Water damaged leather.

[wbridge1]

Guys, I have a conundrum.
All of my gun leather got wet in hurricane Katrina. Some was ruined, some I was able to sun dry and then pack away. My question is: What do I do when I am able to bring the leather home and deal with it. I know that it is damaged to some extent. This is stuff that was made by Big Ed and I don't want to lose it, so what can I do to save it? Saddle Soap? Some magical leather treatment? I need a little guidance here...
Thanks,
Parham Bridges III

[Klondike]

The worst part will be dealing with the mold, if you have any. Saddle soap should help. After you scrub down real good air dry but stuff your holsters to keep them from collapsing flat. You may have to re-wet mold them. You can treat the belt with a dressing,(leather balm or something similar) but I would not use any oils. You may also suffer water marks and discoloration. If this is real bad, you can re-dye or dye the entire rig a darker color. There is a post on this board that deals with stiffening leather with water and glue, if need be follow the instructions posted to stiffen the holsters back up.  Good luck and let us know how you fair. If I can be of any help email me, if you are close we can get together and work on it together, you would be welcome to use any dyes or treatment I have.

[Klondike]

Found the info I was looking for. This is from JP Stronghill. Also look at the pinned thread on wet molding.

Y'all got the process down pretty good.  Here's a couple of insider tips...

Do you like a FIRM leather holster?  Guns that glide out & drop in when re-holstering?  Instead of plain water when blocking your leather, add a small amount of Fiebing Leather Sheen to the water & mix well. (alternatively consider "carpenter's white glue"

Don't be afraid to really wet the leather.  I don't mean to really "soak it" but I wouldn't be shy about leaving the holster submerged or basted for 30 to 60 seconds!  It's not a race to see how fast you finish the job.  Taking your time ensures the blocking agent is drawn deep into the hide.

The Leather Sheen (acrylic top dressing) is absorbed into the leather & leaves it very firm & very resistant to future water penetration and/or softening.  I have also had excellent success using white carpenter's glue as an additive.  It's cheaper & gives a firmer result.

I know this all sounds weird but I assure you the results will amaze you!  One thing you need to be aware of is that you might want to consider dying your holster at the same time especially if using water/alcohol based dyes.  The acrylic will RESIST stain once dried.  Oil based dyes will penetrate when dry but best results are obtained when the leather is still damp with the blocking agent.

Experiment with scraps if you want, but once you've tried this method you will be the envy of gun-leather aficionados!

[Capt. Augustus]

On mold I found that dye with an alcohol base will kill it, so alcohol might work alone.  The mold that grows on leather is tough.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Klondike summed it up nicely. After you get them clean, you may want to change the color if they are too ragged looking. Of course, just a little discoloration here and there may make them look better, adding character. Post a few pictures when you get them re-done so we can see how they came out.

[wbridge1]

Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.