Leather repair in Amsterdam

Repairing a tear or hole in leather

A tear in a leather jacket usually starts at a seam, a pocket or a spot where the leather has worn thin. We repair the tear from the inside with a piece of leather as reinforcement and close it on the outside with a fine stitch in matching thread. A small hole we close the same way.

To be honest: leather is not fabric. A tear along a seam we can make almost invisible. A tear in the middle of a smooth panel remains a thin line if you look closely, although it shows less and less with wear. We tell you in advance what to expect.

If the leather is worn or torn through over a large area, we can sometimes replace the whole panel with a piece of new leather in the same colour and grain. Send a photo and we will see straight away which approach suits.

Replacing the zip in a leather jacket

Replacing a zip in a leather jacket is more precise work than on a fabric coat. The old stitching leaves holes in the leather that do not close up again. The new zip therefore has to be stitched through exactly the same holes, otherwise you see two rows side by side.

We carefully remove the old zip, choose a metal or sturdy coil zip in the right length and colour and stitch it into the original seam with a leather needle. If only the slider is worn, we replace just that.

Replacing the lining of a leather jacket

The lining of a leather jacket wears faster than the leather itself. You notice it in torn pockets, a frayed bottom edge or lining showing below the sleeve. A torn pocket or loose seam in the lining we simply repair.

If the lining is thin and torn all over, a new lining is the best choice. We take out the old lining, use it as a pattern and make a new one in a matching colour. The leather itself is left untouched. With that, a good leather jacket lasts for years to come.

Leather jacket alterations

A leather jacket that does not quite fit can often be altered. We shorten sleeves from the cuff or from the shoulder, depending on the style, so the zip or the cuff on the sleeve stays in place.

Taking in a leather jacket at the side seams or the back is possible too. We follow the existing seams so no new stitching shows. Letting out is difficult with leather, because there is rarely any spare material in the seams. We tell you that honestly when you come in.

Leather trousers and leather skirts

Leather trousers we shorten and finish like the original: with a topstitched hem or a glued and pressed hem, depending on the leather. The same goes for shortening a leather skirt.

Taking in leather trousers or a skirt, repairing a torn crotch or replacing the zip is possible too. Send a photo of the spot and we will take a look.

Which types of leather

Smooth leather, such as cowhide, is the strongest and the easiest to repair. Nappa and lambskin are supple and thin, and need a finer needle and shorter stitches, but repair well.

Suede and nubuck we can stitch and alter, but a tear or stain in suede remains visible more often than in smooth leather. We tell you that in advance.

Faux leather and PU leather are often beyond saving once the top layer comes loose or peels. A tear in faux leather we can sometimes still stitch closed, but peeling faux leather never looks good again. Then we are honest and advise you not to spend any more money on it.

Do it yourself or have it done

A leather repair kit from the DIY store is made for sofas and car seats, not for clothing. The filler goes hard and cracks as soon as the leather bends, and afterwards the tear is often bigger than before. Glue on a leather jacket usually leaves a shiny patch that never goes away.

What you can do yourself: feed leather regularly with a good leather balm, let a wet jacket dry slowly away from heating and store a leather jacket on a wide hanger. For tears, zips, linings and alterations, come to us. Send a photo via WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly what it costs and what you can expect.