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[IvanD]

First of all, how much material do I need? I am going to reuphoslter 2 front seats.

Seats look like this:



Middle portions will be done in Ultrasuede. Backs will be reused (going to paint them)

So, just for bolsters for 2 seats should 1 hide be enough?
I will probably need leather for shift boot, parking lever and belt anchors. But that leather is thinner, where do I get "thin" automotive leather?

I found German leather supplier and received samples. $9/sqft. I found another color-matched leather supplier at $4.50/sqft. I'm not a pro with leather, but I can tell that $9 leather softer, more pliable. Cheaper leather got like thicker top layer. Almost not "very real". They both AUTOMOTIVE leathers.

I also read about artificial leather like "UltraLeather" and "Rave" brands and how good they are. I had hard time finding online stores selling those and had hard time figuring out approx. pricing. Roughly I figured that good artifical leather will cost as much as cheap leather.

Question: If it's real leather: What supplier do you recommend and what is about correct $$ for good quality. Advisable for novice?

Question: If it's fake leather: What brand? What supplier? What should it cost and why you suggest it?
For me - color matching is important. Natural leathers above matched with factory code so I know they will be 100% match..

Obviously I'm shooting for good combo of quality/price. I don't need leather because it's "leather". But if it's going to feel/look like leather in our Honday Odyssey - I probably don't want it.

[Cody]

@IvanD there is a company called relicate leather. They specialize in automotive leathers only. That makes it easier as not all leather is auto and some places won’t tell you this and sell furniture grade which won’t work. As far as how much you’ll need. You have to figure out by measuring how many yards you will need and then convert that to square feet and I believe leather is sold this way. I have never worked with new leather just had to add to existing so can’t say I’ve purchased it.

For color matching, again relicate. You can sent in a good sample of the old material. Something not worn or sun faded. They’ll match to this color. And then send you a hyde that color. They are I believe $450 a hyde starting out.

If you’re new to upholstery, I would recommend starting out with vinyl. It’s a lot cheaper to make mistakes with. If you can sew it with vinyl, then take it apart and transfer the pieces to leather. And then so another seat. It’ll make life a lot easier and less expensive.

Best of luck.

[IvanD]

@Cody

Thanks a lot for the pointer. It does seem that imported quality leather is at $9-10 or so per sqft. Company I got samples from(World upholstery) specializes in BMW/Mercedes and I ordered from them before (vinyl). They also sell german leather at $9 per sqft. Now I know how much that cost :) and know better to not touch $4 leather

Practicing with vinyl is great idea. I think that will be a good practice piece:
https://www.albrightssupply.com/Xtreme- ... tr-610.htm

It won't match color exactly, but will be ok to play with. Looks like this is good quality vinyl? Do you have better suggestion? If it's little more $$ but better quality - I would go with it in case it works from a first try :)

I willl be making templates first anyway, so if it works good I can make leather copy. Or I can adjust templates if I see problems..

[hapyrdr]

No expert but I get ultraleather from Sailrite and is $65.00 a yard (36x54). I got some gray to redo my pickup but have not gotten to it yet as I'm still practicing seams with cheaper vinyl . Albrights has some vinyl in a 10 yard pak for 50.00 in choice of colors for practicing or use .
I guess what made me go for the ultraleather was the fact that a lot of the custom interiors that i saw in Tri-five forums and such were ultraleather I sent to Sailrite for a sample folder for $5.00. They will also send a swatch sample for a couple of dollars
Being retired back to the family farm it seems like there is always something that needs to be done but with cold weather coming I'm hoping to redo my pickup and try some on a steering wheel cover . Never have seen anyone recover with anything but leather so maybe won't work

[IvanD]

That price is like $4.50 per sqft, like a cheap leather. Definitely not something to practice with..

[BigRig]

@hapyrdr ,

We need to help you shop man. Polyurethane at $65.00 a yard is very costly. Here is polyurethane at a half that price and full retail.

[John]

If your doing the center in suede, a full hide will be enough to do 4 seats.
As far as leather pricing goes the nicer European leather is the highest quality and most expensive. That being said you can find leather that is pretty nice in the $5 range. Check Albrights https://www.AlbrightsSupply.com/?Click=3957

as for the thickness automotive leather comes how it comes. You cant order it in different thicknesses.

@Cody has a good point. I wouldn't jump straight in to using leather. Buy some cheep vinyl and practice first. If this is your first seat cover you will likely have to mess up a few covers before you get the hang of it.

[IvanD]

If your doing the center in suede, a full hide will be enough to do 4 seats.

That's great!

as for the thickness automotive leather comes how it comes. You cant order it in different thicknesses.

I do understand that. But they used it in a factory :( What do you use for shift/parking lever boots? Regular leather? Because I think what I have in car is like 0.8 leather.

