What to do with damaged leather items

[Seaspriter]

I am pretty confident I could do the repairs, I have done leather work before. It's just a matter of whether I should or not. I'm leaning toward it because In researching these, I've encountered quite a few that had the strap replaced

Go for the repair. Generally speaking, in the world of Preservation versus Restoration, Preserve it if it has a provenance (i.e. it belonged to Rommel, etc.); Restore it to functional condition if it is ordinary/common (what good is a dysfunctional antique?)

Refrain from rifles and buy a good Luger to fit the holster (what good is an empty holster -- it's like an empty gas tank).

[gew8805]

I picked up what I believe to be a WWI Luger holster the other day that has some damage. It is a little dried out and the closing strap is torn completely off at the last hole. I have photos posted in the "Other Military Service Pistols and Revolvers' thread.

Looking around the net, I found several sources that note the strap has been replaced on various holsters they are selling so it is done.

I'm not looking to sell this but to use it in my displays but I don't want to destroy it's collectability if it has any by repairing it. My personal preference would be repaired. I'd also like to treat the leather so it doesn't get worse. It is pliable for the most part.

One other area is the small loop next to the clasp. That is very close to tearing in half, any way to stabilize it?

If you feel the need, replace the strap. Use the correct weight leather and sew in the same fashion as was originally done using the correct natural thread. You may feel you can do it, but if you are in the least bit uncertain, have someone experienced do it.

The best thing to do for an historical item made of leather is nothing. Keep it out of direct sunlight, store it in an environment with stable humidity and temperature, and handle it as little as possible. That is what historical preservationists do. However, you are not at that level and the item you are working on is not rare.... yet. So, as far as what to use to restore the oils the holster naturally had when new, use pure neatsfoot oil or lanolin, they will do the job. Clean the leather first and then apply a light coat of oil, no more, it doesn't need it. Keep in mind that the oil will darken the leather somewhat but not too much. Do not use any of the modern goops said to be used by museums to preserve their collections, as I said above, museums with qualified preservationists do not use anything, they store the items properly to stop the deterioration the best they can, that is all.

Something else to keep in mind, as far as getting a Luger for the holster be sure that there is no oil whatsoever on the Luger if you intend to put it in the holster. The worst thing for leather - even worse than being displayed in direct sunlight - is petroleum. Keep your properly oiled Luger away from the holster unless you wipe it completely dry before putting it in the holster.

[Flying10uk]

Assuming that you have the broken bit of leather strap and that you don't actually wish to use the holster, for perhaps re-enacting, I would first try gluing the broken strap back together with Super Glue. If this worked I would then treat the leather with leather treatment. Don't try it the other way round or the glue won't work. I have found that Super Glue works remarkably well for leather repairs provided you don't wish to rough handle the item. I used this method on my WW2 German helmet chin strap which had broken in several places and I wanted to retain the original strap and as I am not planning to start wearing it the repair should last. Please take sensible safety precautions when using super glue as it is excellent at sticking yourself to the thing that you are trying to repair.


I find that Neatsfoot based leather treatments (available from Saddlers) are excellent for reviving old leather but with this type of treatment I normally only apply to the inside surface of the leather. This treatment is used for horse tact. I then follow up a few days later with treatments intended for the outer surfaces of leather.

[gew8805]

To avoid gluing the item to yourself, use rubber cement. It is flexible when dry and holds leather better than any other adhesive. First skive the two pieces to be joined, apply the glue to each surface and after about 15 minutes, carefully join the pieces together. Of course this shortens the overall length but nothing except sewing works better.

[Seaspriter]

The best thing to do for an historical item made of leather is nothing. Keep it out of direct sunlight, store it in an environment with stable humidity and temperature, and handle it as little as possible. That is what historical preservationists do.

This is a good example of what a "Preservationist" would do for a museum collection. A "Restorationist" would repair to useable condition.

In my experience, leather, untreated and not kept in a museum case will continue to deteriorate as it dries out and fungi attack the leather. Leather pieces my father treated with the neats foot oil & lanolin & beeswax treatment 70 years ago are still pliable and do not show any significant signs of deterioration.

even worse than being displayed in direct sunlight - is petroleum

This is quite correct, and especially modern petroleum products with so many solvents. One of the purposes of the beeswax is to serve as a repellant to prevent water and oil from getting into the leather.

