Holster care

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by steven c

No one seems to agree on what to use on leather. Some say hide care, others say don't touch it. Would the hide care help this helmet? It is stiff and dosen't have its shape any more.

Thanks, Steve.

Steve, a note on leather Pickelhauben. They were made inside-out with the finished side of the hide in and the rough side out. The rough side was then given a heavy coat of lacquer. The same holds true with the visors.

Hide food will not hurt if applied very sparingly to the interior or finished surfaces but will do nothing for the exterior. I would suggest for the exterior you simply remove the spike, state Wappen and spine (not the visor trim) then clean it with a soft cloth. Next apply some Renaisance Wax to the whole exterior. Let it cure for twenty-four hours then gently buff. Last reattach the metal trim parts.

To recover the shell's original shape it's best to use a styrofoam head covered with a cotton t-shirt and just give it time.