Tanner's Oath Wood & Leather Salve

The left photo is why there’s been a tablecloth on this table even when nobody’s coming over. One white ring turned into a few, then there was that bigger cloudy patch you could see from the doorway. I’d clean it, put furniture polish on it, think it looked a little better, and then the light would hit it sideways. Still there.

We’ve had this table since the kids were little. There’s nothing wrong with it. Doesn’t wobble, the extra leaf still fits, and I like it better than anything we’ve looked at in the stores. But I honestly thought getting the top looking decent meant sanding the whole thing down. I wasn’t looking forward to that happening in the dining room.

Tried a little of this on a hidden spot first, then worked across the top with an old cotton cloth. Used less than I thought I’d need and wiped off the extra afterward. Right photo is after I finished.

The white rings aren’t showing in the right photo, but the little scratches and dents are still there. I wanted the marks from the glasses gone, not twenty years of our family using it.

The grain is showing properly again, especially toward the middle where that cloudy patch was. It doesn’t have that thick, shiny furniture-polish look either. Just a nice-looking wood tabletop.

The tablecloth is back in the drawer. We’re using placemats now. And coasters, which I probably should’ve been stricter about in the first place.

That’s the end of the sofa I sit on every night. The arm had gradually gone pale and rough, especially across the rounded part where my hand rests. I didn’t notice how bad it had gotten until I moved a cushion and saw the difference between the leather underneath and the bit we’d been using.

I’d tried leather wipes. They cleaned it, but that dry-looking patch was still there afterward. Started keeping a throw over the arm, which lasted about ten minutes before somebody pulled it down or the dog walked off with it.

The sofa itself is still comfortable. Cushions are good, stitching is good. Replacing the whole thing because one arm looked worn seemed ridiculous, but I didn’t know what else to do.

Worked a small amount of the salve over the arm after testing it out of sight. Went carefully around the piping and into the folds, then wiped it down with a clean cloth.

The creases are still there. They’re just not pale and dry-looking anymore, and the arm feels much nicer under your hand. You can see in the right photo that it’s still the same used sofa. The leather hasn’t suddenly gone smooth.

My husband sat down that evening and ran his hand over it before he said anything. Asked whether I’d done the other arm too.

I hadn’t. Apparently that’s next.

This sideboard was my mother’s. The blue-and-white jug was hers too, and it’s pretty much stayed in that spot since we brought the furniture home.

The front still looked decent, but the top had gone so dull and grey that it almost looked dusty straight after I’d cleaned it. Along the rounded front edge was the worst. I kept putting things on it to cover it up, which eventually meant you couldn’t actually use the top for anything.

I thought about refinishing it. Even watched a few videos. But between taking everything off, sanding, getting the color right and finding somewhere to do it, it became one of those jobs I was going to get around to. That was two years ago.

Ordered this thinking I’d at least try it before committing to all that. Moved the jug, gave the top a clean and let it dry, then worked the salve in with a soft cloth. Did a small section first because I wanted to see what it was going to look like before doing the whole thing.

What surprised me was how much grain had been hidden by that dull grey look. I hadn’t stained it a different color. I could just see the wood properly again.

The right photo is the same top, including the little worn places around the edge. I didn’t sand those out or try to make it look newly bought.

Put the jug back afterward and left most of the top clear. My sister noticed it the next time she came over. She asked who I’d found to refinish it.

Wasn’t getting rid of this chair. Everything on it works, it fits me, and I can sit through a whole game without getting up to get comfortable. The seat just looked terrible.

You can see it in the left picture. All those light-colored lines across the leather made it look much worse than the back and arms. I’d wipe it down when we cleaned the living room, but clean wasn’t really the problem. It felt dry, and every crease showed.

My wife ordered Tanner’s Oath for a piece of furniture in the hallway. I used some on the chair before she’d even finished her project.

Did a small hidden patch first, then used a cloth to work a little over the seat. Wiped it thoroughly afterward because the last thing I wanted was anything greasy on the chair I sit in every evening.

It didn’t fill in the creases, and I wasn’t expecting it to. They’re still there, but they blend into the brown leather now instead of standing out as white lines. The seat feels better too. Not slick. Just less dry.

Right picture is after. Same chair, same sag in the cushion where I sit. Looks looked-after instead of ready to be put out by the road.

We’ve agreed the chair stays. I’ve been told to get my own jar.