Natural veg tanned leather care and me.

[dashDustin]

Natural veg tanned leather....any special care, or whatnot?

I have a belt and now a watch band that are worn daily. I’m more concerned about the watch band and how it handles sweat at the wrist. Is there something I need to do to prevent it from deteriorating quickly, or anything like that? I love the stuff and watching the aging process. But I’ve never had something with constant contact of skin and oils and sweat.

I’ve googled, of course, but I’d like to hear from y’all more than the Googles.

[Chik]

Care regime is less to do with tanning method than with, amongst other things, the type of skin or whether it's full grain or corrected grain.

I'm guessing it's bovine skin in full grain. An occasional, thin application of beeswax-based product like Snoseal is sufficient. If it starts to lose colour, apply a little bit of shoe cream, not shoe polish, of an appropriate colour, but avoid products that contain silicone.

The back of your watch strap might be lined with a different skin, which is where direct exposure to perspiration takes place. Usually, that is a piece of lamb or sheep skin, which is usually chrome tanned.

[Blue Jays]

The cold harsh reality is a wristwatch with a leather strap worn daily will become nauseatingly disgusting rather quickly.
A solution to this is to simply have multiple watches with some of them having rubber straps or metal bracelets.
What the strap actually needs as much as treatment is time to dry and be fully aired. It is a process that can’t really be rushed.

[dashDustin]

The cold harsh reality is a wristwatch with a leather strap worn daily will become nauseatingly disgusting rather quickly....needs as much as treatment is time to dry and be fully aired. It is a process that can’t really be rushed.

and that's why i come here to ask. gracias, danke, and thank you.

[dashDustin]

Care regime is less to do with tanning method than with, amongst other things, the type of skin or whether it's full grain or corrected grain.

I'm guessing it's bovine skin in full grain. An occasional, thin application of beeswax-based product like Snoseal is sufficient. If it starts to lose colour, apply a little bit of shoe cream, not shoe polish, of an appropriate colour, but avoid products that contain silicone.

The back of your watch strap might be lined with a different skin, which is where direct exposure to perspiration takes place. Usually, that is a piece of lamb or sheep skin, which is usually chrome tanned.

back of strap isn't lined, and i can't answer what kind of leather was used. i didn't dig too deep...all i saw on Etsy was "handmaid leather nato strap, Hermann Oak Natural Veg Tanned Leather" and I was sold.

[Chik]

Apologies for my attempt to humour you.

Watch straps are consumables, even the straps made of the highest quality. Replace it when it becomes objectionable.