We were quite fortunate to get a Ford Motorsport leather rimmed wheel with our £6.50 Sierra 4x4 but the leather is all worn.
What is the best way to bring it back to a nice black shine without leaving a residue that'll come of on your hands? Do I need special upholstery stuff or would some boot polish and a bit of vigorous polishing do the trick?

Cheers,

Mackie.

plenty of saddle soap from your local horsey place the boot polish will just keep coming off on your hands.

If you've got a local "well 'ard" motorbike shop, try and get a bottle of "neatsfoot oil" (not sure about the speeling ).

Otherwise, saddle soap is really good, as Tim says. Fairly cheap, reasonably easy to get.

Both will bring the leather back without getting gunge all over your hands. Watch out for some brands of leather restorer - they might make the leather slippery, which ain't a good idea.

DJ

there is a way of applying boot polish, without it coming off on your hands....

dont use your scabby old shoe brushes

get a new tin of polish, then using your fingers pick up a small dob on a finger tip, and rub it into the leather only working a small area at a time, running round in small circles till the polish has been fully absorbed into the leather, at which point it will start to look smooth and dull.

carry on round till youv'e done the whole wheel (it can take a morning to do if you are doing it properly).

now take a clean cloth and gentally buff it up, it will become nice and shiny...

now... theres an idea.... might try that on mine !!!

I've used skin moisturizer on dried-out drum heads to good effect, might be worth a try to get some moisture back into the leather.

If you have discoloration/fading, boot dye (not polish) will bring the color back and not rub off.

Eddie's suggestion for polish is good for your final finish. Instead of your finger, you could apply polish with a dampened cotton ball, with all water wrung out til it is almost dry. That way no one could accuse you of being careless in the 'loo'.

Use another clean, damp cotton ball to bring up the shine. Rub in very small circles, for applying polish and shining.

From an old gaper who lived in the days when men polished their shoes I wear dress shoes so infrequently now, I just hit them with some spray furniture polish. The lemon smells good, too

Pete