I have an 03 KR and it appears the original owner did not really care for the seats (seems a common trend for used KR). Over the past four weeks I have done the spa treatment (plan on doing it again), used Leather CPR twice, and the KR conditioner three times.

My question is, will the leather ever become “soft” (or at least softer) again or are my efforts in vain trying to make my seats similar to the rears? Yes I am patent and have no issues conditioning my seats repeatedly over the next couple months, but….

Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

I have used the following products for 20 years with excellent results.

For general cleaning I use Lexoral Leather Cleaner, for leather conditioning I use Connolly Hide Food (aka RollsRoyce, Harley, Volvo, Maserati leather conditioner)....it is a cream, remins you of noxema in terms of texture.

With any conditioner, avoid contact with the threads...regardless what anyone might think, when conditioner comes in contact with the threads it's absorbed, attracts dirt and slowly destroys the threads...

Even in desert climates, I used the Connolly Hyde Cream 2 times/annual...with multuiple applications I think you would see improvement

 

I would do like beech kid said as far as products. Its hard to say if will ever get soft again. If previous owner didnt take care of it,,you may have to cond quite often before it comes back to being soft. Some pics would be nice to see condition????

 

Thanks for replies. I will have to search around for those products that beechkid mentioned.

As for pictures of the seats when I can I will snap some pictures of them. I assume most would say that are some what dirty. I have been cleaning them as I go, but I would rather them be a little softer. Thus far I have been conditioning 1-2 times a week since I have had the truck.

 

You may want to read the sticky at the top of the forum & do some searches on Lexol in the KR forum - from what I remember, the general consensus was NOT to use Lexol cleaner on aniline (King Ranch) leather - it stains/discolors it. The cleaner is fine however on treated, coated leathers found in most vehicles. The Lexol conditioner is fine though for KR leather.

A popular process is to do the "spa" treament to clean and then condition with Leather CPR (can be bought at Bed, Bath & Beyonce stores)

I've also used Leathermaster products with great results - http://www.leatherworldtech.com/Departments/Leather-Master-
Products.aspx?gclid=CIyf1oyzzLMCFQOf4AodN0MAmg Good info on their web site as well.

The Leathermaster Wax-On product may be what you're looking for - I've used it several times and it gives the leather a supple feel.

 

Thanks for the reply Mike. I have actually read the entire sticky and maybe I missed it, but most of the sticky is about what works best, how to clean, etc. but I don’t recall anyone ever stating how/if they were able to soften their firm/hard KR leather. My seats are 10 years old and I have no idea what if anything the previous owner did to these seats. In short I guess I am looking for expectation management. I know/assume that the seats will never be as they were new; however, I would like to know if I stick with it and continue with what has been recommended on here that my efforts will not be in vain and will actually get softer one day.

R,
Chris

 

Are your seats cracking, or just chalky looking and dry? The only thing that will soften them up is conditioner. I've used only the KR conditioner and Leather CPR on my '02 SuperCab, and they are in better shape than most that you see. It's going to take some time, but if you continue conditioning them, they should eventually soften up. Just don't do it every week, they will develop a haze from too much conditioner.

 

I will say this, Connolly Hyde cream has been around for 40+ years, it comes from england and it is an extremely good product...not that the others aren't, but this stuff even makes your hands soft- literally & leather is "skin"...

 

I know I will bore some of the old hands here on the forum but I will repeat a couple of things I wrote on the leather care sticky more years ago than I care to remember.

Connolly is a product I personally have used for 50 years on more cars than I care to remember !!

Within the last 25 years I have been fortunate to own Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar motor cars amongst others. Obviously they come with the finest leather available and I have always used hide food at least once a year.
To say it works is an understatement and have entered national concours with these vehicles and was proud to win first prize in the Aston Martin owners club national a few years ago.

HOWEVER Ford motor cars did not enter the market offering fine Castano Leather without a lot of research and development.
As RP knows I have often visited the saddle shop when I was living in the States and know from talking to people there that their product was not 'thrown' onto the market place.

Having owned 5 vehicles over there fitted with Castano I always used the Saddle Shop product perhaps 2/3 times a year even in the heat of South Texas and I might add leaving the vehicle for months at a time in the summer months while I was back in the UK. (Albeit with a breathable cover).
The leather always looked almost as good as the day it was new....(Except having learned the lesson not to wear shorts without a towel on the front of the drivers seat .....because the sweat DOES stain)

This does not necessarily answer the posters question about softening the leather. Almost certainly using Connolly hide food in combination with the Ford approved product will eventually help soften the leather, but it will take time and patience.

Connolly Leather was for over 125 years, an Irish family run company in Britain supplying highly finished leather primarily to car manufacturers. The term is also used to describe the particular brand of leather itself, when fitted in a car interior.

Connolly supplied most if not all of the leather for the British car industry, including but not limited to Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar, TVR, and MG-Rover (which under its umbrella includes Land Rover, Range Rover, Rover cars, and MG) as well as non-British makes including Lexus, Ferrari and Lincoln. This leather was also used for the seats in the Supermarine Spitfires used in World War 2.

 

I really want to thank KR Newbie & Yourself for "backing me up" so to speak and providing what I also believe are the best, most cost effective products to use. granted, while much of this is opinion, many of the issues of today are the same ones "we" and our dad's dealt with as well...sometime technology helps out but in many cases, the ways of old may not be flashy, or nearly expensive, but are very effective!

 

No my seats are not cracking, but I will say the drivers seat cushion right side looks like it is/was getting ready to walk that path. It feels really dry/hard and creases when pushed on, but no cracks.

@ Lenticular and beechkid, thanks for the reply. I will most certainly check into that Connolly hide food.

 

Lexus uses American Leather and they were very proud to announce that fact in their brochure.

 

There are pictures of my interior under my profile,, most of the pictures just after i got my truck. My seats didnt look to bad,,, but after treating them they look better. They have their share of bad spots. But i am not complainning about them. Hope to keep them looking. My steering wheel is beyond help. My drivers seat is turning a darker color from daily use. But doing fine to me.

 

Well today was the first real nice day that I have had since I got this truck. Therefore I took advantage and gave the truck the spa treatment, used Lexol cleaner and then added conditioner by hand.

While doing this I noticed that some parts of my seats have started to crack. It is not really noticeable to the eyes (unless up close), but while applying the KR conditioner with my bare hands I could really feel the cracked spots. Some spots were as they should be while others felt like sand paper (if you will).

Thoughts?

 

Just keep conditioning. Also try using a cloth to apply cond.