Leather dressing

This is a comment to John E McInture who believes that the
application of leather dressing is beneficial.  Yes, many
leather bindings looks beautiful after dressing, and with the good
intention that the book not will crack so easily in the spine. After
some years many conservators repeat with a new layer of leather
dressing.  This procedure are very harmful, and will deteriorate and
break down the leather.

In our library we use the this procedure:

    1.  Dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner
    2.  We also use a rubber pad called Wishab
    3.  Wet cleaning with Maroquin Leatherbalm.

Maroquin Leatherbalm is sold as a cleaning agent,  but to me it also
works as a consolidant and a leather dressing. Therefore I don't use
anything else today.

Soren Ibsen
Conservator
NTNU
University Library
N-7004 Trondheim

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:24
                 Distributed: Friday, September 6, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-24-014
                                  ***