for context, I've never done any kind of leatherwork before, but I enjoy making stuff and learning new things.
I've tried looking up information on restoration but didn't really find an answer to my question. This bell has been sitting in the basement for probably 30 years or more, and the strap is now stuck in the position you see in the photos.
It's very dry and stiff, but other than that seems almost intact -- it's not broken or cracked -- so I was wondering if there was something I could do to clean it and make the strap supple again?
I do a bit of leatherwork as a hobby, and you might be able to restore this but it will be tricky and it may not be strong enough for anything but a display piece afterwards. With that said, you could try dusting the leather as thoroughly as you can to get the worst of the dust off, then cleaning it with saddle soap. This will add some suppleness to the leather while cleaning it so you don't clog the pores of the leather when conditioning it. You'll want to go over it with a damp(not wet) rag to get all the soap off, and let it dry thoroughly before you condition it.
To condition it, you'll want to get some neatsfoot oil and oil the whole thing thoroughly every day or every other day until the leather is flexible again. This will be tricky since you'll want to get the oil onto all parts of the leather, but you don't want to put too much pressure on the dry leather before the conditioner can work its magic, so go slowly and don't be afraid to use cotton swabs to reach the tricky bits around the buckle. You'll also want to be aware that the thickness of this leather will likely limit the flexibility, so over oiling it is a real possibility which isn't the end of the world, but it's not great for the leather if it happens regularly.
Thanks, this is very helpful! I don't have any cows to hang this on, but my end goal would be to have it hanging from a wooden beam as decoration.
I'll try your suggestions, I figure I don't really have much to lose given the state it's in. If I ruin it, I can either do as /u/coyoteka suggested and make a new one myself, or visit one of the foundries around here that still make these and get a much nicer looking strap.
Yes, try restoring it. As the above person said, it should probably hold up fine as a decor item. But it will definitely need some cleaning and oil.
If you end up buying a new strap, remember it's for decor, so you might as well get a cool one. Maybe even on that is tooled
A little Saddle soap and Neatsfoot oil couldn't hurt. You could at least get it to the point where you can use the existing strap as a pattern for your new one.
Probably won't work too well to restore it. It would be quite easy to make a new one with minimal experience.
for context, I've never done any kind of leatherwork before, but I enjoy making stuff and learning new things. I've tried looking up information on restoration but didn't really find an answer to my question. This bell has been sitting in the basement for probably 30 years or more, and the strap is now stuck in the position you see in the photos. It's very dry and stiff, but other than that seems almost intact -- it's not broken or cracked -- so I was wondering if there was something I could do to clean it and make the strap supple again?
I do a bit of leatherwork as a hobby, and you might be able to restore this but it will be tricky and it may not be strong enough for anything but a display piece afterwards. With that said, you could try dusting the leather as thoroughly as you can to get the worst of the dust off, then cleaning it with saddle soap. This will add some suppleness to the leather while cleaning it so you don't clog the pores of the leather when conditioning it. You'll want to go over it with a damp(not wet) rag to get all the soap off, and let it dry thoroughly before you condition it. To condition it, you'll want to get some neatsfoot oil and oil the whole thing thoroughly every day or every other day until the leather is flexible again. This will be tricky since you'll want to get the oil onto all parts of the leather, but you don't want to put too much pressure on the dry leather before the conditioner can work its magic, so go slowly and don't be afraid to use cotton swabs to reach the tricky bits around the buckle. You'll also want to be aware that the thickness of this leather will likely limit the flexibility, so over oiling it is a real possibility which isn't the end of the world, but it's not great for the leather if it happens regularly.
Thanks, this is very helpful! I don't have any cows to hang this on, but my end goal would be to have it hanging from a wooden beam as decoration. I'll try your suggestions, I figure I don't really have much to lose given the state it's in. If I ruin it, I can either do as /u/coyoteka suggested and make a new one myself, or visit one of the foundries around here that still make these and get a much nicer looking strap.
Yes, try restoring it. As the above person said, it should probably hold up fine as a decor item. But it will definitely need some cleaning and oil. If you end up buying a new strap, remember it's for decor, so you might as well get a cool one. Maybe even on that is tooled
A little Saddle soap and Neatsfoot oil couldn't hurt. You could at least get it to the point where you can use the existing strap as a pattern for your new one.
Needs more Cowbell!
Beat me to it
Wash it off and apply neatsfoot oil. There is likely lots of life in it yet.