Older, Dried, Prefinished Leather

[llucas]

I bought two nice large double shoulder prefinished leathers from a company that went out of business about six years ago. Getting them home, I examined them and tested a few scraps in the sewing machine. They seem dry and the needle fractures the backside in a way that is obvious. What can I do to rejuvenate this leather and make it more supple, pliable and workable?

Edited February 14, 2016 by llucas

[barehandcustoms]

First off, do everything in light coats and take your time. People are prone to apply too much at one time or not wait long enough between coats.

Dark Leather - I use warm water and wipe the leather down a few times to clean it then leave it at room temperature to dry out. Once the leather has some moisture in it then I use several light coats of Neatsfoot oil until the piece feels supple to the touch again. Do one side at a time so gravity works in your favor. I generally wait about 15 minutes between each coat of oil to let it soak into the leather.

Lighter colors or natural leather - I use warm water and wipe the leather down with a soft rag to clean it then let it dry out naturally at room temperature. DO NOT use Neatsfoot oil on lighter leather to rejuvenate it since this will darken the leather. Use a good saddle soap or surface conditioner instead. What I do is lightly wipe the surface down again with a wet rag to get the surface moist. I let the water soak in for a few minutes then apply light coats of saddle soap or conditioner to the leather. Wet then wait then oil then wait...rinse and repeat until you're happy with the results. One side at a time.....

[llucas]

First off, do everything in light coats and take your time. People are prone to apply too much at one time or not wait long enough between coats.

Dark Leather - I use warm water and wipe the leather down a few times to clean it then leave it at room temperature to dry out. Once the leather has some moisture in it then I use several light coats of Neatsfoot oil until the piece feels supple to the touch again. Do one side at a time so gravity works in your favor. I generally wait about 15 minutes between each coat of oil to let it soak into the leather.

Lighter colors or natural leather - I use warm water and wipe the leather down with a soft rag to clean it then let it dry out naturally at room temperature. DO NOT use Neatsfoot oil on lighter leather to rejuvenate it since this will darken the leather. Use a good saddle soap or surface conditioner instead. What I do is lightly wipe the surface down again with a wet rag to get the surface moist. I let the water soak in for a few minutes then apply light coats of saddle soap or conditioner to the leather. Wet then wait then oil then wait...rinse and repeat until you're happy with the results. One side at a time.....

Thanks for the advice. I have made some sample pieces and am trying a number of solutions. I will certainly try your suggestion as well. Thanks.

[llucas]

I skipped the neatsfoot oil and used the saddle soap two times between dryings. It worked like a charm. No more fracturing of the leather on the side where the needle exits. Thanks for the tip. Weaver says their Leather Creme will also help, but I haven't tried it yet.

[llucas]

I remembered one of the rolled up leather pieces was in a box, so I checked the label. It is Wickett&Craig. Since all I have ever used was veg tan for holsters, etc., I have no idea which of the varieties W&C sells it is. It is very uniform, dense, and evenly colored. Bridle leather? Latigo? How does one figure that out? From the illustration of color and finish on the Wickett&Craig website, it appears to be English Bridle leather, but I am not sure. I paid $30 for what I would describe as two double shoulders. Six years old and needs some tic and conditioning, but it seems I got a good deal after all.

Edited February 28, 2016 by llucas