[Aragorn243]

Although I think you made the term up, I would fall strongly into the Restorationist camp. Some things can still look good and be functional but be in poor shape. Toys for instance. I also collect toys, mostly cars and trucks. I would never dream of repainting an old toy car, it still has function and looks good sitting on the shelf. It isn't likely to rust sitting on a shelf either, just get dusty. Now if the wheels are busted off, that's another matter. It ceased being functional and doesn't really look that good either unless you turn it to a side that both visible wheels are exposed. Only if it gets to the point where it has active rust would I consider a full restoration, and in doing so, I also recognize it ceases being collectible to MOST collectors.

Getting to this holster. If the top could be made to stay closed or if even one link of the strap was still there, I'd probably let it alone. But as is, it isn't exactly functional and it doesn't look good with the missing strap. Add to that the leather will continue to deteriorate unless kept in ideal conditions and that's why I'm heavily leaning toward restoration.

[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.....

[aarondhgraham]

Do not over oil the leather,,,
The worst mistake is to drench dried up leather in neatsfoot oil.

If the leather is stiff, drenching it will simply turn it to mush.

The trick is to use a lanolin based treatment,,,
And go slowly and sparsely with the applications.

One product I've used in the past is Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator.

Rub just a little bit on the leather,,,
Then wait a few days for it to soak in.

Then do another application,,,
repeat as many times as necessary.

Resist the temptation to flex the dry leather,,,
If you do that the fibers will break,,,
There's no repairing that.

I once restored an 1850's holster that was dry as a desert stone,,,
Honestly, it took about six weeks to rejuvenate the leather.

But when the hide rejuvenator finally permeated the fibers,,,
The leather became flexible again and the holster was restored.

As for sewing, do yourself a favor and learn to saddle stitch with two needles,,,
And save every piece of the original leather parts,,,
That's for the collectors who want it all.

I hope this helps.

Aarond

.

[Seaspriter]

I'm always interested in the ingredients of different products.

Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator

Here is a list of ingredients and %.


Petrolatum USP (Vaseline) 10% - 15%
Sulfated animal oils, sodium salts 1%– 5%
Sulfated synthetic oil 1% – 5%
Fatty acids 1% – 5%
Glycerol esters of C14-C18 fatty acids (artificial substitute for lanolin?) 70% – 87%

FWIW

[gew8805]

aarondhgraham, while I don't approve of Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator (the use of a Vaseline type product in it's contents alone says enough about that, too much petroleum from that source alone), I do agree with the spirit of your post, you agreed precisely with what I said in mine when you said "Do not over oil the leather,,, The worst mistake is to drench dried up leather in neatsfoot oil". Re-read what I said and you will see I advised that you should proceed slowly when doing this work and only use small amounts of PURE neatsfoot oil at a time. Reapply lightly as needed, neatsfoot oil will soak in more quickly than any modern, artificial goop, better in fact, requiring fewer applications than the thicker greases. Believe me, I have been at this for over 40 years and I have "been there and done that".

Seaspriter, you gave good advice and I especially appreciate your naming the contents of Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvinator. But I do ask that you avoid comparison of a restoration of a military rifle and a piece of leather gear, they were made for two different purposes with different expectations of durability and the rifle will long outlast the leather item when both start out new together. While the leather item was designed to be durable and was made of durable material, it was a throw away item that could be replaced easily when it was a common piece of military gear - it no longer is. I do not preach solely preservation as Aragorn243 seems to feel, I am a fan of restoration for use as long as an item is not rare or in as new condition, and without having it in had or at least good, detailed photos of the item I can not make that judgement call so I am happy to err on the side of caution. At the risk of offending the holster's owner (I do not intend to) I have to say that the holster in question is probably not a rare type and it sounds to be in only borderline collectible condition - it can be used. The advice I gave in the above thread was given to be on the safe side, if Aragorn243 were an experienced leather worker, I would have given more detailed info. Of course if he were experienced he would not have had to ask the question in the first place so I will will not say more on a public forum, this is best done in a face to face situation with the item in hand. He has shown many times on this forum that he is capable of good work even when inexperienced and I am sure that he will do well in this effort as well.