The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

For the first time I have purchased a portable whose external finish definitely needs to be restored. I don't know if it is correct to call the material "leatherette", but you all know what it is: a layer of fabric with an overlaid stratum of paper finished to look like black leather.

I have read many times the suggestion to treat it with a "shoe renovator" cream. However, I don't understand if with "shoe renovator" it is meant the customary "shoe-shine" cream for leather shoes that elegant people use every morning, or if it is something different, like perhaps a creamy leather dye.

Also, as I seem to understand that this cream (whatever it is) is supposed to be "absorbed" by the leatherette finish, I wonder if I should glue the detached parts before applying the shoe thing (so that also the traces of glue and imperfections will be covered and be less evident) or after (beacause the glue will stiffen the leatherette, which will no longer be able to absorb the shoe thing).

Thank you. Of course any other hint is welcome!

It's really not leatherette, although everybody calls it that. It's a product called "Fabrikoid", which was made by DuPont. Don't know if it's still available or not.

I always re-attach any loose case covering before cleaning. For small areas I use a contact adhesive such as UHU, and for larger areas a heavy duty ready mixed wallpaper adhesive.

If the case covering is dirty I use a car upholstery cleaner applied with a barely damp sponge and quickly removed with a clean absorbent cloth. Great care needs to be taken not to get the surface too wet, otherwise the adhesive may soften and lift.

I have used black shoe polish to re-colour black cases, but for other colours I would only use polish as a last resort. Red, blue, green etc may be difficult shades to match, so if possible try a small amount of the appropriate colour on an inconspicuous area before committing yourself.

Thanks! Fortunately it has the standard black finish.

So you use the "normal" shoe-shine cream, correct?

I use a proprietory wax shoe polish such as Cherry Blossom. Hopefully the inside of the case will have survived in good condition and will not need this treatment.

If it does need treating, I would remove all the plated fittings first and take care to avoid getting the polish on any transfers.