Cleaning & Refinishing

The Best Leather Cleaning Soap!

Try this adaptation of ammonium soap solution for cleaning really dirty leather - you'll be amazed.

Shave 1/2 bar of castile soap into two cups of hot water.  This dissolves into a thin slurry.  Poured in another two cups of regular off-the-shelf household ammonia.  Poured this mix into a 2-liter soda bottle and filled the rest with water.  (Castile soap is usually available at some grocery and most health food stores). 

My personal experience was that I put this on a sponge and about two seconds after it touched a really nasty, grungy old saddle, the sponge almost exploded in filthy brown soap foam!  Literally the best stuff I've ever seen for really blowing the dirt, oil, grease and accumulated crapola off leather.  Also easily and quickly removes verdigris from brass fittings as well - use a softer nail brush or old toothbrush on fittings to get the verdigris.  After scrubbing, take a clean sponge with water and rinse.

Warning - you MUST re-oil leather before it dries completely - solution tends to strip off any oils in surface of leather too!   Pecard treatment is excellent at this point, if you want to minimize using neatsfoot oil on your leather items.

A lot of people swear by Pecard leather dressing for new and antique leathers -----

STOP! DO NOT USE THIS STUFF OR ANYTHING ELSE ON ANY ANTIQUE LEATHER!

Seriously, we've seen a new process for stabilizing antique leather items as is truly revolutionary. Do yourself a HUGE favor, and refrain, restrain, or tie yourself up if you must, DON'T put anything on your old leather - STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER DETAILS!

Hardware Refinishing - Need to restore 'that post-1910 black chemical finish on your brass hardware? 

Take a look at  this great source from the U.S. Cavalry School, circa 1940. While a few of the cleaning and refinishing options are not safe for antique leather, there's still a lot of good info here - at the very least an interesting insight into the daily chores of a mounted soldier.

Care of Leather and Riding Equipment - The Cavalry School, Academic Division, Fort Riley, Kansas, 1940.