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I was getting ready to start my saddle restoration (replacing all the leather) when I had a thought.... So this might be a really stupid question and maybe it doesn't apply here but I don't want to mess up before I even get really started. When working with fabric, the patterns are suppose to be laid down with the grain of the material.... Is there a ceratin rule for laying out the saddle patterns when it comes to leather? Thanks in Advance~ June

Hi all, I’ve got this awl (pun stubbornly intended). Picked up fairly cheap from something between a junk and antiques shop. I ground and polished the tarnish away on my sharpening stone if you’re wondering why it looks a bit strange. As you can see from the photos about 1/4 of the wood intended to hold the shaft (right term?) is gone. So the obvious question I have is what is the best way that doesn’t involve replacing the whole handle to secure the shaft and collar? Related to that, what’s with the angle of the shaft? I’ve tried it all four ways, and obviously due to the diamond shape it only fits in two, but it’s never centred. I don’t think this has to do with the bit that’s broken off, because to be centred there would have to be less material on the side that’s still there. In fact that’s probably why there’s that bit missing, because it would have been a fairly thin wedge. Is there some reason this awl is asymmetrically angled? And if so, which way is it meant to be held? I’ve got no idea what’s stamped on the shaft, it’s very worn. I’d be interested if anyone recognises it.

Just bought this machine. It has been fairly used but sews nicely, bit loose on bobbin thread. Definitely needs deep clean and oil. Hoping that all. But I do need to switch out pressure foot. The existing one doesn’t allow it to raise high enough for me. I ordered new one on eBay. Are there any any changes I will need to make to accommodate it other than change amount of pressure on the foot? Thank you

I found this at local goodwill for $8. Was sure I could restore the leather but after one treatment with leather restoration cream it doesn’t look much better. And it has wrinkles I’m not sure how to get out. Would appreciate your advise.

Hi gang, I'm going to restore this holster for someone. It needs some stitching repair, a new snap, and things like that which are pretty easy. However they requested that I try and remove the scuff marks as much as possible and I wondered if anyone has any tricks or tips on doing that. I THINK this holster is veg tan because the edges are burnished, but I'm not 100% sure on that. It seems to have some wax finish on it, I'm not sure about stripping the wax, redying, or whatever might work. Also I think it would be nice to somehow keep that old patina that it has. Anyway, any thoughts? Thanks!

Dear all, I'm very new to leatherwork and would be immensely grateful for some help with my restoration of a beautiful old Pendragon attache case. The case is probably from the 1950's/60's and is made of thick bridle leather. The leather is dirty, cracked, dry and scuffed/scratched. My aim is to restore and protect it, but I am not looking for an 'as new' finished - I'd like it to show its age and patina. So far I have re stitched some of the seams - now I need to tackle the leather itself. For this I have ordered some Lexol Cleaner, Lexol Conditioner and Skidmore's Beeswax Restoration Cream. Are these products sufficient? Do I need anything else? What order would you use them (I had intended cleaner; beeswax to fill in the cracks; then conditioner - is this correct?). I would like to avoid re-dying the leather but is this the only way to deal with the scuffed edges? Any and all advice gratefully received.

I recovered this old saddle from my great-aunt's shed. She told me that her father (my great-grandfather) used to ride this saddle whenever he went out for a date! I figured it must have been very nice in its day, so I wanted to fix it (any tips on fixing bent/cracked leather, please share! I'm currently using Leather New and probably some saddle oil, but advice about other chemicals/techniques that would be better would be most welcome). It was kept on a shelf in a shed that was poorly-protected against the Mississippi elements (well, it survived a tornado that took down a bunch of massive pines, so it must be sturdier than it looks), and there were plenty of spiders living in the resulting folds of the leather. The leather has a lot of those webbing cracks in it, especially where it's been unnaturally folded from sitting on a flat surface. It's not so dry that it cracks at the touch, and for having sat on that shelf for God-knows-how-long, I'm surprised it's in such relatively excellent shape. There is a defined cut in the cantle, and the seat looks to have been scraped away a bit in one area. The stirrup buckles are very rusty, and the strap that connects the girth to the saddle (it's not like any saddle I've seen; it's kind of Y shaped, with the girth attachment at the cross-section of the Y and making the tail) has broken off in transport, although I still have what remains of it. I'm not sure if it will ever be like new again, but I'd like to get it as close as I can. Furthermore, I have no idea what type of saddle it is. I can't find a maker's mark anywhere, but I haven't looked too thoroughly for fear of cracking the dry leather any further. Online, I've found some types of saddles that are similar, but I'm not certain they're a perfect match. I'm not sure about the year, but I figured it must have been made around late 1800s or early 1900s (and if my great-grandfather got it from HIS father, even older? His father, my great-great-grandfather, owned a slave plantation, to give a bit of perspective, although I've no idea if that's where the saddle came from). If anyone knows what kind of saddle this is, or where I can go to find out, please let me know. (P.S. I've never posted to a forum before, so I honestly don't know how to attach the picture files. The file uploader keeps telling me the picture is too big, and I had 6 pictures total to get every angle; I can add the pictures later when I figure out how. Until then, I apologize. Please share information on leather restoration, at the very least!!)

Hi group. I have been playing with leather for many years now, off and on. I have a decent grasp of what I'm doing, within the perimeters that I'm working. That said, being only self-taught there is much I still do not know, especially concerning restoring old leather. My Sister brought me her handbag to see if I could clean it up for her. It had been in storage for many years and looked like it. After a full bottle of 'Fiebings liquid Glycerin saddle soap', some "Lexol Ph cleaner", several warm water rinses and a couple of rags (now destroyed) later, my rag stopped coming back caked with brown "gunk". I have no idea what I was cleaning off, an old dye paste wax? Years of crud accumulation? Both? Finally the leather started to look like I was making progress. I used some Lexol conditioner on it last night, so the color has gone dark. I assume it will fade in days!? (I (now) know that "before" pics would have gone a long way in helping to better understand where I was and where I am now, but it's too late for that now, so instead I offer pics of the situation as of now.) Here's a couple of pics showing the spots I am questioning. 1) The 'shiny' spots I assume are an old finish? What is it and how do I removed it? 2) Once I get it cleaned of the old finish I assume it will look like the areas that are now dull/leather looking? 3) At this point what do I do? Do I put more conditioner on it, and then put a coat of light dye on it? 4) Now for the "finish". What kind of finish would be best for this bag? I am partial to a natural finish, but I want it to have some protection. 5) The last image is of a scuffed area inside the bag. Can this be sanded with sand paper? Also the handles are rough. Do they need more oils? Could they be sanded smoothe? I recently read somewhere that that was an option in some cases. If anybody here would/could help me figure this out, I would be ever grateful.

I bought this saddle from a very nice tack ship in Chesterfield, Mo in the early 1970's. The owner told me it was made by a very good saddle maker, and it appeared old then. I really did not use it much but have kept it all this time time because it feels like a a "really good saddle." Upon investigation it looks just like a Porter saddle but I have not seen the markings. Also would the silver be tarnished by now if it was real silver. Could it be a Porter? Obviously it needs to be cleaned so advice on that would be appreciated. Best I can tell I should get as much dust as possible off of the leather with compressed air, a soft brush and vacuuming before starting with the liquid cleaners. After that the advice I read is all over the place. I do plan on selling it… Or sell it as is and let an expert clean it?