Leather Cases - Patina Proud Photos

[nycgeo]

I have a feeling apple is using PU leather for their cases now. Never have I ever seen a leather develop such a lousy patina and not smell like leather AT ALL. And we can’t use the excuse that the squared off edges are the culprit since other brands like decoded, grams28, and bullstrap age just fine. Apple is cutting corners for profit and it’s really a shame they don’t correct this for their customers

“Leather” is not something most people understand, especially when it’s in mass produced products.

To be concise, Apple is most definitely using “leather” in their cases, but how it is using it, and where, and with what additional materials is not (ever) clear.

most likely apple is using a skived leather strip heavily treated with additives (plastic) and a painted (PU) finish. This is, by the way, how almost all but the rarest “full grain leather” products are made.

there is no “leather”, other than full grain leather, there is only what is marketed as “leather”, which is usually a thin strip of real skin soaked and coated in plastics of various types.

 

[Arcontia]

Very nice to actuallly see the device! After hearing the leather products have a chemical coating on them since last year and dont patina I am just keeping my Midnight and returning my others and mainly going caseless.

Personally I still do prefer last years leather colours (I would already have a hard time deciding between California Poppy and Baltic Blue, those two colours are really gorgeous), whereas this year I’m still struggling to decide which one to get with Sierra Blue, but seeing in real life pics as above helps!

Yes, about the coating, some people do think that the 13 Pro’s leather cases are supposed to age a bit better due to different coating but time will tell

 

[michial]

Personally I still do prefer last years leather colours (I would already have a hard time deciding between California Poppy and Baltic Blue, those two colours are really gorgeous), whereas this year I’m still struggling to decide which one to get with Sierra Blue, but seeing in real life pics as above helps!

Yes, about the coating, some people do think that the 13 Pro’s leather cases are supposed to age a bit better due to different coating but time will tell

There are pictures on Reddit showing 12 series and on do not patina at all, at least pictures I've seen.

https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/p2wlbw/_/h8ssezq

I read starting in 2020 they applied a coating on the leather cases, never done before, that prevent patina. So cases like Golden Brown or other non black(Midnight) cases end up with just the hard edges rubbing off. The black ones do but are more difficult to see. I think it looks worn off and ugly unlike the previous years patinas ending with the 11 series of cases. It's a shame. The only folks getting a patina on 12 and 13 series cases are those who manually use sand paper or nail polish or some other solvent to remove the coating so the patina process can begin, either accelerated with leather conditioner or natual hand oils over time.

 

[Jim Lahey]

The only folks getting a patina on 12 and 13 series cases are those who manually use sand paper or nail polish or some other solvent to remove the coating so the patina process can begin, either accelerated with leather conditioner or natual hand oils over time.

I used rubbing alcohol and a microfibre to get rid of the coating on my saddle brown 12 case. Then used a leather conditioner. It still looks a bit odd but the feel and colour are improving every day. Definitely starting to develop a patina-lite but it’s never going to age like the previous generation.

 

[michial]

I used rubbing alcohol and a microfibre to get rid of the coating on my saddle brown 12 case. Then used a leather conditioner. It still looks a bit odd but the feel and colour are improving every day. Definitely starting to develop a patina-lite but it’s never going to age like the previous generation.

Would you mind sharing a picture?

 

[Jim Lahey]

Would you mind sharing a picture?

Looks nicer in RL but this is the gist of it.

 

[acts4:12]

So I got the Golden Brown for my new iPhone 13 PM. I’m not a fan of the orange/brown color at all.

That said, I sanded it down a bit over the weekend and removed a good bit of that kind of waxy orange outer coating on the case and then applied some good leather balm afterwards.

In my opinion I think it turned out pretty decent. I really like the weathered patina look it has.

 

[michial]

Looks nicer in RL but this is the gist of it.

That looks good. Thank you!

 

[michial]

So I got the Golden Brown for my new iPhone 13 PM. I’m not a fan of the orange/brown color at all.

That said, I sanded it down a bit over the weekend and removed a good bit of that kind of waxy orange outer coating on the case and then applied some good leather balm afterwards.

In my opinion I think it turned out pretty decent. I really like the weathered patina look it has.

Did the ring appear after sanding it down or is that a result of it being on the magsafe charger?

 

[acts4:12]

Did the ring appear after sanding it down or is that a result of it being on the magsafe charger?

It appeared after sanding it. I actually don’t have a MagSafe charger. It seems more prominent in the pic than in person.

 

[VSMacOne]

Looks nicer in RL but this is the gist of it.

That’s a great result! Well done!

 

[Prof.]

Finally got my Nomad Goods case for my iPhone 13 Pro Max! The feel and smell is outstanding. Can’t wait to see how this thing ages over the next year!

