Hello Everyone,
I am fairly new to leather working, and wanted to ask a few questions regarding an old leather belt I found in a dresser drawer (I have attached pictures). The belt was given to me by an uncle about 45 years ago; it has never been worn, or conditioned, or stored properly. It has been moved from place to place in the house over the years with never a thought to climate, in closets, drawers, etc. I became interested in leather work a few months ago, and very recently rediscovered this belt. What is interesting is that there are no cracks, or apparent degradation that I can see (at this point in my learning). It is as flexible in any direction as if it was made of rubber. There is no oil residue that appears if a paper towel is wrapped around it, and there is still a faint smell of leather that can be detected. It is a solid strip of leather, but there are no markings describing what kind of leather was used (full grain, etc). The belt was made by an outfit called the Honest Belt Co., with no other information other than a style number and waist size. From what I can gather, it is an 8 oz thickness, it is embossed, and has a solid brass plated buckle (the plating has mostly flaked away). The keepers are sewn, as is the buckle end of the belt. There are no snaps.
My questions are:
Is there any way to tell what, (if any) kind of conditioning agent was used on this belt?
Is it common for an unused, stored belt made at least 45 years ago, to not dry out, crack or degrade, and to remain very supple?
Finally, if this kind of longevity is common for leather goods, what kind of conditioning material is best for keeping leather goods in great condition (assuming they are not too badly abused)?
Sorry for the long, drawn out post....
Thanks,
Dr. X
