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	Gliptone Liquid Leather 150ml bottle RRP £6.35 direct (inc. p&p) (about £5.20 in shops)     What is it? Anything I should know? How do I use it? Summary How often should I use it?   What is it? I’ve been using Liquid Leather for a few years now and it’ll probably be familiar to you old hands, but if you haven’t seen it before it’s worth thinking about something like this to keep your leathers in good nick. Liquid Leather is what’s usually called a conditioner; its main job is to keep the leather soft and supple, with the added attractions of improved water and dirt resistance. It also restores the ‘new leather smell’ -at least for a few days after application. It also maintains breathability, which is important - full on waterproofing is not a good idea for leather, that’s what over-suits are for. On black leather it does restore colour a bit, and leaves a pleasing matte finish that looks good yet still lived in. How do I use it? Application is simple, if your leathers are dirty you should clean them first - I use a damp cloth without any cleaners (if your leathers are really manky you should use a specialist cleaner first) – and allow them to dry, regular use should help prevent your gear get really minging. It’s best to lay your kit out on a large flat surface (the living room carpet is not a good idea!), I usually pour a little on then gently rub it in, it’s pretty obvious when you’ve put enough on – don’t go for total saturation. As it says on the bottle, rub it well in but don’t polish it off, no rocket science involved. Working methodically panel by panel is the best way to go. It’s worth getting a hold of some heavy-duty coat hangers to hang your gear on and allow it to dry off over night. On new gear or if you’ve let yours get a bit tatty, then a couple of ‘coats’ over a couple of days is a good idea. How often should I use it? Basically when my gear’s looking a bit the worse for wear I re-apply, I guess I do my trousers every three-four months (the most used part of my leather gear) and the rest of my kit two-three times a year, so it’s no too onerous a task. Anything I should know about? Being an old fashioned sort of guy I’ve never tried it on coloured leather so best go for the ‘try it on a small hidden area’ first just in case, there are no warnings on the labeling and I’ve never heard of any problems. There are certain leather finishes that Liquid Leather shouldn’t be used on, these are specified on the label, but this shouldn’t be a problem for most bike clothing. Avoid getting the seams gunked up (especially if you’ve got concertina stretch panels) and don’t ride in gear that isn’t properly dry. This will attract grit into those sensitive areas that can rub away weakening stitching. Summary Well it’s inexpensive, easy to apply, the instructions are spot on, you get plenty mileage out of a 150ml bottle, and it works. I’ve used it successfully on all my leather gear, jacket, trousers, boots and gloves. Decent leather kit doesn’t come cheap so it’s worth spending a few extra quid to enhance the life span. A great little product if your leathers need a little TLC. For more info. Or if you can’t buy it locally check out http://www.liquidleather.com/index.htm What more is there to say? Four out of five spanners. If you have any specific questions you can email me at phils.hoose@ukgateway.net Phil (editor)