What to do with damaged leather items

[Seaspriter]

Here's a good example of the Preservation versus Restoration debate (admittedly in the extreme)
Over a year ago I purchased this "wreck of a relic" Long Branch Sniper. It is very rare -- less than 100 Wartime Long Branch Snipers are known to exist. The Value on the GunBroker market at auction was $37 plus shipping.

What should be done with it?

The Preservationist would say "preserve it as it is -- it reflects its history." If it went to a museum collection, it would sit in some vault, never to be displayed because it's a wreck. Then, years later, auctioned off as "mundane."

The Restorationist would say "restore it to its original glory -- it should reflect what it was intended to be;" then it would be cherished, displayed, shot, collected, and be better preserved for posterity than the alternative preservation route.

Here's what the gun looks like now (thanks to Brian Dick and a global team from the US, UK, and Canada that contributed 100% authentic parts).
While it's not all "original," it is all "authentic," carefully restored with exactitude by Brian to post-war Ministry of Defense standards of excellence. The work was done by the best Enfield gunsmith in the U.S.. It now stands as a hallmark example of top-notch Canadian craftsmanship produced during the stress of war. And it's functional: it performs 100% of what it was designed to do, especially being shot on the range. All it now needs is an authentic scope bracket (coming soon) and scope (in the future when I can afford it).

It's value is now significantly higher than the $37 relic; and its likelihood of being cherished a century from now is nearly certain.

While this is not the answer to every decision, one must carefully weigh the options. I have other artifacts in my collection that have definitive provenance of their origin. Nothing will be done to them except to prevent further deterioration, because "refinishing" them would ruin the historic value.

Knowing when to preserve and when to restore, and when to do nothing is a refined choice, not one that should be left to Bubba or Bignorant.

All the best, Robert

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Although I think you made the term up

Yes, I do make up words. As a writer, I find there are so many words actually missing in the English language that prevent us from expressing ourselves well. If there is an actual word "Preservationist," then why isn't there a word "Restorationist?" Similarly, if there is a word "Survival," then why isn't there a word "Thrival?" And so forth.....