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Leather Cases - Patina Proud Photos

What do you guys think of this Bullstrap elite case that's now on Kickstarter? I'd prefer if it was leather all around like their current cases. Still, I'll probably preorder since it has magsafe and I'm not pleased with the current apple leather cases for the 12 pro max.

www.kickstarter.com

The Most Premium, MagSafe-Enhanced iPhone Case, Ever (Canceled)

Add MagSafe functionality to iPhone X's/11's or enhance your iPhone 12 with this anodized-aluminum case with a full-grain-leather back!
www.kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com
 
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I don’t think the color is a coating. I dropped my red case in a rough parking lot and it scuffed. The color is all the way through. Has to be dyed. Don’t know if you can tell from this pic or not. No black or brown.
97bca8bf5db25371a17200dffe82a3f3.jpg
 
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I recently came by a used 12 leather case. Not thrilled by some of the photos people have posted regarding the wearing in/patina for the 12 series of leather cases, I decided to roll the bones and see what I can do with supplies I already have.
I started with citrasolve and a paper towel, in lieu of Tub o’ Towels, and managed to remove some of the paint like finish. This worked, but was a bit of a slog. The dark areas are wet from the case being rinsed with water. Once it dried it was less noticeable.
421EFBF9-B596-4FF4-B845-BE60F710E1E1.jpeg
Next I took a 2”x2” pad of white scotchbrite, citrasolve and enough hot water to keep the pad wet and began slowly working in an up/down pattern on the case. This worked better and resulted in the removal of most of the finish. The case is wet from being rinsed off with warm water. I patted if dry with a towel. I then applied Kiwi saddle soap and wiped it off. The saddle soap has lanolin which I thought would be good for the leather as it dried.
52FF7D74-9B07-42F7-9DE3-0ED3044611C4.jpeg
This is how it now looks having dried overnight. Note that it’s possible to see a dark ring where the MagSafe is located. This leather is THIN.
60919939-CDD0-4C1E-BCEA-C5A4362F897D.jpeg
My next steps are undetermined but I’m thinking I’ll use a bit of coffee to darken it up and then buff beeswax into the leather. I’m open to other suggestions, if someone has ideas of finishes or sealants. The leather feels dry now so I feel like it needs something to protect it from drying out and cracking.
 
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7thson said:
I recently came by a used 12 leather case. Not thrilled by some of the photos people have posted regarding the wearing in/patina for the 12 series of leather cases, I decided to roll the bones and see what I can do with supplies I already have.
I started with citrasolve and a paper towel, in lieu of Tub o’ Towels, and managed to remove some of the paint like finish. This worked, but was a bit of a slog. The dark areas are wet from the case being rinsed with water. Once it dried it was less noticeable.
View attachment 1717929
Next I took a 2”x2” pad of white scotchbrite, citrasolve and enough hot water to keep the pad wet and began slowly working in an up/down pattern on the case. This worked better and resulted in the removal of most of the finish. The case is wet from being rinsed off with warm water. I patted if dry with a towel. I then applied Kiwi saddle soap and wiped it off. The saddle soap has lanolin which I thought would be good for the leather as it dried.
View attachment 1717928
This is how it now looks having dried overnight. Note that it’s possible to see a dark ring where the MagSafe is located. This leather is THIN.
View attachment 1717927
My next steps are undetermined but I’m thinking I’ll use a bit of coffee to darken it up and then buff beeswax into the leather. I’m open to other suggestions, if someone has ideas of finishes or sealants. The leather feels dry now so I feel like it needs something to protect it from drying out and cracking.
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Coffee, or a darker/lighter brown shoe stain/polish? It would probably last longer?

And your mention of 'saddle soap', and I had the strong sense of the smell of that stuff. The family used a lot of it over the years when I was a kid. I remember the pungent and yet pleasant smell. A thick, fatty, oily, 'warm' smell. Can't describe it any more than that. Weird how some smells can come right back... My wife wore a perfume when we first met, and all she had to do was mention where we met once, and I remembered her perfume like it was that night. The mind is amazing...
 
