Since we have some cameras in the upcoming (June '02) sale, our staff photographer has offered to share his secret formula for restoring and preserving the leather bellows and coverings of his collection of antique cameras.  The magic formula can return dry, crumbling leather to its former flexible self.  In fact, we've tried it with newspapers and photographs, too.

     The problem of crumbling leather was presented to  friends in the conservation labs of two colleges.  The answers, unsatisfactory to our thinking, were the same.  The leather had to be removed and soaked in a mixture of insecticide, soap, water and polyethylene glycol for many months.  It then needed to be freeze dried, reapplied and rubbed down with a potion consisting mostly of beeswax.

     No, this would not do.  Job 1 is for the product to work, but who has time to wait months?  Redefining the product requirements, we decided it had to work NOW!

     Baseball glove conditioner, containing neetsfoot oil, was tried.  It stains colored leather (the most valuable kind in cameras) and doesn't do a very good job.  Other commercial products were tried, but they didn't do the job.  Finally, we tried something we had in our jumble of shoe-care products.

     We had one can each of "Kiwi Suede and Nubuck CLEANER" and "PROTECTOR."  The Protector seems to do the most good, but we usually start off with the Cleaner.  The directions say not to put it on wet, but we do.  We spray the Protector on very wet, let it dry, and repeat two or three times.  Heed carefully the warnings about ventilation and smoking as the product contains a vile solvent!  This solvent allows a polymer to soak into the leather where it somehow revitalizes the bond.

     In our tests, we salvaged the original skin on a 100 year old camera.  A 70 year old newspaper, which crumbled at the touch, can now safely be handled and folded.  A sixty year old wallet is as flexible as new.  Leather book bindings no longer threaten to fall apart.  One of the college professors  has adopted this method for items in his museum work.

     As usual with priceless antiques, watch the overspray and try in an inconspicuous place before deciding these products will help restore your leather items.  Our most recent purchase was $3.87 per can at Walmart's shoe department.

Home