dry rot treatment

[Pablo]

My nice lufty liner was afflicted with the dry rot. I read that 2% hydroxypropylcellulose in isopropanol is used on leather books to prevent further deterioration. So I tried it on my liner and it did not discolor it. I know purists are averse to messing with a helmet, but this stuff seems to work ok and hopefully save the liner from total disintegration.

[Schwerpunkt]

A helmet stored in a normal environment will stop any deterioration process (or slow it immensely so that they will remain good for another collector after you're long gone). So I would never recommend any 'saving' actions. Does the leather smell of the product now ?
PS Talking above ground finds.

[MD Helmets]

I'd assume to just not do anything to my helmet liners for sake of originality. You can do as you please with your helmets but it may affect the collectibility of them in the future.

[cricketchris1944]

Collectors do not like helmets that have been played in anyway.

chris

[Pablo]

I understand that once dry rot starts the leather will continue to disintegrate no matter how it is stored (although it can be slowed down by putting it in a freezer). So given the choice of a helmet with a liner that will eventually just fall apart and turn to dust or a slightly messed-with intact liner....I choose the latter.

[4md]

I was wondering has it deteriorated since you have owned it, prompting you to do somthing about it.
my liners and helmets seem to have stayed the same since i got them and stored them in a better enviroment.

Paul

[Schwerpunkt]

I understand that once dry rot starts the leather will continue to disintegrate no matter how it is stored (although it can be slowed down by putting it in a freezer). So given the choice of a helmet with a liner that will eventually just fall apart and turn to dust or a slightly messed-with intact liner....I choose the latter.

It seems more to me that you think it had dry rot and secondly you used an experimental product on it.
Now I'm still waiting for your reply , does the liner smell of the product you used ?

Like the poster before me I have not seen any of my leather deteriorate , I compare with my old old pictures and the pliability at regular intervals.

[Pablo]

Of course the leather had a different odor right after I used the product, but would expect it to fade over time. The leather was powdery and extremely fragile.....any handling caused a chunk of leather to fall off. After reading about the consequences of dry rot, I decided to do something before it continued to fall apart (I guess I could have just quit handling it). I read about this product being used for years to arrest dry rot on rare leather-bound library books, so the product is not experimental. Now I can move the helmet around w/o leaving a trail of powder and leather pieces.

[Gunny Hartmann]

I'd rather save the liner than lose it!...

[Larry C]

Just a thought as i have had this same problem with a couple of vertical hangers and 3pc hangers on my daggers. There is a product called Neets foot oil as it is naturally made from the shins of animals which returns the pliability of the leather to its original State. Here is the link and a small bio and photo below
Neatsfoot oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .....My opinion is to use this at your own discretion and it is not meant to detract from this thread or create any controversary on our collectibles as we all feel we want to make the best decisions for the preservation of these fine items. In the case of the helmet liner it may darken the leather. Read the link thoroughly. Regards Larry

Characteristics

Fat from warm-blooded animals normally has a high melting point, becoming hard when cool – but neatsfoot oil remains liquid at room temperature. This is because the relatively slender legs and feet of animals such as cattle are adapted to tolerate and maintain much lower temperatures than those of the body core, using countercurrent heat exchange in the legs between warm arterial and cooler venous blood – other body fat would become stiff at these temperatures. This characteristic of neatsfoot oil allows it to soak easily into leather.

Modern neatsfoot oil is still made from cattle-based products, but now, while retaining its historic name, usually is made mostly from lard,[1] which is sold as pure neatsfoot oil. This formulation does darken leather.[2] If mineral oil or other petroleum-based material is added, the product may be called "neatsfoot oil compound". Some brands have also been shown to be adulterated with rapeseed oil, soya oil, and other oils.[3] The addition of mineral oils may lead to more rapid decay of non-synthetic stitching or speed breakdown of the leather itself.[2][4][5]

Uses

Neatsfoot oil is used on a number of leather products, although it has been replaced by synthetic products for certain applications. Items such as baseball gloves, saddles, horse harnesses and other horse tack can be softened and conditioned with neatsfoot oil.

If used on important historical objects, neatsfoot oil (like other leather dressings) can oxidize with time and contribute to embrittling.[6] It also may leave an oily residue that can attract dust. On newer leather, it may cause darkening (even after a single application), thus may not be a desirable product to use when the maintenance of a lighter shade is desired. Neatsfoot oil is more useful for routine use on working equipment.