White mold

[Casey Jordan]

This is a question that was emailed to me and I don't know the answer.

Thought someone here might know more about it than I do.

"even with our very dry climate I seem to fight white mold on my old bridles and spur leathers.

Is there a product to stop this?"

Thanks for your help.

[kseidel]

Casey,

Most of the time that white stuff is not mold but the waxes and tallows from the leather leaching to the surface. Some oils have ingredients that come to the surface over time. What finish are you using? Is the white on the outside of the finish or on the leather itself under the finish?

Keith

[Casey Jordan]

Casey,

Most of the time that white stuff is not mold but the waxes and tallows from the leather leaching to the surface. Some oils have ingredients that come to the surface over time. What finish are you using? Is the white on the outside of the finish or on the leather itself under the finish?

Keith

The first thing I thought of was sweat, but not on spur straps.

I don't know what finish is on his items. He did mention they were "old" leather items. I'm assuming the finish is long gone.

Your answer makes since, I have noticed it on some items.

I guess the "white mold" description made me try to think of that as the source.

Should he just oil it or soap and then oil?

Thanks, Keith

[kevinhopkins]

Hi Casey,

One way to tell is something is white mold or grease is to shoot hot air at it, you can use a hair dryer, or if you have a friend that's full of it, just use them. If it's grease, it will retreat back into the leather, if it's mold, you'll know.

Kevin Hopkins

[bruce johnson]

Kevin,

I am laughing here. In my old shop I had a heck of a mold problem. I can trace it back to taking apart a saddle that had been left out in the weather for a couple years. When I took it apart green powder boiled out of it. After that I had mold. At the advice of a couple of good southern boys I went to using ProCarve to case with. That eliminated it, and they swear that they didn't have mold on finished products they had cased with it either. Five years ago we moved, and I got a little lax about using ProCarve or any antifungal in my casing mixes in the new shop. Last summer we redid the electrical system and stripped out the walls, the ceiling, gutted the whole thing. I dug out some latigos and some finished stuff treated with Williams or SaddleButter this winter and it is mostly covered with powdery looking white stuff. It didn't really feel like spew. I just knew it must be mold from opening up the walls and ceilings. I sat around stewing for a few hours until I noticed the "mold" melting on the ones by the heater. I backed into your heat test for mold. Hit the rest with the heatgun and it was gone. Dodged a bullet there.

[Casey Jordan]

Thanks for the help guys.

I never personaly had this problem but it is good to know how to find out for sure.