Is This Leather Salvageable?

[Calvus]

I recently received all of my grandfather's leather working tools and leather remnants. All of the leather I was given had spent the last 10-15 years in a garage. Most of what I received was simply scrap. The leather that wasn't scrap was either obviously good or obviously bad, except these two pieces.

Album here

Before writing them off, I wanted to check with y'all to see if they are salvageable. If so, what do I need to do? As you can see they're both stained by some kind of liquid. I assume water, but it might not be. (There is no particular smell to them.) Both feel dry, but not overly so. Both can bend without cracking or splitting. I do have some neatsfoot oil, but not near enough for either piece. Both pieces are in the 8-10oz range.

I don't know what else to tell you so you'll be able to make an estimation. Just ask and I'll get back to you.

Not that it matters, but I'm thinking about using the rectangle piece as a desk mat. As for the larger piece, maybe a child's belt and the backing to a hybrid holster.

Thanks for any suggestions you can give.

[rawcustom]

Maybe it's just me but i find a way to salvage most any leather. Maybe they won't work left natural over a wide open space such as your desk mat idea, but I'm sure after some black dye they will look much better for the holster idea. Or better yet use them up on hidden/interior pieces, or cut them for straps where it's not as noticeable. At the very least you can use it for shop projects to keep for yourself.

[Northmount]

Try cleaning with Fiebings liquid saddle soap, evenly across the whole hide. Then bleach with oxalic acid. And of course get some oil back into it. You can test on a smaller piece first so you have a good idea how it will turn out. Have salvaged some old, and some bad smelling leather using this process.

Tom

[camano ridge]

YOu have some pretty big chunks of leather there. At about $8.00 or more a square foot it would be a shame to throw it out. Northmount outlined a pretty good process for cleaning it up. On the otherhand if your going to be dying it primarily dark colors. I would just get some conditioner/oil on it and start making projects.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Even dried out leather has uses. It can be ground up and used for filling in different projects.

[Calvus]

Try cleaning with Fiebings liquid saddle soap, evenly across the whole hide. Then bleach with oxalic acid. And of course get some oil back into it. You can test on a smaller piece first so you have a good idea how it will turn out. Have salvaged some old, and some bad smelling leather using this process.

Tom

Ok, I had to look up what oxalic acid was. Do you know if that can be purchased somewhere like Lowe's or Home Depot, or is that internet ordered only? How would I go about mixing and applying? Is it something specific or just follow the directions on the package?

As for everyone else, thank you so much for your responses. I've kept some of the leather as it's "good enough to make something for me".

[Northmount]

There are lots of posts about oxalic acid, but may be daunting to sort through them all.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=38134&hl=%2Boxalic+%2Bacid+%2Bcherry#entry236505

It is available at major paint stores, big box hardware/lumber/paint stores, and by order through pharmacies.

Tom

[Calvus]

There are lots of posts about oxalic acid, but may be daunting to sort through them all.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=38134&hl=%2Boxalic+%2Bacid+%2Bcherry#entry236505

It is available at major paint stores, big box hardware/lumber/paint stores, and by order through pharmacies.

Tom

Thanks northmount!

[Neillo]

Oxalic acid is a good way to restore leather but it's pretty expensive stuff to buy!

I Normally use Pears brand glycerine soap and a regular nylon kitchen scourer and clean hides by lathering the soap on the leather, then I rinse the scourer and use it to wipe off the soap and then wipe dry the leather with a clean rag and allow it to air dry.

It's worked so far for mildly water stained hide with early signs of mildew, but anything much worse than that and maybe Oxalic crystals will be the only way to get the staining out.

Like Camano said, if you're dyeing the leather in darker colours, the staining won't be of much consequence; not sure if the staining will affect water based dyes though so it might be worth cutting off a few scrap pieces to experiment with different dyes.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Neillo

[Northmount]

I bought a container, 500 g (1.1 lbs) of oxalic acid crystals for less than $20. Bought it through a local pharmacy. Supplier is Xenex Labs at Coquitlam, BC and Ferndale, WA phone 1-800-663-1002. I suspect ordering from the lab would get an even better price.

Not a bad price at all, and 500 g will last a long time. Container is a plastic bottle, 5" H x 3.5" dia.

Tom

[thomasandy57]

The hide looks like a Belting Leather from WC. It is faded by the sun. Nothing to take care of the fading.

Tom