I inherited a number of deerskin pouches from my father when he died. The leather is thin but very nice, about 50 years old at least, and a doe shin creamy color. I was sure nothing had been done to it for those 50+ years, so I applied a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil on one of the pouches using a folded piece of paper towel. The oil immediately soaked in between the stitching, and by the next morning it had filled in any spaces that I was not able to reach with the paper towel.
It has now been a week since I did the deed, and the deerskin pouch is beautiful. The olive oil darkened it from a creamy white to a leather- looking brown, and somehow it looks healthier. There is no olive oil smell, nor is there a leather smell, but there never was a leather smell to the pouches anyhow. I was concerned that the oil might turn rancid, but this conversation on this site has been very helpful regarding that. As a result, I don't feel hesitant to use the oil on the other pouches, though I will probably wait a few months just to be sure all is well with the first one. I'll upload before and after photographs when I get the chance.
So thanks for the conversation. It is one of the online few that stays respectfully professional. And I'm so impressed that there is actually some real data presented and discussed. Way to go. Jack
