Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: *paul_moss on June 30, 2008, 11:01:16 pm
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For the guys that came to my day and any one else that needs one
This is the micro I use for leather identification.
www.rapidonline.com/Educational-Products/Science/Microscopes-Magnifiers/2-in-1-30x-Pocket-scope-and-mini-lantern-set/71135/kw/microscope
LTT sell them for over 20 quid :o
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that's a good find Paul.
Shaun
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We no longer stock this microscope as we have found a better one our new one sells for £10.00 + vat.
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;D ;D ;D
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got a microscope today ! whey hey ! :D
anybody care to tell me what i'm looking for when using it ::)
steve
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Its to read the labels that have really small writing on them Steve :D
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:D
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thats not very helpful guys and my eyesight aint quite that bad yet >:(
steve
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This is always difficult to describe in words and is much better when you can work with samples and projected images of what you need to be looking for.
You will learn more the more samples you look at and learn to tell the differences betweeen the leather finishes and how they have been created. They also give you a great indication of what can and cannot be cleaned successfully.
Try a Day 1 course Steve. This will tell you all you need to know about how to identify leather including what to look for with a microscope. Only £45.00 + vat and also includes cleaning and aniline restoration.
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a bit far for me to go at the mo unless you come down to sunny dorset !
steve
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Doing a 1 day course in Bodmin on August 22nd that will cover this but will also cover repairs so will be more expensive.
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Where are the next courses Judy?
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i may do that, what price we looking at ?
steve
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Doing a 1 day course in Bodmin on August 22nd that will cover this but will also cover repairs so will be more expensive.
If any body is going to the Hydromaster weekend then it will be worth adding a day on to do this as Solution UK is only up the road.
Judy I might pop in and say hello. ;) Shall I bring my boxing gloves :o
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back to the microscope, in a basic way should pigmented just look like a flat
surface and non pigmented i.e aniline show a porous surface i.e small holes?
steve
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Not quite as simple as that Steve but a full pigment will have a flat appearance and you will not be able to see any of the natural leather features. Compare one with the other and see the difference. The problem is there are a million different finishes in between that will all have different looks.
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Steve is not that easy to explain.
Have you got any leather goods in the house, furniture, shoes,bags etc to look at.
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yeah i have and have had a look at them most seem to have a flat surface, so i
guess they are mostly pigmented, just wondered how different something
aniline would be and if it was really obvious or not,
steve
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Thanks Paul - just ordered mine.
Can you send me a link for your spray gun if you can remember where you got it.
Cheers
Steve
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got mine today and must admit that I have been all over the house the suit the brief case, the PC chair, even my leather undi's, only joking. this is a good buy thanks Paul
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Besides all the relevance technical usage above here are a few sales tips:
When in presence of customer, invite our customer to take a look themselves what we find.
Most pigmented leathers would developed hair lines crack either micro or macro at the crease or frequent flex areas.
Then take a look at the stitching and perforated holes especially cars look for split holes.
If we find the above splits and cracks and our customer do acknowledge them.
Then it’s our opportunity to educate “structure conditioning” besides our standard cleaning as an option.
Explain further that leather upholstery contains between 15 to 30% of fatliquor.
These negative signs shown are the result of the original fatliquor drying up, including unnatural creases.
Without replenishing the fatliquor these splits or cracks will become more visible and may be more easily rip or snag.
Or worse after cleaning, when leather is wet and afterwards dries, it becomes stiffer and weaker without re-fatliquoring.
There will be a great difference (Those of you have fatliquor5.0™ should try it out and verify this practical fact).
If our customer values their leathers, they would want it to be fatliquor (structure conditioning) too!
And since they are interested in “structure conditioning” to softness and strength their precious leather,
we go ahead and introduce what is “surface Conditioning” and their differences.
Explain to them that since it is already a “protected leather” further protection makes no sense.
A standard leather protector application still requires to be “surface conditioned” as well to enhance the sensuous leather further not only gives a non-stick surface, a classic leather scent but more importantly it will reduce either dry or wet rub because of the soft natural buttery feel our customer will enjoy.
A test will verify the fact, have a same piece of leather half your protector and half leatherScent’B™.
Next day sign your name with a standard ballpoint on the protected half and next to the “surface conditioned half”.
Do same with permanent marker, then remove them with d’Ink7.7™ aka ink7.7™ and also your regular ink removal stuff as well and compare the result. Let us know your findings those of you that have the CCDO leather kit.
And since they are interested in the “surface conditioning” too, educate them further that it is better to play safe with the cleaning as well.
Explain what leather safe is (pH 3-5).
Why we are different from just any leather cleaning company that totally disregard the leather pH chemistry integrity of the leather.
As there are still soft spots as the microscope reveals than cleaning solutions will definitely be absorbent into the structure and expose the pH chemistry balance in the leather.
