Just about any animal hide can be made into leather so let’s take a look at the two most common kinds of leather; Suede and polished cow hide. The most common kind you see is polished, it has a smooth finish to it. Think biker jacket. Suede is the fuzzy kind of leather you see mostly in jackets, miniskirts and some automotive seats just to name a few. While they are still the same material, suede takes a bit more care to keep clean and cost more to manufacture. As such it tends to be more expensive as well.

We will look at the polished leather first.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
Neither do we, but it's all in the way you use it. They could me a lot of fun just teasing/tickling a blindfolded partner too.
Ya I could see us using one for that. I'd love to try making one of these with leather pieces. I'll be at Goodwill this weekend rummaging for old leather jackets
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Now, since a lot of you will be thinking about that lovely harness or flogger you just bought (Or made) I figured we would go with that.

Note that I will be talking about the smooth or polished side of the leather, the back side will be included in the Suede section.

With the harness especially, we will be thinking of lube, sweat and ‘other’ bodily fluids getting on them, right? Aside from the floggers, it’s a safe bet that it WILL happen. The good part is that there are much worst things that could get on them. Oil, silicone and water based lubes may possibly stain them but otherwise will be harmless to the leather. In fact, the silicone and oil based lubes will help to condition them. They will also help to protect them by adding a water proof barrier to the leather. Most leather conditioners are oil based anyways; products like Mink oil and Linseed oil are used in abundance.

The first thing you should do is to apply some kind of conditioner, like Mink oil, to your leather. Chances are the manufacturer did not during the making of the product. By doing this you will add a protective barrier to the leather and help to make it even softer and more supple. You can also use the standard shoe polish like the wax our grandparents used. The problem with wax polish is that the color can transfer to your skin while you are wearing it.




World production of leather estimated for 2007 is 23 billion square feet at a value of circa US $45 billion link
09/18/2012
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
Neither do we, but it's all in the way you use it. They could me a lot of fun just teasing/tickling a blindfolded partner too.
If you use a flatter wooden dowel you can angle the falls to be better for brushing and teasing. It feels so damn good as well! Also you can use marabou feather boas as falls for this and WHOA it's sensual.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Risque Risque
Quote:
Originally posted by Melan!e
Ya I could see us using one for that. I'd love to try making one of these with leather pieces. I'll be at Goodwill this weekend rummaging for old leather jackets
I agree! I think it would be awesome with the leather. My Dad did hide tanning when I was younger. It's interesting to watch. I grew up loving the smell of leather.
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
For leather that has a dark color like black or dark red, using Mink Oil or Linseed oil will be fine as you will not darken the leather by applying it. You can also find shoe wax that may match the color of your leather. For lighter colors you will want to find something with a clear/neutral color to it. For this look to your local Walgreens or other store that sells shoe polish. Kiwi makes a nice neutral wax polish; you can also find creams in a neutral base. A nice thing about using a neutral color is that there are no worries about the color staining skin, cloths or furniture.



The following pictures are of my jacket since I don’t have a harness to demonstrate on.

To apply, you use a soft rag or cloth and work it into the leather. Myself I have always enjoyed using my hands, feeling the conditioner and the leather has been enjoyable for me. For oils you only have to apply, let it soak into the leather and re-apply if wanted, for wax type polish you will want to let it dry somewhat. This gives the conditioner a chance to absorb into the leather. Next you will want to remove the wax or any excess conditioner, a clean cloth will work for the oils and wax followed by a good brush. Not only will the brush remove the excess but it also works the material into the leather, the extra bonus is it will add new shine to the leather.

A bit of elbow grease will be needed here, the more vigorous with the brush (or cloth) you are the higher shine you will get, especially with the wax. I know all too well about this, I polished most of the shoes and coats by hand for seven years.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Step away for five minutes and come back completely lost...

Booo...I'll catch up though. Not interested in the floggers so much as I am the leather care.
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Just for fun I used Lexol leather conditioner, ID Him oil based cream (Leather scent of course) and a silicone based lube to condition the bottom section of my coat. The following pictures show the before, after application and after polishing. I used a brush to polish each section cleaning the brush on a spare rag in between each section.





