restoration of a leather binding

First step when restoring a leather binding is hydrating the leather, this is an important preventative measure to help a leather binding last a long time. We make sure to use the same sort of leather as the original so the new grain fits perfectly with the original. A study of the used binding technics is necessary to use the same thickness of leather as the original one. A time consuming part in the restoration of leather bindings is the coloring of the new parts, we do not immitate the original colour but prefer to leave a little difference so the new parts are still detactable.