Restoration, conservation, cleaning

[Martin Lubojacky]

This is a good idea. Nevertheless there were already several (a few) posts about the restoration of blades, here.
What I am missing is information on leather and textile professional treatment (scabbards/sheaths). As far as leather - especially return of old dry and wrinkled sheaths to their original nobleness (probably only African specificity ?). I reached best results with soaking in ethanol (the whole set incl. the blade) and drying under the weight. Any other recommendation ?
As far as textile - I would like to learn anything about the methods of cleaning the old (and "fragile") textile surfaces attached to various materials (without damaging patina on this other materials ..., without damaging colour and structure of the textile - this is really not easy ...).

[Jens Nordlunde]

I dont know if this advise is useful, but in the 1960'ies the Danish Army Museum used white bread to clean damp-stained flags.
I dont know how they did it, but it seems to have worked. I am sure newer methods are now used, but I know close to nothing about the subject.

[Tim Simmons]

The white bread rubbing is also used in superficial cleaning of oil paintings.

[Jens Nordlunde]

Tim, do you know how it is used?

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Tim, do you know how it is used?

Maybe the same way "damasquinado de Toledo" is cleaned:

1. take a piece of white bread without crust and compact it into a ball of dough
2. tap the surface to be cleaned with the dough

I was taught by one of the few remainig artisans mastering the art of damasquinado in Toledo, Spain.

maybe

PS: It has to be real bread, not the spongy thing you get in most of the supermartkets.