Phone Pouch Refurbishment

I was given the opportunity to refurbish one of the earlier phone pouch. The owner used this on daily basis and it's safe to say he gives it a workout. This is the phone pouch in this review.

The pouch has gained what I refer to as 'Dirty Patina'. As opposed to a normal patina, the oxidation has gone through out the leather and turned the leather into a much darker colour than normal, similar to a vinagrooned leather.

The leather itself is in a fairly good condition, no cuts or tear on the surface. It has softened considerably and molded into a particular shape. The edges has been burnished naturally and is very smooth with no visible fraying. I'm quite happy with the leather condition.

The side stitching on the other hand is a mess, this is in line with the fact that natural thread will not resist prolonged abrasion. Only half the pouch still has the stitching intact but to my surprise this still hold the pouch together remarkably well. Stitching on the card pocket is still holding up well with no visible damage, i'm leaving this alone. 

So what I did was:
1. Inspecting the pouch to see if there's any considerable damage to the leather.
2. Remove side stitching carefully.
3. Clean leather with saddle soap.
4. Reconditioned inside out using Obenauf Heavy Duty LP
5. Restitch with fresh thread.

It's really good to see one of my product is being used in the real world and actually has the opportunity to inspect it later on. This provides me with an immense knowledge about the leather and the component that is used for constructing the product.

As always some photos of the process:

Front condition when received. Notice the shiny look on the leather.

Back part

Side Stitching condition

Dismantled

Inside condition

Cleaned and reconditioned. The sheen no longer apparent on the surface.

Fully restitched

Back view

Close-up view

Showing natural burnished edge

Side by side with 'Clean Patina'. Both pouches have the same age