How to revive original K98 sling? Tips?

[Aaron]

Wasn’t directing anything to you. Actually said you understood the key concept. All good from me.

Yes as straightforward and seemingly impolite my statement was, my rationale was this:

1. 99.99% of collectors do not have the facilities, materials, knowledge, or patience required to restore leather goods properly.
2. 99.99% of collectors will default to using the substances explicitly listed as being damaging in the previous link.
3. Those who can restore leather goods are specialized workers with training and/or certifications, collectors have neither.

Assuming points 1. 2. and 3., I consider it best to tell collectors to do nothing at all to their leather, than to say there are ways to restore leather.

The vast majority of collectors will misdiagnose the issues or will be over-zealous in their "treatment", so it is best to have a bunch of un-treated items than to have a bunch of irreversibly damaged items in the pool of surviving examples.

My apologies for the blunt delivery.

 

[Gunsmokes]

Yes as straightforward and seemingly impolite my statement was, my rationale was this:

1. 99.99% of collectors do not have the facilities, materials, or knowledge required to restore leather goods properly.
2. Those who can restore leather goods are specialized workers with training and/or certifications, collectors have neither.

Assuming points 1. and 2., I consider it best to tell collectors to do nothing at all to their leather, than to say there are ways to restore leather.

The vast majority of collectors will misdiagnose the issues or will be over-zealous in their "treatment", so it is best to have a bunch of un-treated items than to have a bunch of irreversibly damaged items in the pool of surviving examples.

My apologies for the blunt delivery.

We agreed more than we didn’t pal!
Again, agree with you completely on the above.

Now! Time to go saddle soap up my sling and put some kerosene on her like we did in the old country

 

[Stan]

I would only use an 80+ year old sling as a display item. Also agree doing nothing to it is best. For actual carry use, these are the best reproduction K98k sling I know of... https://www.atthefront.com/product-p/gwk98t.htm

 

[Muncher 1953]

I would only use an 80+ year old sling as a display item. Also agree doing nothing to it is best. For actual carry use, these are the best reproduction K98k sling I know of... https://www.atthefront.com/product-p/gwk98t.htm

Agree 1000% with the above.