questions regarding an old leather belt

[DoctorX]

Hello Everyone,

I am fairly new to leather working, and wanted to ask a few questions regarding an old leather belt I found in a dresser drawer (I have attached pictures). The belt was given to me by an uncle about 45 years ago; it has never been worn, or conditioned, or stored properly. It has been moved from place to place in the house over the years with never a thought to climate, in closets, drawers, etc. I became interested in leather work a few months ago, and very recently rediscovered this belt. What is interesting is that there are no cracks, or apparent degradation that I can see (at this point in my learning). It is as flexible in any direction as if it was made of rubber. There is no oil residue that appears if a paper towel is wrapped around it, and there is still a faint smell of leather that can be detected. It is a solid strip of leather, but there are no markings describing what kind of leather was used (full grain, etc). The belt was made by an outfit called the Honest Belt Co., with no other information other than a style number and waist size. From what I can gather, it is an 8 oz thickness, it is embossed, and has a solid brass plated buckle (the plating has mostly flaked away). The keepers are sewn, as is the buckle end of the belt. There are no snaps.

My questions are:

Is there any way to tell what, (if any) kind of conditioning agent was used on this belt? 

Is it common for an unused, stored belt made at least 45 years ago, to not dry out, crack or degrade, and to remain very supple?

Finally, if this kind of longevity is common for leather goods, what kind of conditioning material is best for keeping leather goods in great condition (assuming they are not too badly abused)?

 

Sorry for the long, drawn out post....

Thanks,

Dr. X

 

 

[Squid61]

There was, still is I think, a product called Lexol that was a pretty popular leather conditioner years ago.  It was a liquid rather than cream or wax and really penetrated.  Just one possibility.

[DoctorX]

7 hours ago, Squid61 said:

There was, still is I think, a product called Lexol that was a pretty popular leather conditioner years ago.  It was a liquid rather than cream or wax and really penetrated.  Just one possibility.

Thanks, Squid. I appreciate the tip.

Dr.X

[Tugadude]

Whenever you want an answer, you just to to the internet, right?    So I did just that and typed in "longevity of leather goods".  The results were interesting if not a bit underwhelming.  Some of the info leads me to believe that leather can last from 10 to 20 years!  Your belt should be bragging at this point.  Obviously whoever wrote 10 to 20 years was being extremely conservative.  We all know that quality leather, properly cared for (and obviously sometimes not) can last a lifetime.  The number I saw repeated several times was 100 years, assuming it is full grain leather and cared for.

One site listed 5 things that can shorten the lifespan of leather.

• Exposure to Sunlight. Leather's arch-nemesis is that big bright ball in the sky–the sun. ...
• Extreme Changes in Temperature. ...
• Not Cleaning Stains Right Away. ...
• Use Harsh Chemicals and Soaps to Clean Your Leather. ...
• Too Much Heat.

What isn't mentioned there is what can be done to prolong the health of leather.  Leather conditioners will extend the useful properties of leather, helping to avoid drying out and cracking.

 

[DoctorX]

Hello Tugadude,

Thanks for the reply! I kind of suspected that if leather was properly maintained, it would last quite a while, but this particular belt had me wondering since it was just put aside for the last 45 years, moved from place to place, etc, etc. I was expecting to find it had dried out with cracks or other degradation apparent, but none of those things had visibly occurred. It looks and feels like new. Told you I was the new kid on the block! 

Thanks again,

Dr. X

Edited April 6, 2021 by DoctorX
oops.

[RemingtonSteel]

I found and old stitching horse (~ 100 yrs old) at an antique shop, and the leather strap that that goes from the foot pedal to the clams looked original. It was severely dried out and cracked.  When you are a leatherworker, it would be easy enough to make a new one, but I wanted to save the original if I could. I applied numerous heavy coats of pure neatsfoot oil, and the leather softened up and regained its flexibility and strength. Still using that strap three years later.

Leather is as you know an animals skin, and contains natural oils that get removed through the tanning process. Casing, staining/dying, wet molding, and other things we do to the leather, can further dry the leather.  It only makes sense to me to add back some oil to the leather to give it back the moisture it needs to remain flexible and prolong its life.  That is why many veg tan leatherworkers apply a coat of pure neatsfoot oil or extra virgin olive oil to their project at one stage or another. Then at the final stage of production a protectant of some kind is usually applied.