Hi Kate,

Just a couple of weeks ago there was a Connecting to Collections webinar
about caring for leather and fur, and your question touches on a couple of
different issues that were brought up. I'm not a conservator, but it sounds
to me like the waxy buildup is probably from some kind of leather dressing
leaching back out of the leather and the green color is coming from the
oxidation of the metal. There was an example of one of the conservators
creating small barriers to place between the metal and the leather to
prevent the metal from staining the leather, but I don't remember if there
was a way to remove the waxy buildup. Below is the link to the recording
from the webinar and their featured resources.

http://www.connectingtocollections.org/leatherandfur/


Angela Watts
Associate Collection Manager
Spencer Museum of Art
University of Kansas


On Tue, Oct 8, 2013 at 1:33 PM, Kate McCarthy <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Ok this one's for the conservators and leather goods folks on here. I work
> at a Western history museum and we are getting a selection of saddles ready
> for exhibit. However, I've noticed a nasty dark green waxy build up on one
> of the saddles wherever metal touches leather. This saddle may have been
> treated with saddle soap at some point and has almost certainly been
> polished with Renaissance wax at some. The leather does feel sticky to the
> touch. Does anybody have an idea about a) what is this green waxy build up?
> B) how do I get this stuff off the metal parts without damaging the
> leather? C) can I prevent it from coming back?
>
> Thanks y'all!
>
> Mary "Kate" McCarthy
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