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PinkyMacGodess said:
Coffee, or a darker/lighter brown shoe stain/polish? It would probably last longer?

And your mention of 'saddle soap', and I had the strong sense of the smell of that stuff. The family used a lot of it over the years when I was a kid. I remember the pungent and yet pleasant smell. A thick, fatty, oily, 'warm' smell. Can't describe it any more than that. Weird how some smells can come right back... My wife wore a perfume when we first met, and all she had to do was mention where we met once, and I remembered her perfume like it was that night. The mind is amazing...
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Love the smell of saddle soap. I use it on my work boots, as a treat for the leather, before I oil ‘em back up. It’s good stuff.
 
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7thson said:
I get kinda gongy when I smell pipe smoke. Thanks grandpa. Don’t smoke myself but that smell, pure nostalgia.
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Oh, the tobacco, straight out of the can. My 'O'pa' used to smoke a pipe of some stuff that came in a can with an opener in the lid. I remember running into an old can of that at a house I was cleaning out for a friend. I opened the can, and took a guarded whiff. The can was empty, thank Ford, but the smell was still there. Memories... This thread has been interesting, bringing back so many scent tagged memories. Interesting...
 
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PinkyMacGodess said:
Oh, the tobacco, straight out of the can. My 'O'pa' used to smoke a pipe of some stuff that came in a can with an opener in the lid. I remember running into an old can of that at a house I was cleaning out for a friend. I opened the can, and took a guarded whiff. The can was empty, thank Ford, but the smell was still there. Memories... This thread has been interesting, bringing back so many scent tagged memories. Interesting...
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I could go about nostalgia but I really don’t want to highjack the thread. There are journeys though, just trapped in our senses.
 
I feel it’s like the nomad but worse. The aluminum sides will scratch, scuff and scar so easily
 
Well after filtering through tons of posts about the quality of the iPhone 12 leather case I decided I would take the plunge and try to make it better. After about 5 minutes with a damp magic eraser I managed to get the paint coating off and it already looks and feels better. I’m going to let it dry and then hit it with some Smiths leather balm. Here’s how it looks after the magic eraser while drying. It’s getting lighter while it drys too. Will post a new pic in the morning.
 

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nrvous1 said:
No, it doesn’t state it’s aniline leather, but you’re right. It has “genuine leather” stamped on the box. If I remember, the Apple sleeve does say European leather? I can’t remember off the top of my head.
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Apple case packages used to state "This case is made of natural aniline leather. Its appearance will change as you use it."

"Genuine Leather" is a much broader term, and in this case, allows for the use of semi-aniline, or pigmented leather, which both have coatings.
 
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Robbosan said:
Was waiting for that, magsafe is useless. Enjoy your ring and depleted battery from overheating.
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no, e.g. battery is not depleting when simply using magsafe as a car mount.

and i wont care either way, because if battery is down, i either have a new phone already or a simple battery swap is easy to handle.
 
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x34 said:
no, e.g. battery is not depleting when simply using magsafe as a car mount.

and i wont care either way, because if battery is down, i either have a new phone already or a simple battery swap is easy to handle.
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Vent car mounts are useless
 
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Foreverblue said:
Well after filtering through tons of posts about the quality of the iPhone 12 leather case I decided I would take the plunge and try to make it better. After about 5 minutes with a damp magic eraser I managed to get the paint coating off and it already looks and feels better. I’m going to let it dry and then hit it with some Smiths leather balm. Here’s how it looks after the magic eraser while drying. It’s getting lighter while it drys too. Will post a new pic in the morning.
Click to expand...
Woke up this morning to it all dried and it looks and feels so much better. Actually feels like leather now. Just debating if I want to put leather balm on it or leave natural to patina on its own.
 

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Robbosan said:
Vent car mounts are useless
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so are your comments i think. happy day
Foreverblue said:
Woke up this morning to it all dried and it looks and feels so much better. Actually feels like leather now. Just debating if I want to put leather balm on it or leave natural to patina on its own.
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leave it that way and wait for a natural patina to come with time.

any balm or whatever will darken it badly.
 
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