Old leather ammo belt

[kombi1976]

I picked up an old 30-round 303 Brit ammo belt for $15 at a curio shop and although it's seen better days I reckon I could revive it's former glory and make it quite usable again.
The leather is very dry and tight.
What can I use to revive it?
Here's a pic.

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[Rustyinfla]

I have a can of dressing that is a mixture of mink oil and beeswax. I have heard many people say to never put neat's foot oil on holsters and such as it makes them too soft.

         Rusty <><

[kombi1976]

Well, I went down to the local saddlers and asked what they had.
They had some stuff called Oakwood Cream or something like that.
It has pure lanolin and beeswax as well as eucalyptus oil and I applied it a couple of times.
The girl there advised me to lay it out in the sun so it would sweat in and it really is much better than it was.
I guess I'll just keep applying it until I feel it's smooth enough.

[Scota]

Picard's lether dressing.  Will not darken, will bring back to life like no other product.

[Rancher]

IMHO, they should have advised you to clean it good with a bar of glycerine saddle soap prior to applying a leather dressing.  The saddle soap would have removed the dirt and grime thus opening the pores of the leather and allowed the dressing to penetrate better.  Without cleaning the leather first, its kind of like putting lotion on your hands when they're dirty.  It'll work, but it works better if they're clean first.

[corbanzo]

I usually use mink oil on old leather, but it will darken it, I prefer the darker color though.  Otherwise, beeswax and other conditioners work very well.

[kombi1976]

Well, it actually turned out quite well.
The colour has come out quite rich.
The belt also needed an extension to go around my waist so I cut a length off another belt of a similar colour after I'd restored the ammo belt and fastened it throgh the old holes using bifurcated rivets.
It's worked a treat & is actually so long it can be worn either bandolier style or around the waist. :grin:
I'll take a pic and post it to show you how well it's worked out.
I scored another old ammo belt from a friend which is a little the worse for wear & needs an extension so it will probably get the same treatment. :wink:
Then all I'll need is a sombrero! :lol:

[catman]

www.whitesboots.com

They have the best leather care products there is, I have used it 10 years, great stuff. If you call them you will talk to a person that know's what their talking about and what you need. I have tried everything and this is the best.

[Rickk]

Mink oil can go rancid after application
"Neatsfoot oil" won't, and it soaks in better as well

[totallycustom]

post an updated picture so we can see how it turned out

[kombi1976]

It actually needs another dressing of the conditioner.
So I'll chuck another on and then show you how it looks.
The truth is that for the most part ammo belts are pure "brag factor" but they can be useful, at least I've been told.
In all honestly, after hunting with them, once or twice, they tend to be a little uncomfortable and risk pushing the bullets about.
I also scored another belt for 222 Rem and it also fits 357 Mag.
Unfortunately the loops are just a slight bit too loose to securely hold my 25-20 rounds even though the rims stop them from dropping out that way.
Any tips on how to make them a little tighter?
Like the other it needs some conditioning and the extension treatment 'cos I've got fat guts!