The Leather Expert Leather Flexi Filler is a leather filler for shallow scratches, fine cracks and small holes in leather. It goes on white and dries fully clear, so you do not have to match the filler to your leather colour first. Because the layer stays flexible, it moves with the leather. That matters when you fill cracks in leather on spots that work a lot, such as a seat bolster or a steering wheel.
Note the difference from the standard leather filler: you do not sand Flexi Filler. It is made for shallow damage over a wider area. For deeper holes, use the firmer filler in thin layers, which we cover in our guide to using Leather Filler.
What is Leather Flexi Filler and when do you use it?
Flexi Filler belongs to the Leather Expert repair system. The order is always the same: clean and degrease first, then fill, then colour and finish. The filler gives you the base the colour will sit on. If a panel of leather shows lots of fine cracks, a flexible filler suits it better than a hard putty that you have to sand.
Key fact | Value |
|---|---|
Type | Flexible leather filler |
Size | 25 ml (also 50 ml and 250 ml) |
Application | With a spatula |
Colour wet and dry | White, dries clear |
Suitable for | All leather colours |
Sanding | No, do not sand Flexi Filler |
How to do it: filling cracks in leather
Clean the leather. Remove dirt and grease with the Leather Expert Leather Cleaner. Work in small circles with a soft brush or cloth and wipe off the foam. A tip: clean a little beyond the damage, so no rim of dirt ends up under the filler.
Degrease the spot. Wipe over the damage with the Leather Alcohol Cleaner to remove traces of conditioner and protective layers. Let it evaporate fully before you carry on, otherwise the filler grips less well.
Fill thinly. Use a spatula to apply, on dry leather, a very thin layer of Flexi Filler and smooth it over the scratch or crack. Too much product at once is the classic mistake: two thin layers beat one thick one.
Let it dry. Wait until the layer is completely clear and dry. If the filling still sits below the leather surface, add a second thin layer and let that dry as well. Do not sand it.
Colour the spot. Finish the repair with the Leather Expert Leather Colourant in thin coats applied with a sponge, letting each coat dry before the next. Test the colour on a hidden spot first.
Harden the finish. Mix the Leather Cross Linker into the colourant (about 5 per cent of the volume, up to 10 per cent on heavily used areas) for a layer that copes better with friction and sweat. Use the mix within 6 hours, and do not clean or condition the leather for the first 5 days.
Common mistakes with a leather filler
Sanding. A hard putty gets sanded, Flexi Filler does not. Make the layer thin and smooth in one go instead.
Applying too thickly. Thick layers dry poorly and sit on the leather as a lump.
Skipping the degreasing step. Without it, colour grips the filling less well.
Colouring too early. Only start colouring once the filler is fully dry and clear.
Trying to close deep damage with Flexi Filler alone. Use the firmer filler for that and keep the flexible one for shallow cracks.
Flexi Filler or standard Leather Filler?
The difference is where the damage is and how deep it goes. Flexi Filler is the choice for shallow scratches and a web of fine cracks across a larger piece of leather. The standard Leather Filler is for holes and cuts that you build up layer by layer and then sand. If your leather mainly looks dry and tired, start with feeding it, using our Leather Conditioner guide. For the whole repair in one overview, see the complete guide to cleaning, conditioning and repairing leather.
What to combine with Flexi Filler
Flexi Filler on its own is not enough: a repair has several steps. Fibre reinforcement may be needed when the leather has become weak, and that is what the Leather Binder is for. For colour and finishing, read our guide to dyeing leather with Leather Colourant and the guide to the Leather Expert leather repair kit. You will find every leather product in the leather cleaning and care category.