FrankS
Registered User
I just spent some time cleaning up an old Rolleiflex I bought recently. What can I use to revitalize the camera's black body covering, and the brown camera case?
Leather treatment?
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Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
I went on research not so long time ago. Some cases where due to.
You'll need to go to horsies store and they have it for saddle and else.
I forgot the name, but it is the only one they have at the stores here.
I could check it tonight.
UPD: Must be the Lexol. I put it on very similar case as yours 🙂
photomoof
Fred Krughoff
Don't put anything on the leather you don't want on your film.
jorisvanhoute
Member
I use leather creme made for shoes, not the hard pollish but the the soft creme. Leave it for a whie and rub the excess of. Makes the leather soft again. Some old camera cases were treated with laquer though so be careful
airfrogusmc
Veteran
The best leather rejuvenator I know of is Pecards. I have a good friend that collects WWII historic leather flight jackets and that's all he uses.
https://www.pecard.com/
https://www.pecard.com/
bence8810
Well-known
I use mink oil on my cases and bags
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
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Nose grease. I have oily skin.
Cal
Cal
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
Careful. I've read that mink oil rots the stitching.
airfrogusmc
Veteran
Yes and they are other issues with mink oil as well.
bence8810
Well-known
What's wrong with mink oil? I never heard anything - granted I haven't used it all that much. It did bring a dead Billingham back to Life - the leather parts were so dry they were cracked. This forum suggested I try that oil
airfrogusmc
Veteran
According to my friend that buys, trades, collects and sells historic WWII leather flight jackets and he has had historic jackets worth over 10K wont buy a jacket if he finds out that it has had mink oil on it. He also wont use it to treat 70+ year old jackets. According to him and other collectors it rots the tread and actually winds up eventually drying out the leather and promoting what he calls red rot.
I won't use it because trust his opinion.
I won't use it because trust his opinion.
ray*j*gun
Veteran
plus 0ne...pecard
oftheherd
Veteran
I like Lexol on old camera casas and old gun holsters as well. If it is really bad off, it may take more than one application.
I have used mink oil on shoes in the fall and winter with no problems so far. Of course I keep my shoe leather well protected by leather polish. In shoes, I also have several pairs of shoes and rotate their use. Surprising how that increases their life-time.
I have used mink oil on shoes in the fall and winter with no problems so far. Of course I keep my shoe leather well protected by leather polish. In shoes, I also have several pairs of shoes and rotate their use. Surprising how that increases their life-time.
Monochrom
Well-known
Hi,
You have to know there are different qualities of leather.
When leather leaves the tannery it´s a 1 cm layer, very thick.
Then the process is to split this thick layer into 2-3 thinner layers.
The best of it is the first layer which has the "full grain", jackets gloves and fine cases are made with such leather it will last ages and mostened once in a while they will resist.
The second and so on layers will never have the firsts one quality or resistance.
For making these secondary layers fit for work tanneries emboss patterns and paint them with plastic coatings.
The cases such as the rolleiflex´s and the well known leicas are made of secondary leather layers, they are painted and with ageing they lose there humidity and crack like card board.
NEver use oil, if it is in one piece with no cracks you can repaint it, even you can fill the cracks with some edge dressing from fiebings and then paint it.
🙂 Good luck!
You have to know there are different qualities of leather.
When leather leaves the tannery it´s a 1 cm layer, very thick.
Then the process is to split this thick layer into 2-3 thinner layers.
The best of it is the first layer which has the "full grain", jackets gloves and fine cases are made with such leather it will last ages and mostened once in a while they will resist.
The second and so on layers will never have the firsts one quality or resistance.
For making these secondary layers fit for work tanneries emboss patterns and paint them with plastic coatings.
The cases such as the rolleiflex´s and the well known leicas are made of secondary leather layers, they are painted and with ageing they lose there humidity and crack like card board.
NEver use oil, if it is in one piece with no cracks you can repaint it, even you can fill the cracks with some edge dressing from fiebings and then paint it.
🙂 Good luck!
Vics
Veteran
The stitching is rotting anyway. It's cotton and it's 55 years old, at least. Also, I wouldn't trust that strap for 5 minutes!
bence8810
Well-known
Ok so no mink oil then...
I found the Pecard thingy in Japan - something called Antique Leather Dressing.
Thanks for the education.
Ben
I found the Pecard thingy in Japan - something called Antique Leather Dressing.
Thanks for the education.
Ben
airfrogusmc
Veteran
Ben, I wouldn't but that is based on my friends advice.
Yes I have that as well as their regular. Good stuff....
MikeL
Go Fish
Of the first, do no harm philosophy, a famous baseball glove repairer told me "only put on leather what you'd put on your skin". Yes, you might need to apply it more often, but it will do the job and you know you won't harm the leather or the stitching.
FrankS
Registered User
Skin moisturizing lotion?
FrankS
Registered User
Well that made sense given the similarity of materials.
I tried some skin paste we use called working hands, and it worked a treat.
I tried some skin paste we use called working hands, and it worked a treat.
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