Folded Leather

[jpt]

I got my first leather order (two skins of reindeer) this week. To my surprise they were folded inside a small box. There are several fold lines going across the skins. I phoned the company and the guy told me to wipe them damp cloth and hang them for a couple of days. You can see some of the lines in the picture. What do you think, can get rid of them, or should I ask them to send me new skins (which they said they can do)?

[NVLeatherWorx]

Depends on what you are using them for as to whether this may pose an issue. Typically, once you work any of the softer leathers into their final product you will have some natural folding going on anyway, unless they are used as a lining or attached to a firm backing which would require them to be slightly stretched anyway thereby removing any folds or evidence of them. For an example, consider what a leather jacket looks like when brand new and hanging on the rack versus after it has been worn only for a short while. You see every fold where the person twists, bends, etc. and they only get more pronounced over time.

Again, depending on the application for which you plan on using them and whether or not the idea of a pristine appearance is going to detract in any way from the finished product is going to let you know what YOU need to do with them. I personally don't lose any sleep over this type of issue as it adds character to the finished product up front and will most likely be seen more folds anyway as the finished product for which it was used goes through the rigors of use and wear.

[jpt]

I'm attending a course to make a leather jacket. After having owned several leather jacket, I'm aware that there will be some folds after using them. However, those folds will look more natural than the parallel, straight folds in that leather. I'm planning to have a single back piece and any straight lines going across it would look bad.

Actually I spoke with the guy again this morning and he will replace the leather for me.

[DavidL]

Folds are hard to remove. Good that you received a refund.

When I first started I received a piece like that and wasn't sure what to do with it. I ended up rolling the piece around a cylinder then working with my hands to smooth the crease.

I also rested it on the towel rack and the steam from the shower helped soften the creases.

[jpt]

I received new leather (rolled around a cylinder) last week. No folds and the overall quality of the leather was better than in the first shipment. They even threw in some extra square feet for my trouble. So all is well