Hello Robert,
Thanks for posting this fine piece!
Quote:
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The leather of the scabbard was also very dry and had started to crack so after cleaning with saddle soap it received a coating of mink oil to help preserve and stop any further deterioration.
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I respect your restoration skills but this sounds like a pretty harsh treatment! From what I understand, mink oil is about the least suitable option to soften leather and results in damage to leather in the long run!
Leather (even the traditional vegetable/tannin-tanned stuff) seems almost impossible to "treat" without harm and AFAIK museum conservators try to avoid touching leather as much as possible! For pieces in use, wax seems to be the least harmful option.
What are your experiences?
Regards,
Kai