Suggestions on "refreshing" a leather scabbard?

[Bert]

I have a nice British M1907 bayonet with a scabbard that is solid but the leather has seen better times. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can clean the leather and condition it so it can have a bit better appearance? Thanks!

[airdrop]

Well saddle soap to clean it as best you can and then maybe Lexol leather conditioner sold at a farm supply or leather tack place might just do it. But if it is to old and weathered , cracking ,fiber in bad shape , it might be behond help.

[bentonville]

Pecards. I learned about it from folks on the CSP years ago. It use in on holsters, sheaths, slings, etc. It doesn't eventually cause cracks or dryness. It changes the color very little. Good luck.

[gunbarrel]

I also prefer Pecards Antique Leather Dressing.

[old-smithy]

I just bought some Pecards and first impressions are very good, it cleaned and improved some old leather frogs i had very quick and easy. i woudl be wary of using it on anything too light but for the UK black scababrds it woudl be great. for th enon waxed ones shoe polish does a good job of restoring th efinish, although i prefer my stuff to show its age (makes me look better lol )

[rongee]

I have a nice British M1907 bayonet with a scabbard that is solid but the leather has seen better times. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can clean the leather and condition it so it can have a bit better appearance? Thanks!

Pecards or Lexol are both good. Pecards is a paste and Lexol is a liquid. I use them both. I like Lexol because as a liquid, it gets down into the leather fibers, but it will darken the leather when it's applied. Remember that nothing can restore leather fibers. You can only make the undamaged leather more pliable.

[shaboogah]

WD 40 to get it pliable, then seal with 3in one oil. Cheap and easy.

[old-smithy]

WD 40 to get it pliable, then seal with 3in one oil. Cheap and easy.

and not good for the leather!

[Johnny Peppers]

Agree, no gun oils or solvents on old leather. Over the years I have tried just about everything recommended for leather, and find that Pecards does the best job of preserving old leather.
I have a Randall knife I gave my dad some 35 or 40 years back, and the first thing he did was use Neatsfoot Oil which he used on his boots on the scabbard. The scabbard is coming apart today.
I tried Lexol on a very dry Model 1909 holster, which soaked up the Lexol like water. After several treatments the leather actually worse than before I started, but I figured several more treatments might help. The holster was a total loss after it all dried.
Mink Oil seemed to be OK, but after a few years everything treated with it formed a white coating. The white seemes to rub off with no harm, but looks bad.
I then tried Pecards, and have been very pleased with it, especially on old and dry leather. I would forego using saddle soap if it involves wetting the holster, as the old and dry leather soak it up the water like a sponge. For dirty leather I just apply a heavier than usual coat of Pecards, let it set about thirty minutes, and then carefully wipe the leather down with a soft cloth like toweling. Don't rush the treatments, letting the coats set several days before applying another. The thinner the coat the better, and don't use the sun or artificial heat to try and speed up the process.

[rongee]

Agree, no gun oils or solvents on old leather.

If you read the ingredients lable on Pecards, it states that it contains petroleum distillates. There is no indgredients list on the Lexol container but their website states that Lexol contains no "chemical solvents". Pecards reminds me of the old "Sno-Seal" paste we used to use on boots for waterproofing. You'd smear it on, wave the boot over a gas burner, and the paste would soak into the leather. I think this is what Pecards does, but at a slower pace since no heat is recommended. What can I say? This is all trial and error without a controlled study.

[DarylBruce]

Pecards is what I use, but a little goes a long way. I find it best if used very sparely. Just a small dab will do ya. I have used Pecard Antique Dressing on light leather and it had little effect on color. .
2920

[Johnny Peppers]

If you read the ingredients lable on Pecards, it states that it contains petroleum distillates. There is no indgredients list on the Lexol container but their website states that Lexol contains no "chemical solvents". Pecards reminds me of the old "Sno-Seal" paste we used to use on boots for waterproofing. You'd smear it on, wave the boot over a gas burner, and the paste would soak into the leather. I think this is what Pecards does, but at a slower pace since no heat is recommended. What can I say? This is all trial and error without a controlled study.

I have also used the Sno-Seal on boots, and can assure you that Pecards is an entirely different product. I believe Sno-Seal would sit on leather forever if it wasn't heated. Pecards can be put on dress shoes, and buffed to a shine with a brush when it works in.
I too have no idea what is in Lexol, but know my experience in using it on old and dry leather was not good. The carrier seems to be water, and water is not good on old and dry leather.
Pictured below is a 90 year old Boyt holster that has had an application of Pecards approximately every six months for five or six years, and the color is only slightly darker than it was before it was ever treated.
I will admit that I have been using Pecards for only 25 or 30 years, but so far have not had a bad experience in restoring old and dry leather. Probably not scientific, but I do know what works and what doesn't for me.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2sb01lf.jpg

[old-smithy]

Petroleum distallates cover a huge ramge from Tar for roads to very light solvents, gun oil is among the lighter and WD40 eventually dries and is not pleasent. I woudl think a lanolin would probably be best as it is a natural product, and if it don't rot sheep it shouldnt bother the leather either

[Iceman66]

I too use the Pecards Antique. I don't recommend Lexol except for saddles. I have no ingredients list on my Pecards container and have never found one on their website either.

[mbarrad]

I have used leather CPR with good results. Leather CPR will not destroy cotton stitching. I have used this on a dry 130 year old leather Trapdoor sling with great success. Viewing the previous posts, I will try Pecards and see how it compares. Leather CPR will not discolor the finish.

[Arnhemjim]

Everyone seems to swear by Picards, and I know it has excellent restoration properties. I would like to offer an alternative, and that is Bick 4 Leather Conditioner. The bottle states it will not darken leather. That I'm not sure about because both antique scabbards I have used it on were black. However, I have successfully restored the scabbard to an 1850 Pattern US Army Foot Officer's sword, and the scabbard to a Bayonet, Common, Complete w/locking ring ("Pattern 1876"). The bayonet scabbard came from the Nepal Martini-Henry cache, and obviously had been in storage for approximately 100 years, in not the best of environments. In both cases the Bick 4 did an outstanding job.

[John Sukey]

If you really want the expensive stuff check with the local museum for what they use for preserving leather. Comes in a small plastic tub. Unfortunately I have forgotten the name.