As you can see the silicone and Lexol both leave the leather shiny while the oil based has less shine or duller. To take this one step further I used a clean white sock and rubbed each section to see what, if any, would come off after the conditioning.




Notice that the Lexol and oil based left some discoloration on the sock while the silicone was not nearly as bad. Gotta love silicone lube, eh?

To the touch, the Lexol and oil based cream left the leather feeling smooth and had a silightly oily feel to it. The silicone section definitely had an “oily” feeling to it. Here you will need to decide what kind of feel you want to your leather. One thing to keep in mind is that the silicone will provide better protection to your leather but use of silicone toys in a harness could cause problems.




The original leather skin is in fact odorless. The smell of leather is actually derived from the materials used in the tanning process.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Pixel Pixel
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
Now, since a lot of you will be thinking about that lovely harness or flogger you just bought (Or made) I figured we would go with that.

Note that I will be talking about the smooth or polished side of the leather, the back side will be ... more
I like using Saddle Soap to clean my polished leather before putting a conditioning agent on it.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by Pixel
Only a Twu Dominate would dare use the Hello Kitty flogger!
See? You understand!
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Step away for five minutes and come back completely lost...

Booo...I'll catch up though. Not interested in the floggers so much as I am the leather care.
Good thing it's not a party, eh? We would be 20 pages ahead by now. lol
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Right, now we have a properly conditioned leather product ready for use. From here on you only have to use a damp cloth to clean them, just take a few minutes after use and wipe them down.

Near as I can tell there is no 100% sure fire way of sterilizing leather, some things can be done to reduce the chances of spreading nasties from one partner to another but in my mind that risk is to great.
One BDSM site had this to say “There is no way to sterilize leather, but you can clean it.

“To clean a leather toy (like a whip, flogger, or leather dildo), first wash the tips or ends with a strong foaming cleaner using a hard bristle brush to get at nooks and crannies in the leather; then spray the tips or ends well with hydrogen peroxide, wipe away the excess with clean towels, and let them air dry for at least a few hours (preferably overnight) before using them.”
act

Just something to keep in mind.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
Good thing it's not a party, eh? We would be 20 pages ahead by now. lol
For real!
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by Pixel
I like using Saddle Soap to clean my polished leather before putting a conditioning agent on it.
Tried and true for years it is a Saddle makers true friend.
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
But Tim, what if the fluids dry or I don’t clean them right away? Pretty much the same thing here, a damp cloth and some elbow grease will take care of most stains. There will be times when just the damp cloth will not always do the trick though, here we can try the conditioner and see if that will take care of it. If not, call upon the leather workers friend; Saddle soap. “Saddle soap is a preparatory compound containing mild soap and softening ingredients such as neatsfoot oil, glycerin, and lanolin. It also contains beeswax to protect leather. It is used for cleaning, conditioning and softening leather, particularly that of saddles and other horse tack, hence its name. It is also commonly used for cleaning and conditioning leather footwear.” Wiki

To use you simply use a moist cloth and apply the soap to the leather, you want enough moister to work up a lather. After the stain has been removed you wipe it off with a clean dry cloth and let it dry. After it has dried you can brush the surface to bring back the shine. The nice thing about Saddle soap is that it has oils and conditioners in it that help to preserve and protect the leather. This could also be used instead of Mink oil or Linseed oil if you want, I just don’t care to get leather wet unless I have to.

For a stain ( I have no idea what it was from. lol) I found on my jacket I just used the Lexol, a clean sock and some elbow grease to remove it and finished it up with the brush.












That is a perfectly preserved leather shoe, 1,000 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and 400 years older than Stonehenge in the UK, that has been found in a cave in Armenia.
09/18/2012
Contributor: travelnurse travelnurse
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
Right, now we have a properly conditioned leather product ready for use. From here on you only have to use a damp cloth to clean them, just take a few minutes after use and wipe them down.

