STIFF leather what 2 do?

[Lucky Duck]

Hi guys. I have a real nice M-40 helmet, named and researched. The liner is good intact leather, but its stiff. Its stiff to the point where it flexes, but I know at a certain point its gonna just snap like a twig. Yeah, I know "leave it alone" and I do. But I'm wondering if there's a way to make it more like it was.

So my question is ... should I do anything, could I do anything to bring it back to life? I've been thinking about leaving it in a high (about 55%) humidity area of the basement of my building to slowly absorb a little moisture. Good idea or dumb idea?

I have no idea. Gimme some of yours!
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Ray

[Peter_Suciu]

So my question is ... should I do anything, could I do anything to bring it back to life? I've been thinking about leaving it in a high (about 55%) humidity area of the basement of my building to slowly absorb a little moisture. Good idea or dumb idea?

I don't believe 55% humidity is really that high, or not high enough to soften leather. And I don't think you'd want it to absorb too much moisture or else you'll just increase the aging process. Think of leather shoes...you wear them in the rain and then when the shoes "dry" they are stiff. Eventually the leather cracks.

The other concern I would have is what too much moisture would do to the steel. This could cause rust to spread.

I'm of the "leave it alone" school. I'm worried about the liners in two of my American experiemental helmets for the same reason, but I just leave them alone. Once you reach a point in age there is no turning back. Leather is basically dead tissue. You can't make it heal!

[Shenkursk]

I'm of the "leave it alone" school. I'm worried about the liners in two of my American experiemental helmets for the same reason, but I just leave them alone. Once you reach a point in age there is no turning back. Leather is basically dead tissue. You can't make it heal!

As usual, Peter is spot-on correct. I know that most collectors and even some museums will swear by one leather treatment or another (Pecards comes immediately to mind), but frankly that stuff does as much harm as good. We have had plenty of helmets in inventory that were nearly complete wrecks - directly as a result of collector tinkering and the liberal slathering of leather goop like Pecards.

At the risk of offending fellow collectors and forum members (on bullhorn) "Put the tools down and back slowly away from the artifacts..."

[pete]

leather

I have "some" experience with dry leather from living ins udan and from trying to rescue items that are decaying away. Im not condoning it as you are the true judge of what is ok with your colection but I have found using skin cream like vaseline intensive care will preserve it and put some moisture and protection back into it. But i dont think you can do much more thne that. I had some old yugoslav and british belts which i brought back to life very cartefully. I after that addedd some neutral kiwi shoe polish.

I sure do agree with be careful with the tools statement! ...I was cleaning up some ground dug ustasa collar tabs and cap badges the other day (after a 4 day oil soak) which were discareded during the route of the beliburg march or on being brutally disarmed by the partisans. Some edges of the alluminium badge i was cleaning stated to just chip away....think first!! Then if youre gonna do anything do it calculated and slow and stop if youre unsure!!

[AndyD]

Use pure lanolin sparingly.
I've used it for a while,and no side effects as it's a natural product obtained from sheep wool.

Kind regards,
Andy

[MikeB]

Stiff Leather...

All good points discussed here. Of course, each person should do what they feel is best for treating or not treating their items and hopefully that is based on good experience or the tested advise of others. Museums never want to do anything to an article that cannot be reversed. They generally try to "preserve" an item rather than "restore" it. For many, watching an item fall apart is often difficult, we normally want to jump in and help fix a bad situation. As was pointed out, this might cause an irreparable problem to the article. For leather, museums sometimes soak the piece in polyethylene glycol (the same kind of stuff used in some brands of Lava Lamps.) This may make the leather flexible again, but can also leave behind a waxy film. Conservation aims to halt deterioration through cleaning, refinishing, adding paint, etc. and stabilizing the article from further decay. Not sure if this added anything, other than giving you all a few more definitions to remember! Mike

[werner brooks]

I think that rare items should be left as they are.As such they should not be handled in the first place.
With more common items I use pure neetsfoot oil.It is fliud like fine machine oil and very rapidly soaks up.Do not try to flex the leather!,the oil prevents water absorbtion(humidity) but does not change the fact that the leather is gradually decaying thru oxidation over time as well as being broken by repeated flexing.
It is a beef skin/bone/hoof extract.

I shudder when I hear of people using greasy creams.Indeed these do soften the leather but sadly the leather will also distort and eventually fall apart.Just because the leather is supple does not mean that it is not being damaged buy handling.Microscopically the grease makes the leather fibers slide apart during handling.
I have used mink oil but found it to be like the grease.
Greases darken the leather and make it feel wet.
Anything you put to the leather will migrate to other materials attached to it such as the cloth of a hat from the leather visor.
In my collection some items are unused/unworn and remain so.Others are just wiped dust and dirt free with a cloth with neatsfoot oil.Thereafter only dry dusted.
SUMMARY
1)Leather decays over time no matter what.
2)Mechanism of damage is;
A)Mechanical;ie cutting, rasping/rubbing,repeated flexing(wear),handling.
B)Chemical:ie contamination such as wear(body sweat)and handling and passive such as the oxygen, humidity and chemicals in the air.Chemical contact such as creams and cleaners as well as contact with dispaly materials that are not chemically inert themselfs.
C)Organic;the humidity plus contagion from the soil or a musty basement will seed the leather with a fungus.Every time the humidity is right the fungus will resume eating the leather.
D)Eating/chewing,a damn mouse finds it in the attic or basemant and dines on it.
I buy handmade paper to wrap or stuff my items,it is inert.Go to a quality art paper store and tell them what you are doing.they may have damaged or offcut papers.Otherwise they can offer the cheaper handmades.

I make and repair leather goods so I have seen enough come my way to be confident with the advice given.

Hope this helps
werner

[Nick_since_1985]

Ledervet