My leather seats!

fleery · Postby **fleery** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:30 pm

Hey all,

I finally had my seats done in black leather. Unfortunately they didnt turn out quite the way I would have liked. Instead of being neat and tight, they are a little loose. The guy who did them said they will shrink with sunshine, and that he made them a little loose as it is a convertible. So, I waited months, and they still are loose. I took them back and apparently he steamed them to get the leather to shrink, but still they look the same to me. Has anyone who has had their seats done had the same dramas?? Is it true the leather will shrink, but to what extent???

(If anyone can let me know how to post pics, ill add some!)

Thanks,

Chris. :evil:

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:41 pm

Posting pics

fleery · Postby **fleery** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:05 pm

Finally worked it out! Here are the pics! Comments really welcome (am I overreacting!)........although they are very comfortable!!

garettb16 · Postby **garettb16** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:29 pm

looks good how much did it cost if you dont mind>?

its only sort of noticeable on the shoulder.

Garry · Postby **Garry** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:46 am

Mine were and always have been tight. Though the leather stretches a little when they have been sat on but shrinks back tight again in the heat.

The seat bottom looks like mine after they've been sat on, my backrests always stay tight though.

fleery · Postby **fleery** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:56 am

They were just under $1000.00 for both, and I also had the gear stick boot done in the same leather with the same matching silver stitching.

Benny · Postby **Benny** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 6:01 pm

They do look a little loose, but hey, a lot of people really like it that way.

They will never shrink to where you want them, regardless of how much heat and fiddling you do.
If you want them tight, the upholsterer will have to remove the covers and re-stitch the offending seams then put them back on.

However, there are chemicals that will shrink the leather, but you'd have to go to a tannery to get them.
They do have special chemicals for shrinking leather, but the leather will then have a heavy grain on it because as the leather shrinks, it sort of \"puckers\" up.
There is type of leather called Shrunken Grain, and they make it using chemicals in the tanning. Personally, I really like shrunken grain leather, but the real stuff is very expensive as the yeild you get from a skin is small, because the leather is really shrunken.

Charlie Brown · Postby **Charlie Brown** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:48 am

I think I'd take it back and have it redone. It does look like the external panels are too large and the cover could move around. The centre panels will stretch with your weight as the seat ages so they arenâ€™t a problem.

I had mine done two years ago. The centre panels of the seats have a few ripples in them but thatâ€™s where my bum & back go so I knew the leather would stretch there so I didnâ€™t worry about it. The external panels though are nice and taught. Cost was under $1,100 which included flying the blue leather to Melbourne and back to have it perforated.

Here's the pic.