Near as I can tell there is no 100% sure fire way of ... more
The chlorhexidine in the Eden wipes would work very well too. I just submitted an article about the wipes today... Look for it on Sexis. (Sorry, had to pump it!!
09/18/2012
Contributor: Pixel Pixel
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
Tried and true for years it is a Saddle makers true friend.
It does wonders on boots as well! My combat boots look their best after saddle soap+3 coats of polish.
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by travelnurse
The chlorhexidine in the Eden wipes would work very well too. I just submitted an article about the wipes today... Look for it on Sexis. (Sorry, had to pump it!!
Very cool! I'll keep an eye out for it!
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Suede leather (Or the back side of polished) will require a couple extra products to keep them in good shape. The first item is a suede brush, this is an essential item to have. Most of them will be a dense brush made of brass but if you look around there are many different materials used. If you happen to have a shoe repair shop close by they should carry them, I have also seen them next to shoe care products at Walgreens or Wal-Mart. This is used to ‘dress’ or brush the nap of the suede. It also does well for removing dirt and most dried on stuff.
Here is just one example so you know what to look for.


For stains you have a couple of options. White vinegar will supposedly work wonders on stubborn stains and can work for getting rid of salt stains from sweat. I’ll be honest here and say this is something I have seen stated quite often but I have never tried it. For salt stains I have always used a product called Desalter. It not only gets rid of salt stains it also will get rid of water stains. Just apply the vinegar or desalter with a cloth with a small rubbing action (Work from outer edge towards the middle) and allow to dry. Once dry you can use the brush to bring the nap back up.

Note that some of the nap may come off during the brushing process. No real concern here as new nap will be brought up as you brush. This is also a good treatment for new suede as it will remove those fuzzies that bother folks so much when a flogger or whip is new.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
Just for fun I used Lexol leather conditioner, ID Him oil based cream (Leather scent of course) and a silicone based lube to condition the bottom section of my coat. The following pictures show the before, after application and after polishing. I ... more
Hmmmm I still like lexol for leather....I use it on my saddle as wella s my office chair, and leather coat.
09/18/2012
Contributor: Risque Risque
Quote:
Originally posted by travelnurse
The chlorhexidine in the Eden wipes would work very well too. I just submitted an article about the wipes today... Look for it on Sexis. (Sorry, had to pump it!!
Nice! I will check it out!
09/18/2012
Contributor: travelnurse travelnurse
Ok, I have a red leather purse that was in the trunk when a beer blew up on it! It is stained what would you suggest Tim?
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
One last thing I would like to mention is that most people think that water will dry out and ruin leather. I always laugh when I see this talked about. As a long time biker, I have always worn leather coats rain or shine. My current coat is over 10 years old, been worn through more rain, snow and hail storms than I care to remember and is SOFTER than the day I bought it! Being that I have been working with leather since I was 14, I learned early on how to keep leather in good shape. Proper conditioning is the key here folks along with use.

I’ll be honest, I treat my coat like crap. I toss it around, fold it up and stuff it in saddle bags or use bungee cords to tie it to the handle bars, work on cars wearing it sometimes lying on the ground/dirt etc. etc. . The reason it is so soft and supple is because I don’t baby it and keep it properly conditioned.

Back in my shoe shop days we always had folks come in asking for the best way to make a pair of work/cowboy boots fit their feet. My boss, a third generation cobbler from Italy, would tell them to wear them fishing, “When you get to the lake, walk out into the water and stand there until your feet are wet. Then wear them for the rest of the day until they are dry.” I have done this a few times and I can say first hand that it does indeed work. The leather will initially shrink some to fit the contours of your foot, but by wearing them until they are dry will allow the leather to form/stretch where it needs too. This can also be done using Mink oil, Neetsfoot oil or Lexol, just soak the leather good and wear the item.
Working the leather is the best way to make/keep it soft and supple. Is it any wonder why leather has stood the test of time?
09/18/2012
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by travelnurse
Ok, I have a red leather purse that was in the trunk when a beer blew up on it! It is stained what would you suggest Tim?
Suede or smooth leather?

For suede I would go with the desalter or a suede cleaner. You can find it at most reputable leather shops. You will want to clean the whole purse, that way it it does change the color it will be all over.

For smooth leather I would go with the Saddle soap or Lexol. Same thing, do the whole purse.
09/18/2012