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I bought some transparent leather and it smells of LPG! Or rather, the additive they add to the actually odorless LPG. Could it be that today's methods use some of what was done so long ago?

Yes. That one. It did not darken but it was not as effective as the ones with oils and waxes. But oils and waxes always darken leather, at least temporarily. Maybe you could do trials on small pieces of the leather.

For a non-darkening conditioner, you could try the one by Chemical Guys. It has not darkened any of my leathers.

Good idea to use key fob dies.

I think, as the population increases and people migrate so much, household staff is getting to be more common. And it makes sense too. It provides income when it is most needed. I like that in the West all professions are treated with respect. In India, these days it is demanded and I am happy about that. We grew up treating staff with love and respect. We are currently caring for my mother's maid who is old and has no one. There is no social security in India so we are her security.

I can imagine, especially when people are very connected to their own communities. When we first came to the US, except in the largest cities on the coasts, everywhere else, it was difficult to get anything at all. In some places, we were the only non-whites. Many thought that non-white meant Hispanic and I had to explain that that is not so. Most people were surprisingly friendly and welcoming but others were hmmm. My family is luckily very adaptable and had no trouble but I know of many who were very unhappy. Especially when people treated us like the denizens of a zoo - I once had a white woman tell me that I and my Irani acquaintance reminded her of a 'colorful flock of birds'. Very condescending. So yes, we have to put up with a lot. I suspect people always have, through the centuries, whenever they have migrated. I was timid at first... now, as I think is evident, I'm not.

Everyone in India has servants, not just Hindus. The Christians and Muslins, the Jews and Sikhs and Parsis have just as many servants. We have cooks and chauffeurs, cleaning staff and sweepers. With that population, it just makes sense. It ensures everyone is working and earning None of us in India throw things on the floor and expect servants to pick it up. It is just an exaggeration - I have heard people say that too but never seen it. Indians are very materialistic and money minded - saying that they have people pick up after them is a way of indicating how wealthy they are. After all, it is not routine in the West to have maids in middle-class and lower middle-class neighborhoods like it is in India, so they have no idea how routine it is for us. Your tenant probably had some mental issues and sadly, no one realized it and helped him.

Nice to hear about all that children learn here. Where I come from, a different culture, growing up if I wanted to do anything myself, my parents explained that if I, for example, repaired my slippers, I would be depriving the mochi (Hindi for Cobbler) of his earning. So I went to the cobbler. The same for everything else. Those of us who could afford to buy their services, did so, in my family, for the reasons stated. (at one point, we had more maids than we needed, because one needed a job!) I did learn sewing though but not cooking. That I disliked and still dislike. I learnt cooking from my husband who cooks very well and did, from his childhood. I still hate it, he still enjoys it. In the US, I can learn everything without any guilt but when I visit family, I still will go to the mochi or call the carpenter for repairs.

Do you plan to make and sell them? That would be interesting.

@x546JP If I may ask, why do you want to know this?

I'll maybe make a small coin purse with veg tan ad try Vaseline on that. Let's see.

Yes. I have something like that. I use it for edge burnishing larger items like bags. I should be able to get a buffer wheel for that. Ordering these now. I use a handheld Dremel for edge burnishing small items - so just need to look for a buffer wheel. it probably has one - lots of attachments I have not looked at. Thank you @Wepster and @Littlef. I might actually have most things I need at home. Now to get to work. Thank you everyone here who has given me so much of information and guidance. Now I get to work!

@Northmount, @toxo wow. My eyes ache just reading about these experiences. My worst is mild comparatively - a klutz next to me in the lab, tipped over her spirit lamp onto my arm which caught fire - from elbow to fingers. I waved it around and the remaining spirit on my skin evaporated and the fire died out. Everyone else was transfixed with horror. My arm, amazingly, was fine - not a single burn. Never sat next to her again.. no one did. Anyway, leery about using spirit lamps since then. Yep, exactly. After over 4 decades of using pressure cookers, one of mine exploded some months ago. No idea why. Valves worked fine. Vents clean and clear. Even with utmost care, accidents occur; all we can really do is think of all the risks and possibilities and try to prevent them.. and cross fingers and hope.

@dikman you are clearly a kind person. It's a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you for the tip on wet and dry paper. I gather you mean sandpaper? I'll maybe try that first. Then the heating and oiling. Seem the safest! I love that I learn so many new things here constantly.

@bladegrinder That is so true. I can just as well use them cleaned without polishing. I would like to learn though. I do leatherwork for a hobby, so will need to think about it. The burnisher I have is the Tandy one. So it is small and will take a buffer wheel but I'm wondering about it after everyone warns of the dangers. At home, I cannot afford to have tools flying away, even if in the opposite direction - I have pets! It took me a while to even recognize what a buffer is, because to me, a buffer is a reagent. Common sense told me it is a solid item but until I saw this photograph, I was unsure of how one looks or can look. (thank you @jrdunn for the photograph). I saw pics online but did not know which one is what I could use. Anyway, I am busy setting up an electrolysis machine, which I have done before - earlier for iron pots but this one is smaller. Let's see how clean that makes the tools. I appreciate all the warnings - and will take care or maybe even avoid polishing with a buffer. I take all that I am told here very seriously because I know you all speak from experience and nothing beats that. Thank you all..

