Leather tricks?

[Resolution]

The leather on my wheel has gone both hard to the touch and green in its lower parts. It is rough side out, not the smooth polished side. Is there a way of killing off the green mould and restoring the suppleness to the leather?

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Not suggesting you wont find a good answer here.. But people who really know about looking after leather and keeping it supple are horsey folk.

IPC run a few horse type forums, although one we all went to look at on a forum excursion a while back was full of 10 year girlies. But I am sure there are experts lurking who may be able to help.

Though it would be my choice to wipe down with saddle soap, maybe a milton solution and then try dubbin to protect, though this might be greasy on the hands. I would test it on an old pair of shoes etc.

 

[samwise]

An outdoor equipment shop might have the answer. A dilute Milton solution could solve the greeny bits, but I would suggest something like Nikwax used for walking boots, to restore the leather.You might need to try two applications and to let it work in, otherwise it gets a bit sticky. A later thought..... Is it suede? If so your options are rather different.

 

[Quandary]

The leather on a quality wheel such as Lewmar or Jefa will be elkhide (reindeer hide in Scandanavia but the same thing) it is reversed so that the rough side (the side the elk never saw) is outwards. It should be kept clean but will become slippery and feel slimy if oiled or waxed. When wet it becomes very soft and can be blown away with one blast of a power washer. I recommend that it be cleaned with a mild mildew remover like Milton as suggested above, then rinsed well with a low pressure hose and dried. It will soften with use, it sounds like your wheel may have had too much exposure and too little use. It is a good idea to use a cover but I don't bother but I do take the wheel indoors in winter when the boat is not being used. Normally the hide will outlast the stitching and if you keep an eye on this and restitch with waxed synthetic sailmaking twine before it disintegrates it is not hard to redo. But don't try to tighten the stitching too much as it will pull through (the leather is more pliable but much softer when damp). A good elkhide leather kept reasonably clean will last about 20-25 years but by that time all the stitching will have been replaced at least once. Elkhide is quite expensive and I suspect that some of the cheaper kits you see for sale are from less durable animal hides.

 

[2nd_apprentice]

[ QUOTE ]
The leather on a quality wheel... [is made from]... the side the elk never saw.

[/ QUOTE ]

So they're made from elk's backsides. Hmm I like that thought.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Resolution]

Quandry: Thanks, just the sort of informed comment that makes the forum so useful.

2nd Apprentice: Hmm also. Do you guys up north not have any sheep to get your hands on??? Or would an elk make a welcome change from the sheep??? Either way, you've clearly been at sea too long!