Thanks very much again to Paul for this twenty-first instalment of his wonderful guest post series.
You can find all of the 'Filohax' posts here.
Sunbathing experiment
At this time of year our thoughts turn to holidays, usually somewhere hot and sunny, with sunbathing on the agenda. And why not, there are known health benefits associated with getting a tan. What has this got to do with leather planners, I hear you say? Well last autumn during the last of the summer sun, I wondered if the leather of my Filofax would benefit from some limited sun exposure, in the same way that my own skin does.
So I've been doing a little experiment with my own vintage leather binders ever since, leaving them open, inserts facing down, exposing the leather of the outer covers to the sun's rays for up to no more than 10 minutes at a time.
Accumulatively each one has had the following exposure over about a year:
Grosvenor: 1hr
Winchester: 1hr
Cavendish 30mm: 2 hrs
Balmoral 10clfj: 1hr
Cognac Croc Winchester: 1 1/2hr
Gloucester: 2hr
Winchester 5/4 Pigskin: 3/4hr
Portland 5/4: 1hr
Argyll: 1/2hr
Before everyone lambasts me - I have increased my leather feeding regime as a consequence.
Have there been any visible signs of change in the quality of the leather? No, not as such but the only criteria that matters is that I feel like my binders like it. And you can't say fairer than that, can you?
The sun will damage the leather. At least you are moisturising the leather to negate the effects of short exposure.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best ways to preserve the leather is to hold the Filofax in our hands and allow our skin oils to penetrate it.
Keep enjoying your Filofax!
I smiled at the thought that they might have a soul!
ReplyDeleteI don’t think 10 mins here and there will damage them too much. More damaging is them sitting in natural light for years without being moved and looked after. Fading is gradual and it’s only when they are moved it becomes obvious- a bit like moving a rug off a carpet that’s faded.
Could be a good way to lighten them if mink oil has made them too dark!
They look lovely, you have a great collection there 😊