How to make new leather look old?

[nreed_94]

Hey everyone,

I'm sure this thread will be popular amongst the fakers, but for me, I just want to know the best way to synthetically age leather. I just bought a leather sweatband for my M1, as well as a sling for my Garand. Both are VERY light in color. I tried aging the sweatband with some vegetable oil. It looked awesome, until I went back a few days later to see that it returned back to its light color.....sigh. I've heard about a product called neatsfoot oil, and might give it a shot. My question, is how have you all aged your leather products? What is the best way to achieve a lasting dark look? How can I distress the leather to make it old, without it falling apart like actual old leather. I've looked everywhere, and the common response is: "just wear it around for a few months". Since wearing a combat helmet and toting a rifle around in public is frowned upon even in America, I need some alternatives. Help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Paul R.]

I don't like to give out information on a public forums so fakers have more ways to achieve that. Things to consider for a conservator point of view is that many things to artificially age an item can cause deterioration of leather faster than normal. The application of oils actually help deteriorate leather items faster than just leaving them age over time. Yes your right wearing then in public may raise a few concerns. Just ask Motorhead Lemmy or do a forum search. Oh wait he was wearing SS , and Heer items.