Viking spangenhelm

Natural leather products are very durable, but require regular maintenance with leather care products to stay flexible and to increase life-time. Make sure your leather products are kept dry when stored. Let wet leather dry naturally before treating. If frequently wet and dry, increase frequency of maintenance.

Cleaning

It is best to start cleaning leather from the most delicate measures possible. Therefore, use a damp cloth with a little soap. If this is not enough - use a hard brush to remove dirt. Remove the soap with a separate damp cloth to wipe away any soap residue, and then use a dry cloth to wipe away the remaining water from the leather. Let it dry completely before the next maintenance step.

Conditioning

Always keep the leather maintenance after cleaning, because the soap will remove some of its natural oils. Apply mink oil, olive oil or professional lanolin-based fats to clean leather using a clean cloth, gently rubbing a small amount of fat with circular movements. Wait for the fat to soak in the leather, then use a clean cloth to clog the residue. For maintenance, you can also use beeswax by heating it to a liquid state and applying it to the leather. Remember that the leather so preserved will be harder and significantly darken what sometimes is the desired effect.

Epic Armoury metal works products should still be treated with oil and kept in dry storage. All our metal armours contain leather parts that need regular maintenance using leather-care products to keep the leather from drying out.

CLEANING

If your armour does get wet, it is important that you dry it thoroughly as soon as possible.

After handling, wearing, or after six months of storage or display, all metal should be wiped with a clean cloth. Lightly oil the clean surface with a quality machine or mineral oil. Alternatively, you can apply a coating of wax to the entire surface of exposed metal. Allow the wax to dry for a couple of hours and then buff it lightly with a soft cloth.

RUST-PREVENTION AND REMOVAL

Store your armour is a dry place and check it every couple of months for signs of rust. If any is found, remove it by gently rubbing the affected spot with a mildly abrasive pad dipped in paste wax, oil, or water-displacing liquid.

LEATHER STRAPS AND FITTINGS

Clean by removing dirt with a hard brush, then gently rub on leather soap with a clean, damp cloth until the leather appears clean. Remove soap with a separate damp cloth to wipe away any soap residue and then use a dry cloth to wipe away any remaining water from the leather.

You should always condition leather after cleaning, since the soap will have removed some of its natural oils. Treat the leather with mink oil, olive oil, or beeswax polish with a clean cloth, gently rubbing a small amount of oil or polish in circles into the leather. Allow the leather to soak in the oil before wiping the leather with a final clean cloth to remove any excess residue.