@Cody has a good point. I wouldn't jump straight in to using leather. Buy some cheep vinyl and practice first. If this is your first seat cover you will likely have to mess up a few covers before you get the hang of it.

Oh yes, that for sure. I'm just trying to get all my supplies sorted. I'm picking up sewing machine on Friday. And I newer sewed before, so.. Lot's of learning. Will do vinyl machine cover first :) Maybe some other projects, like garage stool cover, etc.

[BigRig]

@IvanD,

I am seriously going to suggest you leave your seats intact for now. Go to the wrecker and get a Toyota Tacoma seat or something similar and take it apart then as Cody suggested use vinyl Denali is an awesome practice vinyl that is affordable and put the seat back together. What model sewing machine are you picking up?

[IvanD]

@BigRig ,

No, I'm totally doing it :) As mentioned in another post I have seats in a car. I picked those extras to rebuild. And I already have them apart. I did rebuild seats before, mechanical part is not a problem. It's just first time I'm trying to do covers myself. I did fix/repaint leather on seats which in a car right now (took them apart). So, those seats in a way "Toyota Tacoma" seats for me.

Machine I'm getting is newer PFAFF 1245. It's used, but in like new condition. This is going to be next step in my journey :)

Seats which in my car now. Rebuilt, exchanged L/R leather so driver got good pieces. Repaint all with special paint.

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[BigRig]

@IvanD ,

Those seats really look great! We are working on a 1947 Willies right now and the seats were painted, sometimes may be the only way to get your colour match.

[IvanD]

Painting not bad. I already have 3k miles on driver's seat and paint holds pretty good. But you can still tell if you look close.

Seats I want to restore have really bad leather (picture in first post is not my seats, just the same seat). It's completely dry and cracked. Even if I paint - it's still really hard and will crack/rip.

I was thinking about finding good deal on automotive gray hide and then just paid whole hide. This way paint won't be in seams/etc and I can lay it perfectly. Afterall they paint this leather just the same, right?

[Cody]

I would just get a grey hide that’s close in color and just use that. If you do all of the sections of the seats no one will know the difference. The dye of the leather will last longer than the paint in the end.

[IvanD]

I would just get a grey hide that’s close in color and just use that. If you do all of the sections of the seats no one will know the difference. The dye of the leather will last longer than the paint in the end.

Not going to work I afraid. Problem is - plastic and back of a seat will be painted and it's the same color as vinyl on door cards. Adding 4th color to the mix will not work great.

I have silver gray: seats, doors
Little darker gray: Ultrasuede I use on headliner and will be middle of seats
Dark gray: dashboard, tops of doors

But not all is lost. I can get color matched leather, just going to cost more :) But will be top quality and since I don't need more than 1 hide - it may work OK

[Cody]

Yeah I would get ahold of relicate leather and have them dye the hide for you. That way it’s leather and matches. I don’t think they charge extra for the matching service, but before they spend a lot of time and effort you agree to making a purchase once the color match is agreed upon. This is what I understand from their website. Never used it so I may be wrong

[IvanD]

World Upholstery sells German BMW leather color matched already (to BMW color #) at about same price. Maybe little bit cheaper. They also have it in 2 kinds, flat/smooth and "regular"

[BigRig]

@IvanD
If you are really set on painting the leather visit Tandy Leather and buy a hide.

[IvanD]

If you are really set on painting the leather visit Tandy Leather and buy a hide.

I'm not really "set" on painting, but would like to learn more about it. Paint I used is a special leather dye (from classic dye products)

How is relicate company dying their leathers? Is it something different from spraying hide with dye of a color desired? From what I learned and I maybe totally wrong (correct me here) is that leathers "soaked" in grays, reds, blacks and then final color is just on top. At least this is what I think happening with automotive leather.

Ok, another example. Those carseats in my picture. You take acetone on a rug and it wipes color right off. So it IS just a paint, but special one. This is exactly what I did. I first wiped of all old color, then fixed cracks, used special primer, then color, then clear. But it's all special paint.

Another example - videos from Cechaflo on youtube. He demonstrates how to dye leathers.

BIG question is that what makes it "AUTOMOTIVE" leather. And this is how it was treated/processed. So, I think buying just any leather won't work.

Does Tandy leather sells automotive leather?

[IvanD]

@BigRig ,

Called Tandy leather. They have upholstery leather on sale right now at $89/hide. Sounds too good to be true. Maybe as practice material...

I asked if they have automotive leather - she said this is what people get to recover car seats, etc. I guess she doesn't understand a difference. Now I kind of regret buying vinyl, I can just practice with leather from get go..

[BigRig]

@IvanD,

I have handled the hides a few times now and some greys like you are looking for. For US pricing that is about right! The Tandy hides are not UV protected anymore from what I understand. For what it matters you could wax your hide once sewn and extend the life from those UV rays.