Our leather handles and wraps can be used indoors and outdoors. In this post, we'll talk about the pros and cons, usage considerations, and likely maintenance and care needs for using our full-grain veg-tan leather in the great outdoors.
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Leather Handles and Wraps for Interior or Exterior Use
The full grain veg-tan leather we use in our products has always been an outdoor material. We use the same high-quality leather used for horse tack and boots - it's designed to withstand the elements!
This kind of leather is an intact, natural product used outdoors for millennia, infused with waxes and oils during the tanning process for a long life. Leather is an exceptionally durable material, which is why we like working with it for bicycle gear like handlebar wraps.
There are two factors that test leather's wear and maintenance needs: outdoor exposure, particularly UV light and drying out, and regular handling and touch.
Pros and Cons of Using Leather Outside
On the plus side, leather is an insulating, non-conducting material that has a pleasant handfeel.
It shines most when tempering the feel of a metal handle in cold and hot conditions: metal can be clinically cold or uncomfortably hot to touch, depending on the environment.
Leather also holds a unique space in the material world, more flexible than wood or metal and more structural and durable than fabric. Ancient leather artifacts are still being uncovered from deep underground: although they can stiffen and darken, they don't rot if the oils remain intact.
Leather has unique benefits for use in landscaping and tools, providing grip and resistance without compromising breathability. This is why they're the material of choice for sports equipment handles.
On the downside, it may require an occasional maintenance treatment, particularly if flexibility and looks are important.
Leather Exposure: Rain vs Sun
Contrary to most questions we receive, rain is not as hard on leather as being left in hot, direct sun.
Getting wet is no problem for this tough and durable leather - however, drying out from time to time is important or else it will mildew. (The only customer feedback we've ever received on mildew was a bicycle accessory sent to a warm rainforest in Southeast Asia and stored in an unconditioned space.)
Both the hot sun and drying from a wet state can eventually dry out the leather, leaching out the infused oils that keep it flexible and pliable. When that happens, a little maintenance may be required. However, this can be kept in check with regular handling.
The Role of Regular Handling
Vegetable-tanned leather just loves to be touched. The leather surface interacts with your hands.
The oils in your hands naturally condition the leather the more you use it. In effect, the handling is like regular maintenance.
In fact, products that are constantly handled may never need maintenance at all.
Wear and Maintenance Needs
Maintenance is straightforward: it's simply adding oils back in. That can be simply from your hands with regular use or with a care product.
A care product can be a simple mineral oil or a conditioner that also has beeswax to repel moisture but still allow the leather to breathe. (Learn more in our Leather Care Guide.)
There is, however, a difference in wear and maintenance needs when a leather piece, like a handle or wrap, is left outdoors 24/7, versus when it's on accessories or gear that is brought indoors from time-to-time, which we'll explain below.
Transportable Accessories
With moveable, transportable items that go between indoors and outdoors, very little maintenance is usually required, even when used regularly outdoors.
That is for two reasons:
1. The leather gets a chance to dry out or cool down when moved to conditioned indoor space (heated/cooled to a temperate environment)
2. Constant touch from hands oils the leather on a regular basis
Before / After 7 Years of Use
In 2019, we did a before / after photo shoot of our bicycle bar wraps after 7 years of use. The same bar wraps from our installation videos were used by daily cyclists with no maintenance. The results? Although the leather could've used a little cleaning and conditioning, it still looked gorgeous!
We found that the Dark Brown had darkened and the Black had faded into a similar rich black-brown color overall. Where the hands touched most often on the top of the bar, the leather on both were darkest, almost black.
24/7 Outdoor Use
For 24/7 outdoor use, the maintenance needs will be determined by three factors:
- Whether it's being regularly handled, such as an exterior door handle
- The harshness of the environment: tropical rainforests and dry deserts will require the most maintenance
- Whether it matters to the user, for the intended use
For a leather wrap on an often-used commercial entry door handle in a temperate environment, for example, little to no maintenance may be required. The handle will gain a protective patina where it is regularly handled.
If the same leather wrap were used on a decorative rail outside a residential outbuilding in the Arizona desert, however, the user may find it needs a conditioning treatment from time-to-time, because the leather isn't being handled often and the sun and heat can be extreme.
In another example, a leather handle being used in a landscaping application to keep a tree branch held back, has no need of maintenance because it doesn't matter if it gets stiff. There is no need to move it and it forms to the tree.
Conclusion
Full-grain, veg-tan leather handles and wraps are perfectly suited for outdoor use. They bring unique benefits, insulating from heat and cold and providing grip and resistance. Their maintenance needs will vary depending on their intended use, environment and handling.
Do you have a specific project or question, or experience to share using leather outdoors? Contact us or share in the comments below!
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