Klara

@Beehive. Answered Saturday. @chuck123wapati I think it has been obvious from the beginning that I don't know what I am dealing with. I had never heard of spew. I have written several times that the "stuff" is different from all other forms of mold and mildew I have encountered, that it forms under conditions that are not mildew-friendly and that it does not infect my other tack. Therfore I say a big Thank You to @bruce johnson for his suggestion it could be spew. And I am somewhat disappointed that other members completely ignore that idea. Now if anybody had an idea how to cope with spew...

@chuck123wapati, @Beehive Why should I toss or repurpose perfectly good bags that quite possibly/probably are not even mouldy?

This is a very real possibility, since the white film has appeared in my heated living room where things normally don't get mouldy. And I have always found the leather to be unusually soft. Sadly your suggestion comes too late for now, but I will keep it in mind for when the stuff reappears. Do you have any suggestions how to ameliorate the situation?

Maybe, but I still have a bottle of HCl in my workshop and no idea where to get oxalic acid. Yesterday I brushed off the white stuff (I am not even sure it is mildew or mould, I have never seen them so pure white), wearing mask and gloves, pulverized Isopropyl alcohol on it and hung it in the sun to dry. Let's see what happens...

They don't smell at all. And they got that way from the very beginning I had them (bought them new) - I strongly suspect they made a mistake at the tanning stage. The white stuff does not look like any other mould or mildew I have ever seen... (and I renovated a house where they had tacked Plastic sheets to a wall in an attempt to keep humidity out...) The good news is that I found a half full bottle of Isopropyl alcohol in the back of a drawer. I'll see tomorrow what it does. Bleach is also around and hardly ever needed. By the way, how does leather react to hydrochloric acid, when we are talking about the big guns...

You mean alkohol gel? Worth a try, especially since there should be some around from 4 years ago...

Just idle comments: I know prong collars without any leather, just the prong links and a chain loop. They have the advantage that one can use them both ways, prongs on the inside or outside. Secondly I disagree with the "well made" opinion. Whoever decided to use a plastic buckle didn't think things through. Your solid metal buckle should have been the way to go from the start. Nice work on your part!

Do you want to use it for riding or as a showpiece? In both cases you could start with saddle soap and elbow grease (or not, if you prefer the current look)...

Thank you. I am pretty sure that I have already tried vinegar at some point. You really think lemon juice will do more? Never having heard of Mold Armor, I don't think I cannfind it here (in France). Any other ideas? Incidentally, the bags were on my saddle the last three years (I couldn't look at my tack since my horse died) and the saddle is fine. There is something about this very leather that attracts the stuff...

Yes, the leather is as white as in the picture - some sort of mould or mildew. I have cleaned the bags several times with saddle soap, they were stored in a dry place and with plenty of air (not under cover). The mildew always returns. A few years ago even while the bags were in use in my living room. Any ideas (apart from binning them)?

Generally I need to make at least two to get an item I am satisfied with: One to learn on, the next one where I do what I've learned. But that may be only because I am bad at following instructions. Therefore, if I wanted to make a saddle for my future riding horse, I'd start making a first saddle now, without any expectation that I would be able to sell it. And then when my horse has a somewhat final shape, I'd make his final saddle. Btw, neither of my horses has ever had a bespoke saddle. I simply tried them before purchase, like my shoes...

The leatherwork is impeccable, I am very impressed. The only thing I am not sure of is the strap, both in colour and material. But I can't think of anything I'd prefer, either...

Decent Smartphones also allow to decrease the size of a picture... Your picture looks like the female part of a riveted snap to me. Do you want to repair this leather piece (what is it?), or make another one just like it?

Ikea (and probably others) sell little boxes you can put a number of magazines in vertically (sorry, it won't let me find them on the international site): https://www.ikea.com/fr/fr/p/haestviskare-range-revues-motif-chene-50576014/ That's how I kept my horse magazines (on book shelves), until I realised that I hadn't looked at a single one in years. Then most of them went into recycling. Which is why I recommend to create a database of the contents if you want to keep paper copies without scanning them, or anything else you can think of to make content easier to find.

Thank you! I might refer to that when I make my next straps