Mistreated leather on WOW flaps and gag cheeks

[zoon]

I have just bought a pair of WOW flaps for pennies and received them in the post just now! Very excited about my bargain, but they have been massively over oiled and are very sticky. I've wiped them over with warm water and a soft sponge and it literally foamed up like they were smothered in glycerin soap. So i've got all that off with water and left them to dry, but still they are a bit tacky. Any tips to improve them? I've checked the stitiching incase that's started to rot and it is all fine.

Also I've been going through my things and found a pair of leather gag cheeks which have gone really dry and horrid. Like those indian leatehr bridle you can get for £10! They were once nice and soft and supple, but years of being forgotten about in the bottom of an old box in my tack room have meant they have died - any way to return them to their past glory? I was thinking of soaking them in a bowl of neatsfoot for a few days as they are seriously dry????

 

[alwaysbroke]

Have soaked leather in oil and it has worked well, but also on a daily basis while being soaked rubbed and twisted the leather between my hands, with rubber gloves on to encourage it to absorb it.

 

[Olivio]

I got a bargain on my saddle because it had been overoiled. As long as the leather isn't shot just use it and don't clean it unless your going to a comp. This was advice given to me by a master saddler and 6 months later my saddle is looking in great condition. Oh and mine foamed up aswell when I washed it down with warm water!

As for your gag cheeks I would either put neatsfoot on them and leave them in a sealed plastic bag (this ensures the oil goes into the leather rather than evaporation) or cover them in Ko-cha-line (avoiding the stitching) and wrap them in newspaper for a while. Just be careful before using them though to check the leather hasn't cracked and it's still strong as a gag cheek takes a lot of pressure.

Oops, sorry for the essay!!

 

[cptrayes]

YOu can use meths to take off the excess oil. YOu can also use white spirit to soften the gag. Don't confuse the two!