Explain to them that this leather structure chemistry are all acidic in nature, in the pH range 3 to 5, including the tanning agent, fatliquors, preservatives, dyes if any.
Explain to them that we are using leather safe system products too, in harmony with the leather chemistry while removing all foreign soiling safely and effectively.
Ask our customer whether they like to upgrade from a standard “clean and protect” service to a premium leather safe system.
(We can call it bait and switch if you like - as long as it benefits the leather and benefits your pocket).
(Who is to say that it is unethical?)
We offer both coventional service and breakthrough service and let oour customer decide.
So, these additional add-ons will pay back many times over our cost of this instrument if we used it as a selling tool.
To me using the microscope as a sales tool is more profitable to our business than the technical side of it.
To sell premium leather services is the ability to translate the entire confusing technicality (this forum) into reality our customer can appreciate and pay!
Otherwise, as Ian has posted “do we waste too much time on forums”
Have a profitable leather day!
Roger Koh
Leather Doctor® System
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Further protection always makes sense Roger.
A 'protected' leather (merely a description of a type of leather) simply means a finished leather with pigment and finish, it is this finish that should be protected against dirt and body oils which will break it down. Conditioning is totally unecessary and only a product push.
Leather Protectors should always be tested (over a period of months) to test how effective they are. Standard leather protectors (ones generally sold in the market place) are not very effective which is why we do not use them. Ultra Protect is the most effective leather protector there is.
Leather safe products are a bit of a misnoma as anything has the potential to damage leather finish (even water can remove some delicate two tone finishes)
Knowledge is what makes products leather safe and not the products (or pH levels) If you know the product (leather) you are dealing with and the likely problems that you may encounter along the way and you are also using cleaning products that have been tested for many years and developed as the market changes then you will be 'safe' in the cleaning process.
It is important to test whether a leather protector works - using a crust leather which is the only leather that has a consistent surface to test on.
They cannot be successfully tested on pigment coated leather to give any quantifaible results as the coatings will all be different. There is a photograph on our website under Ultra Protect that shows the kind of results you get (cannot seem to upload photo on here)
It is always a good idea to show the customer what you can identify through the microscope as this shows knowledge and professionalism but it is vital to understand what you are looking at and the processes to adopt to rectify it (not simply by adding more and more products) which may do more damage.
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Oh really!
Are we succumbing ourselves to this “Emperor’s New Cloth Mentality” or simply call it “Herd Mentality”!
Are we just another faithful sheep that let someone does the thinking for us?
We know who started it first, I am sure!
Why among Leather Doctor® 36 cleaning and conditioning list you cannot find a “protector”.
I must have missed an opportunity here, how stupid!
No! I have tried them plenty, I throw them all out!
All protectors are worthless including all my experimentation, not that I have no access to the latest technology of so called “protector”
They will fail where we need them most, and fail miserably.
Why carry this tannery responsibility upon our own shoulder.
It is the “transferred responsibility” implication we carry that makes no sense!
In the long run, our business may dwindle because of this “protector”.
Pity here is the innocent poor leather service provider like the two Emperor’s New Clothes tailor has to run away for some reason.
And we products supplier continues to supply to another innocent newbie just pretending not to know and just laugh all the way to the bank.
Form your own conclusion with a clear conscious!
Roger Koh
Leather Doctor® System
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All protectors are worthless including all my experimentation, not that I have no access to the latest technology of so called “protector”
Now hang on a moment matie, haven't I read somewhere in your somewhat extremely long winded postings that one of your products provides protection against pen or marker pens.
BTW have you answered a question about why don't you start up a franchise over here selling your products.
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Neil,
The product frequently mention is leatherScent’B™.
It is not a protector.
It conditions the leather surface with a non-stick surface.
The pigmented leather surface behaves like an effect of a waxed paper.
So the ball at the tip without friction does not disperse the nasty ball point ink.
Those of you that have this product can try it, and give feedback here for doubtful enthusiast.
Here is an educational note for customers:
Surface Conditioner:
The surface touch and tactile behavior of lather plays an important role in its point of sale and subsequence performance in wear.
Sensuous tactile feel generally is to improve surface handle, physical performance and special tactile fashion effects.
Now these feels are blended with a classic fragrance that was once sought after by both man and woman through the centuries.
Today its’ ever popular leather scents come as cologne and perfume to satisfy the olfactory crave of this seductive leather scent.
Now it’s true to say that this classic leather scent is more leathery than the leather itself!
It’s available in buttery feel as leatherScent’B™, draggy feel as leatherScent’D™, silky feel as leatherScent’S™ and waxy feel as leatherScent’W™.
Roger Koh
Leather Doctor® System
note:
Appreciate your question on franchise are you particular interested yourself?
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ordered mine, bet the site are wondering why there is a sudden rush on ;D ;D
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Don you can take the credit for that as you found it ;)