Any Way to Condition Old CV Bessa Rubber?

[agentlossing]

The rubber wrap on my Bessa T is in decent condition, but I know it breaks down over time and I'd like for my grip not to wear down and absorb too much salt, etc. Has anyone tried conditioning this rubber with something like silicone spray lubricant or similar? I have some that I use to condition/lube my treadmill belt, I was thinking of treating a small patch of the Bessa's wrap and seeing how that affected it.

 

[Archlich]

Try Hunter's Boot Buffer Spray. I used it on my GF670W's rubber grip (same composition as the Bessa's, I assume) to good result. It cleans up the white powdery bits (called "bloom") and restores the softness and smoothness of the rubber.

 

[Huss]

I use Meguiar's Ultimate Black to restore faded/white chalky looking rubber on my lenses etc (as well as my Jeep!)
Makes it look like new, wipes off leaving no residue.

 

[agentlossing]

What is the composition of those products? My guess is silicone for all of these rubber treatments, but then what do I know.

 

[Huss]

Dunno, but I applied it to the grey/white rubber on my Xpan a few years ago and it still looks like new now. And not slippery/greasy.