Cognac Vinyl & Leather Finish

4.85 out of 5

(131 customer reviews & photos)

Picture of leather chair showing Rub n Restore butterscotch Cognac color and triangular swatch in upper left corner for reference

Cognac is a rich tan saddle color. It is darker than Butterscotch and more golden than Cinnamon or Rust.

Get a Swatch of Cognac

Price range: $22 through $89

Size

Clear

Get a Swatch of Cognac

Product Details

Use our water-based finishes to restore and condition:

absorbent aniline and semi-aniline leather,
non-absorbent full-grain or top-grain leather,
and vinyl upholstery.

Our finishes won’t sunfade or backstain like leather dyes. They don't feel plasticky, flake or peel like spray paints.

Do not use on fabric, suede, nubuck, bonded or faux leather.

Store in a temperate, dark place away from children.

Click here for SDS (Safety Data Sheets) and ingredient information.

See here before changing color!

Changing color is best suited to absorbent leather.

If the material repels water, add cross-linker to the color to boost adhesion. Adding 1 Satin Sealer to 4 parts color also serves this purpose and is needed to seal bright colors.

Thorough cleaning and stress testing the color are critical!

The following are not good candidates and will require touch-up:

changing from red / dark to white / pale;
worn, cracking, scaly or thinning leather;
furniture with lots of wrinkles, folds, deep creases (and therefore stress);
pieces that are heavily used or harshly cleaned (kids, dogs, chemicals);
car or boat upholstery (for these we suggest a heavier urethane coating);
bonded, faux or polyurethane (PU) ‘leather’ which repel all finishes (including their own).

Here's what wear looks like on non-absorbent leather or vinyl:

Our finishes wear naturally, resulting in a distressed look.

Deeper lines or creases receive more stress.

Picture of beige leather changed to Cognac and then scratched by dog claws — Dog claws can quickly scuff the color.

Easy rub-off indicates inadequate cleaning.

The color may flake if applied too thickly and allowed to pool in the grain.

This is easily corrected by thinning the color with alcohol and reapplying.

Learn more about changing color here.

How do I match a color?

How do I clean?

Do I need a sealer?

Answer these three questions to determine what clear finish, if any, is needed for leather:

Do unworn areas absorb water?

Yes

Are you applying a primary or secondary color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)?

Yes

What kind of luster do you want?

Matte

Satin

Semi-Gloss

Shiny

Mix 1 to 2 parts Clear Prep+Finish™ + 1 part color for the first coat. Use one coat of Satin Sealer for a final topcoat.
Learn more about Satin Sealer here.

Use equal parts color and Clear Prep+Finish™ from start to finish. If it dries too shiny, reduce the amount of clear in the mix for your final coat. Conversely, if more shine is desired, add more clear to the mix or use alone as a topcoat.

Use equal parts color and Clear Prep+Finish™ from start to finish. If more shine is desired, add more clear to the mix or use alone as a topcoat.

Mix 1 to 2 parts Clear Prep+Finish™ + 1 part color for the first coat. Increase the ratio of color to clear for subsequent coats (approximately 4 to 1) for a satin finish.

Mix 1 to 2 parts Clear Prep+Finish™ + 1 part color for the first coat. Use color alone for subsequent coats. It will dry matte and does not need an additional sealer.

Mix 1 to 2 parts Clear Prep+Finish™ + 1 part color for the first coat. Reduce the ratio to equal parts for subsequent coats to get better coverage. If more shine is needed, use clear alone for a final topcoat.

Mix 1 to 2 parts Clear Prep+Finish™ + 1 part color for the first coat. Reduce the ratio to equal parts for subsequent coats for a semi-gloss finish.

Use Satin Sealer for a final topcoat.
Learn more about Satin Sealer here.

Apply a thin coat of Clear Prep+Finish™ and disperse quickly so it does not dry too shiny. You can also try equal parts color and clear.

Apply Clear Prep+Finish™ as a final topcoat.

The color will dry matte and does not need an additional sealer.

Mix 4 parts color with 1 part Clear Prep+Finish™ and use from start to finish (or alone as a final topcoat).

Mix equal parts color with 1 part Clear Prep+Finish™ and use as a final topcoat.

Use Clear Prep+Finish™ as a final topcoat.

Shipping Info

Orders received before 10 am MST on weekdays (excluding US holidays) are usually processed same-day.

Domestic orders are shipped via UPS or USPS ground unless otherwise requested and typically arrive in 2-5 business days.

All Canadian and international orders are shipped via UPS and typically arrive in 3-5 business days. Use coupon code internationalCLUB (case and space sensitive) to discount 8 oz. or 16 oz. bottles of color. We are not responsible for duties, tariffs or other expenses incurred.

We are not responsible for delays and cannot refund shipping costs except for UPS Next Day Air.

You will receive an automated email with tracking number. Please secure your package in a timely fashion to avoid freezing during winter months.

All orders are insured with Damage & Delivery Protection. Learn more here.

Returns & Exchanges

Colors Similar to Cognac

Butterscotch

Rust

Cinnamon

Tobacco

Many repair projects also need these items:

Handmade Color Swatches

$1 ea

Picture of Rub n Restore leather paint swatches arranged in circular wreath

Choose Colors

Clear Prep+Finish for Leather

Price range: $9 through $36

Size

Clear

Tool Options

Sandpaper Option

Clear

Leave a Review

131 reviews for Cognac Vinyl & Leather Finish

+2

Louise

5 out of 5

April 24, 2021

Treat it like PAINT

It does a great job, but I think it was a HUGE mistake to use a sponge. I am an artist and have a lot of experience with paints and painting. The sponge soaked up too much product, dried on the sponge, and no matter how quickly I worked it just was bad. I even had a water spray bottle to mist it but I wasted a great deal of product, which should have been on my chair instead of my sponge. With that said, I will say the paint is a highly pigmented water base paint. When I purchased this, my impression was to RUB it on, like you would with shoe polish. I think it is much better to use a foam brush, keep several on hand because it will d...More
It does a great job, but I think it was a HUGE mistake to use a sponge. I am an artist and have a lot of experience with paints and painting. The sponge soaked up too much product, dried on the sponge, and no matter how quickly I worked it just was bad. I even had a water spray bottle to mist it but I wasted a great deal of product, which should have been on my chair instead of my sponge. With that said, I will say the paint is a highly pigmented water base paint. When I purchased this, my impression was to RUB it on, like you would with shoe polish. I think it is much better to use a foam brush, keep several on hand because it will dry on it no matter how fast you work, although the spray bottle helped. I felt it would have turned out better if I had originally applied it like a thin paint, done small areas at a time, soak the foam brush every 15 minutes, and do several thin layers. You don't need to rub this on, you need to paint it on. I have severe carpal tunnel, so if you have this, or arthritis, then you best work in small batches with a foam brush. I even used an actual paint brush to paint around the brass tacs. It is a great product, but treat it like a paint, rather than like a leather polish that you rub into leather.

+7

Claudia J

5 out of 5

April 21, 2021

Works well

I just finished first try, noticed imperfections will do again. As it claims, leather doesn’t feel dry.. darker than expected.. really liked original color however this does cover up all the stains..will keep going.. also forgot to order glaze.. this is without the clear Prep& Finish