Caring for Leather Goods.

You are probably the owner of one or two solid leather suit-cases, perhaps presented to you, which you are proud of except on those occasions when lack of porters, or of pence, cause you to carry your own luggage. If you are a methodical person, you probably examined and treated your leather possessions before putting them away after the summer holidays. If you did not do so, you had better drag them out from that cupboard or down from that shelf, as you will probably do anyhow in the course of spring-cleaning operations.

First of all make sure that all stitching and straps are solid. Remember the stitch in time and don&t hesitate to make use of a saddler. Incipient cracks in the leather are a sign that the hide is dried out, “starved.” To restore it, apply oil, olive or almond or the just as effective and less expensive linseed, cottonseed or neat's foot oils. Do not saturate the hide. Apply the oil in very small quantities, rubbing it well in as you go. Too much oil will darken leather and spoil its appearance; enough will repair its surface and preserve it.