 

[michial]

It appeared after sanding it. I actually don’t have a MagSafe charger. It seems more prominent in the pic than in person.

That is a bummer. Looks like I will not be attempting this. Any hint of the circle is a turn off.

 

[Jim Lahey]

That is a bummer. Looks like I will not be attempting this. Any hint of the circle is a turn off.

Mine also now has a slight ring and I only used alcohol on it. Very very subtle but it’s there. To be honest I’ll probably get someone to buy me a Bullstrap for Christmas. This was just an experiment since I hated the original finish so much I wasn’t using it and had nothing to lose. I maintain that Apple ruined these cases.

 

[acts4:12]

Mine also now has a slight ring and I only used alcohol on it. Very very subtle but it’s there. To be honest I’ll probably get someone to buy me a Bullstrap for Christmas. This was just an experiment since I hated the original finish so much I wasn’t using it and had nothing to lose. I maintain that Apple ruined these cases.

I agree. I think Apple messed up by eliminating Saddle Brown. I also think it is obvious that they changed something on the leather composition starting with the iPhone 12. The older cases seemed much easier to patina.

Overall I am pretty pleased with sanding mine and treating the leather afterwards. Not sure how it will hold up over time but it definitely looks better than that terrible bright orange color it was before.

 

[s2k_ap1]

Patiently waiting for my Sienna BullStrap case to arrive. I’m hoping that within that month or so the patina won’t look too bad on this Golden Brown leather case. I’ll update in about 2 weeks to see if there is any progress.

 

[sonstar]

Finally got my Nomad Goods case for my iPhone 13 Pro Max! The feel and smell is outstanding. Can’t wait to see how this thing ages over the next year!


View attachment 1856528

Black doesn't change colour much maybe duller, just gets marks/scratches etc. My 12 pro max case.

 

[rammerjammer]

So I got the Golden Brown for my new iPhone 13 PM. I’m not a fan of the orange/brown color at all.

That said, I sanded it down a bit over the weekend and removed a good bit of that kind of waxy orange outer coating on the case and then applied some good leather balm afterwards.

In my opinion I think it turned out pretty decent. I really like the weathered patina look it has.

looks so much better! This actually has me considering a new model leather to do the same

I did not like any of the leathers this year so I ended up with silicone and the old 2020 saddle brown wallet

 

[Deathshead]

Just an update on the esr case for patina. The esr cases come with a small leather swatch made from the same leather as the case. It’s marked genuine leather. I have tried removing the coating on this swatch with gas,brakleen, mineral spirits, rubbing alcohol and nail polish remover and still can’t get it totally off.

Since “genuine leather” is a marketing term is basically a middle cut of leather and then finished. Think of a suede leather that has been rolled and pressed to create a top grain look and grain then coated. I mean it does feel really good but just I don’t think it’s going to patina well or even fierce patina well at all to be honest unless it’s perhaps sanded and then waxed. Still a great case however just isn’t the type of leather we are really looking for without lots of work.

 

[acts4:12]

looks so much better! This actually has me considering a new model leather to do the same

I did not like any of the leathers this year so I ended up with silicone and the old 2020 saddle brown wallet

If you decide to try it I used 400 grit sandpaper to do most of the work and 600 grit to finish it and make sure everything was nice and smooth

 

[DrFunkelstein]

Since “genuine leather” is a marketing term is basically a middle cut of leather and then finished. Think of a suede leather that has been rolled and pressed to create a top grain look and grain then coated.

I want to point out that this is a common misconception. See here: Northstar Leather

 

[VSMacOne]

Took some more shots with the newest (grainier) 13 series MagSafe leather case and the old 12 series. Loving this new Midnight color.

 

[Deathshead]

I want to point out that this is a common misconception. See here: Northstar Leather

Exactly. And esr advetises these cases as

“Premium Top-Grain Leather
Crafted with high-quality leather that’s soft to the touch, provides great grip, and develops a natural patina over time, giving your phone a premium look and feel.”

false advertising at its finest. Lol

 

[SonicPatina]

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences so far. It’s awesome to be able post in a community that also shares the same obsession with leather cases. My fiancé thinks I’m crazy for being this excited about phone cases. 🤪

I'm loving what some of you’ve done with the golden brown though. I just couldn’t bring myself to do that to a brand new case so I ended up picking up the midnight case.

First thoughts - the grain texture is much more pronounced on this case. There’s even a slight stretch towards the top of the case too that adds some character. This is the first time I’m going for a darker colored case but no regrets so far. Enjoying the muted and sleek look.

 

[Siggi_]

Not proud but disgusted and disappointed. The case looks like a old banana or something. never again