SligoBill..."Has anyone ever used isopropyl alcohol for this? Just curious."...
Lovely little thread here, because everybody's recommendations are viable
Yeah, Sligo, I did once, but it is just as distasteful as the other things mentioned in this thread. It was a pair of elkskin, Seneca mocassins I made and really liked too much to just chuck 'em. I turned -em inside out and Lysol-ed the $#@* outta them first. Then I alcohol-ed the hard sole I had stitched onto them earlier.
Generally, the sunlight is the best cure. I almost hate to say this, but the best results I ever got on an old piece of mouldy deer or elk bag was to throw it in the washer with some rags in a normal cycle. I had to put it out in the sun and re-establish the supple qualities with a lot of time, flexing, folding and saddle soaping it. I think I used some pine product paste on it and it was fine.
Mind you, I considered that bag and those mocassins lost to start off with, so I was willing to gamble a little.
As I learned more about my craft over the years, it turns out that washing and kneading was no more brutal to it than lysol or alcohol.
Just make sure, before you start, that re-making is not better than restoring, the stitching is not vulnerable, any attached parts can be safeguarded and the decorations or color can be brought back before you start the surgery.
I won't do it on shoes, though, because the uppers are already stretched and distorted and any strong substance will shorten the life of the product.
Hope this helps
Capgun.
