Leather Treatment

[Hofstetter]

Hi, I no i'm probably ' flogging a dead horse ' so to speak, or ' bringing up the old chestnut ' , and i know everyone says leave leather alone, but i can't help feeling ( on more than one occassion ) that when i see leather on collectibles in bad condition , WHY didn't they treat it before it got like that.
People say don't touch it unless it's dry and cracking, but isn't it too late when it's dry and cracked.
I have read in recent reseaching that leather in good condition has a moisture content of between 12 and 20%. So i would think that it would be reasonably easy to determine that your leather is getting a bit on the dry side before it cracks and flakes and wouldn't it be better to treat it at this stage before it gets irripairable damage.
For instance there was recently a luft jacket on HMS Brinmaric collectibles which i almost bought, but was turned off as the leather was actually brittle in places , a great piece of history ruined because no one treated it ( in my opinion ).
I have a leather jacket which is in good condition but is a little dry and i want to do what is best, and am frightened to put anything on it because of the 'leave it alone policy '
would like to hear other opinions on this.
Greg

[Ken B.]

Pecard's works really well if you apply it moderately. It's very good and brings leather back to life. But as anything else. Use it if it's only needed. I use the Pecard's Antique Leather Dressing.

Pecard's

[CWP]

The problem with Pecards is that it darkens the leather. If you treat light colored leather you will see a big change that cannot be reversed.

The issue with leather is not one of treatment but one of storage. If you store the leather away from sunlight in an environment with constant humidity around 50 percent, the leather will not dry out further. Once leather is dried out, there is no way to restore the moisture to it.

Chris P.

[Simon O.]

What about leather that's been in salt water or in the ground for 60+ years?

[Hofstetter]

Ken and Chris, thanks for the input ( and Simon, but i don't know what to say about that, except best of luck ) . I don't think they sell Pecards in Australia , i've never heard of it.
I think i've made up my mind though, i'm going to get something that measures temperature and humidity and keep an eye on it in my storage area, and if conditions are not favorable , on goes a light coat of dressing. Hopefully i wont need too.

The best product i've found here is called GE-WY leather dressing. i bought a pair of wehrmacht boots 10years ago (or more ) which were quite dry and i drowned them in GE-WY ,the excess dried after a while and they are still in great nic. I'm still reluctant to use it on a jacket though as i'm not so sure the thin leather on a jacket will react as favourably as the boot leather

Greg

[ChrisCook]

This has been brought up before on other forums and this one as well, I have heard several make mention of the use of pure lanolin, I applied a small amouont to an inconspicuous location on a helmet liner, it did make a difference in the suppleness of the leather, and it didn't change the color of the leather (well it did initially but after a month you can't even tell the difference).....when I find time I plan on doing an entire helmet liner in this manner to see the results, I know this may sound like blasphemy to some, but I understand Greg's concerns and know exactly where he is coming from. I gave up a real nice pickelhaube because of the difficultys of preserving/conserving the leather.....Chris.

[Hofstetter]

Hi Chris
Thanks also for your input, i think if i do have to apply anything it will be lanolin
but i don't think i will apply anything and will leave it alone.
It's all too much of a worry
Greg

[djpool]

Heres a good site for leather conservation. I personally use gylcerin without any problems. W/R jim

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/class/anth605/File7.htm

[nutmeg]

I also collect Revolutionary War and Civil War accoutrements and have dealt with the leather preservation issue for decades. I have been thru this with museum people and other collectors and tried everything from British Museum Leather dressing to Pecards. Here's what it boils down to. DO NOTHING. Leather is dead organic tissue you can't bring it back. The leather balms only make it softer, so it can fall apart faster. Some which are not PH neutral have the added benefit of rotting the stitching. While the results can appear to be benificial for the short term , the chances are you have ruined the item. The only thing I will use if I do anything is some PH neutral paste wax available from places that sell PH neutral boxes and tissue like University Products. All leather preservatives are "ooga booga" witchdoctor stuff. For keeping modern saddles pliable they are great, for antique leather you WILL be sorry.

And while you are at , don't use wire hangers to to hang up your uniforms. Use ones which are heavily padded with cloth. Thread becomes brittle over the years and the uniforms own weight can eventually cause the seams to open up at the shoulders as the thread stretches and breaks. A box is best but don't use unpadded hangers.

The treatments above for excavted leather are fine , as you have to do something to it. Just buy it in good shape and it's an issue you won't have to deal with.

[ChrisCook]

After you have completed your glycerin treatments have you noticed a change in the color or texture of the leather and to what extent? Thanks for the link Jim. Chris.

[Simon O.]

Heres a good site for leather conservation. I personally use gylcerin without any problems. W/R jim

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/class/anth605/File7.htm

Excellent, just what i was after. Some of those chemicals are going to be a bit difficult to get hold of though, might have to talk to the local university's archaeology dept.

Amongst other things i have a KM belt from the Tirpitz i need to do something with, thus far i've just soaked it in fresh water and removed surface dirt and rust. Part of the buckle remained too but its just a corroded lump. Believe it or not the belt had been brought up by a diver then thrown away on the shore as not being interesting enough to keep.

[djpool]

After you have completed your glycerin treatments have you noticed a change in the color or texture of the leather and to what extent? Thanks for the link Jim. Chris.

I've only ever used it on dark leather. I think some of the other remedies mentioned on the thread might work just as well. In the end Nutmegs comments are probably closer to the truth. Now if the leather has been buried or under water its worth the effort to try to do something with it. jim

[Hofstetter]

Nutmeg, thanks for that, it sounds like sound advice
Greg