Is there anything better than the deep rich tones of aged leather? Leather gradually darkens over time with everyday use, but how can we speed up this process in order to achieve the look of vintage leather. In this post I will take a look at the various ways to darken leather.
Leather can be darkened using coffee, shoe polish, mink oil, neatsfoot oil, coconut oil and many other oils. Leather dyes such as oil and water based dyes can also be used to darken leather. Leather conditioner once applied can also be used to darken leather.
Darkening an old pair of leather boots can breathe new life into them and also change their appearance for the better. If you are looking at giving your boots a makeover, the process is quite simple and doesn’t take too much time. Here are some of the best options to darken leather.
Why Darken Leather?
Most people darken leather to give their boots, bag or jacket a fresh new look. Darkening leather has a certain appeal because it gives leather an aged vintage look which takes years to achieve naturally. An extra benefit is some oils, like mink oil also provide a degree of waterproofing once applied. There is also the cost benefit, as oils, polish and dyes are fairly cheap and simple to use.
Shoe polish & Leather polish
Shoe polish is probably the easiest option and is readily available. Most of us have some shoe polish lying around the house. If you don’t have any, it’s not a train smash as it’s cheap and sold at most stores. Just pick the colour that best matches your boots and you’re ready to apply.
Important note: Shoe polish is really meant to be used on shoes and boots only. Do not use shoe polish to darken your favourite handbag or jacket as it can result in damages.
Leather polish is developed specifically for use on leather. There are many options available but choose one that matches the colour of your leather, the best. Dab a small amount on a cloth and rub it in small circular motions. You will probably need more than one coat to achieve the best results.
Next take a dry cloth and buff your boots with it in order to get rid of any excess polish. This will also give your boots a nice shine. Let the boots sit for a few hours so that the polish dries before wearing them.
If you would like to order or have a look at the wide range of shoe polishes available then here is a link to Amazon showing you what’s available.
Mink Oil
Mink oil is another good example of an oil that can be used to darken leather. Mink oil is made from animal hides and fat. It is quite a dark oil and thus you need to first test it on spare leather to see if it’s the right shade for you. Mink Oil also takes the natural shine away from your leather as it’s quite a matt oil. This means your leather will look less shiny after its applied.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another oil that is readily available and also relatively cheap. It doesn’t smell too bad either compared other household oils, but is it recommended to be used on leather? There are mixed reviews on this. So, I tried some coconut oil on a spare piece of leather and here are my results.
- It definitely does darken leather, but the results weren’t great. It left my leather with a sticky topcoat after the oil had dried. My leather was also softer but very patchy and blotchy.
For these reasons I wouldn’t recommend using coconut oil on leather.
Neatsfoot Oil
This oil isn’t one you would usually have at home. It’s made from cow hooves or crushed cow bones and can be used to substantially darken leather. It is however a slightly acidic oil and care needs to be taken when using it as it can degrade/ wear out cotton stitching. It is slightly more expensive than other oils but is used widely and will soften and darken leather.
Just to be safe i would recommend that you first test the neatsfoot oil on a spare piece of leather to see how much it darkens it.
Olive Oil
Olive oil can also be used to darken and soften leather as it is a natural oil. Personally, I would avoid using olive oil as it can leave a slight smell on leather and also make it greasy and sticky. It also doesn’t darken the leather in one even tone but rather leaves patches and marks after it has dried.
My overall verdict is that olive oil is good to cook with, but not ideal for darkening leather.
Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil or Baby Oil
I also wouldn’t recommend any Vegetable oil for darkening leather. It will leave your boots, jacket with a strange smell and could cause a reaction with leather. In fact, it might go rancid within a month or two and then you might as well throw your boots away. Your best bet is to avoid using any cooking or vegetable oil for darkening leather.
Will Leather conditioner darken leather.
Leather conditioner is an old favourite when it comes to looking after leather and replenishing lost oils. Conditioners importance to the wellbeing and life of your leather cannot be overstated. Conditioner is easy to apply and is a cost effective solution that will help darken your leather once its applied. Leather conditioner, like leather honey or leather milk are well known and good quality products that you can use to darken leather.
Can Sunlight Darken leather.
Yes, believe it or not, you can actually darken leather with the aid of the sun. Just a word of warning though: Don’t leave your leather in direct sunlight for long periods as it will cause leather to dry out and eventually crack.
Lastly make sure that you get all sides of your item equally exposed to the sunlight for the same time period. Otherwise, you get variances or darker patches in some parts and lighter patches in others. Check out my post on faded leather to read more about the effects of sunlight on leather.
Conclusion
There are many ways to darken leather, whether it’s using oils, dyes, polish or leather conditioners. It’s always best to first test oils or dyes on a spare piece of leather before the trying it on the real thing. If there is a reaction you will see it on your test piece. Thanks for reading.