@dikman please rest assured, I will take care. You all had a first time of using a tool and I will too. I have the advantage of so many of you guiding and warning me at every step.

@chuck123wapati if that is your opinion of me, and you do not like what I ask, you are welcome to stay out of any threads that I start. After all, my name is present, linked to the threads. I am certain that the other old timers and everyone else here can and have judged me for themselves and you really do not need to try and color their opinions of me. Not everyone has their opinions colored like yours clearly are, seeing your current and earlier comments, here and elsewhere. We all have our opinions of people; not everyone airs them. For that reason, I will not be responding to any more of your comments. It is not rudeness, but a desire to not have any unpleasantness in otherwise pleasant threads which are started to truly learn.

@bruce johnson @dikman thank you for all that information and for being so willing to guide me. I am going to cut and paste all this information into my 'using tools' file to review each time I use something. Best way to ensure I don't forget. I did not realize that my basic burnisher that I bought for edge finishing, I keep it positioned so that the wheel turns away from me. So I have an idea what you both are talking about. Come to think of it, that is sure to have a buffer attachment. I'll look for it. Once I get one, I will put up a pic here, so that if there are any specific precautions needed for the type, I would love to know. @bruce johnson good poster. do you mind if I print it and put it in my work area too?

Thank you for those ideas @bruce johnson. I was wondering how I could use them. I have not bought one as yet. But they are so beautiful. I will buy one soon and try out some of those things. I'm glad you told me that the hair gets rubbed off on bags, else I would have made one. Don't want the hassle of hair rubbing off and adding to the hair I find everywhere - dog hair plus cattle hair! Yes. I will watch out for the way the hair lies. That is part of the beauty, isn't it, the glowing colors and patterns and the way the hair lies.

Love that! @jrdunn That is a very nice thing to say. Thank you. I will continue to learn and do. And don't worry. I am very, very careful with tools. I will be as careful with buffers as well. I learn all I can, get all the possible information about precautions and dangers and then use a tool for the first time. Takes time but I am usually safe. I am of the 'know all you can' brigade, not the 'learn as you go' brigade in matters of safety when using tools, chemicals and everything else. Hence my dozens of questions about things. That is after internet searches. That is why I appreciate all you really nice people here who understand and share your knowledge so willingly.

Thanks @dikman I'll take care about that. I really appreciate people like you who are so helpful and give me the guidance to learn new things. And do not treat me like I am senile because I am sometimes absent minded. I have been so since I was a teenager and if I had been discouraged like another here is trying to do, I would have not achieved anything at all. So thank you. @chuck123wapati Hahaha. You make me sound like I am ready for a hospice or already living in one. Absent-mindedness, I believe, is a mark of brilliance. . You might not understand that. As for the rest, I spent my life doing medical research, interior design, computer programming, running a tech company, among other things. All white collar stuff. Now I want to do things with my hands... so learning. I will be learning new things until I die. Going to professionals is not an option because I want to learn and do. Until now, .I did not know how to use tools because I never had reason to use them. I had plenty of people to do it for me. Now I want to learn. That is the fun of life. Learning something new all the time. I bet all the old timers here had a time when they were new as well. I hope no one told them, that they forget and are therefore unsuited to do whatever they want to do. Youngsters forget as well. When young certainly, but then, they were not busy spending 18-20 hours a day doing medical research in the field and in the lab. We all can learn and do some things, not all things throughout our lives. The trick is in always learning, not stagnating and not saying 'I know.. I know!' but instead saying, "What else can I learn". And that is all I am going to say about that.

IKEA visit this week-end and they have some very nice hair-on hides. Beautiful finish and soft and supple. I checked Tandy immediately after and not as good but more pricy. The colors in IKEA are much better too, warm and rich. The finishes will naturally be different as the IKEA ones are ready for use as rugs. But has anyone cut them up to make other items from them?

@dikman I will probably have to start using electrical instruments. I cannot possibly do everything by hand. That would leave me with little or no time for actual leatherwork! Come to think of it, I think I do have an electric buffer somewhere. @chuck123wapati I used to use vinegar earlier but once the rust is gone, if I don't take the tools out in time, they stain. I always forget. That is why I stopped.

@jasj electrolysis is really effective, I agree. I used it some years ago to clean all my old iron pots and pans. I might need to set it up again if I keep getting old tools. Once set up, it is much easier to carry out. @bruce johnson yes it is a few minutes, but I am notorious in my circle for forgetting things on the stove. A couple of dishes have even been named after that, something to the order of 'spicy burnt potatoes'. So anything cold is best, I think.