Décapant Leather Stripper

• Preparing leather before dyeing
• Smooth Leather
• Oiled Leather
• Cordovan
• Grained Leather
• Removing old top coats, previous tints and varnishes
• Leather recolouring
• Restoration and patina work

• Prepares smooth leather to receive a new tint
• Removes old top coats, including tints and varnishes
• Helps expose the leather evenly before recolouring
• Improves preparation of grooves and folds for more uniform dye penetration
• Designed as the preparation step before applying leather dye
• Particularly suited to restoration and patina work

1. Soak a clean white cotton cloth with Saphir Décapant.
2. Rub the leather thoroughly with the saturated cloth to begin removing the existing finish.
3. Repeat the process using a new, clean cloth as necessary.
4. Pay particular attention to grooves, folds and recessed areas of the leather. Proper preparation of these areas helps the subsequent dye penetrate evenly.
5. Allow the leather to dry for 1 hour.
6. Once the Décapant has completely evaporated, proceed with recolouring.
7. For a traditional Saphir dyeing process, apply Saphir Teinture Française with a brush or applicator sponge in regular, thin layers. Afterwards, build your desired patina with Pâte de Luxe Wax Polish.

Always test the product first on a small, hidden area of the leather.

The preparation is every bit as important as the dye itself. I would spend particular time around seams, folds and other recessed areas, because an old finish left behind in these places can prevent the new colour from penetrating as evenly as it does across the open sections of leather.

I also strongly recommend using white cotton cloths. Apart from following Saphir's instructions, the white cloth makes it much easier to see what you are removing as you work. Change to a fresh cloth rather than continually redistributing the old finish across the leather.

And remember: Décapant is a stripper, not a cleaner. If the goal is simply to clean and maintain a pair of shoes, this is not the appropriate product.

• 100 ml / 3.38 oz — metal bottle
• 500 ml / 16.91 oz — metal bottle
• Made in France