Professional Leather Repair Course
Having worked at Furniture Clinic for four months as a part of the marketing team, I was invited to attend our in-house Leather Repair Training Course along with other professionals to learn more about our products and their applications.
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and it was great to take part in the practical side of things, rather than just learning the theory. In this article I discuss the agenda of each day of the five-day-course and the skills we learned.
Day 1: Understanding Leather
On the first day of the course we learned about how leather is made and the processes it goes through in the leather tannery. In this comprehensive and interactive session we watched videos to help us gain a better understanding of each stage of the process, as well as looking at samples of each type of leather.
I found it very interesting to learn that each type of leather has different properties. For example, aniline leathers are more absorbent and prone to staining than other types, and some leathers have waxes or silicones added to the finish which changes the feel. We also discussed which leathers are most common in the furniture and automotive industries.
Day 2: Leather Repair
We jumped straight into some cosmetic leather repairs which was a great opportunity to get some hands-on experience and practice using some of the Furniture Clinic products. Starting off with a piece of leather with multiple areas of damage including cuts, burns and tears: we learned how to prepare the leather correctly before undertaking any work. We then learned different techniques to repair each type of damage and even replicated the grain pattern of the leather using Grain Repair for a higher quality finish. I particularly enjoyed using the airbrush to spray on the Leather Colourant and the Leather Finish to ensure that the repairs blended in seamlessly.
Day 3: Colour Matching
Although challenging, I found colour matching enjoyable and definitely took away some valuable skills with me from the day. Learning to colour match is one of the most important skills to acquire from your leather training, as a competent colour matcher can then perform quick leather repairs on site to save time and money.
The first step was to look at colour theory, learning about the colour wheel along with hue, shade, and saturation and why these terms are so important in colour matching. We then used our Colour Matching Kit which contains 16 different leather colourants to practice matching on a real piece of leather. Craig helped us at every stage, while still giving us the freedom to experiment and learn individually.
It does takes some practice, but in time we managed to achieve the perfect match; with the confidence to take these skills with us into real life applications.
Days 4 & 5: Leather Restoration
The final two days of the course were the most thorough and gave us the tools necessary to put everything into practice. We were shown how to assess different conditions of leather and devise a plan to restore it as if working on a real job.
Some of the additional skills we learned include:
- Two tone and antique colour restoration
- Leather degreasing
- Softening leather
- Fixing cracking
- Adhesion
- Colour Restoration
My favourite part of this day was restoring the chesterfield armchair using the Shadow Finish.
Overall, I found the course fun and interesting and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is looking to take that next step in leather repair and restoration. It was great to meet others in the industry and to learn about their aspirations and area of work, whether that be cosmetic repairs on bags or entire restorations on furniture.
About The Furniture Clinic Leather Repair Course
At Furniture Clinic, we understand the needs of the industry and the importance of highly trained professionals to carry out leather repair work, which is why we offer this comprehensive course for both experienced and aspiring professionals.
Our training course covers everything from basic leather repair techniques to advanced restoration methods, ensuring that you have the necessary knowledge and skills to tackle any leather repair project with confidence.
During the course, you will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts who have years of experience in the field of leather repair and restoration. They will guide you through the step-by-step process of repairing cosmetic damage such as scratches, scuffs, and tears on leather items, as well as restoring faded or worn leather. You will also have the chance to practice your newly acquired skills on a variety of leather pieces, allowing you to gain hands-on experience in real-life scenarios.
Achieve professional results that will stand the test of time.
We believe that using the right products along with the correct training is key to achieving professional results. That is why we show you how to use our products during the course to ensure that you are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to carry out professional repair work going forward. Our range of products are specially designed to address common issues such as leather cracking and stains and have been used for almost two decades by professionals.
Our courses are designed to be informative, engaging, and practical, ensuring that you walk away feeling confident in your ability to tackle any leather repair project.
Take a look at our professional leather repair courses.
