Anyone have problems with leather cracking?

1883 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by llavaseur, Nov 20, 2001

matfie

Discussion Starter · Nov 14, 2001

Hi all, I had just purchased a Rosen rig and had it on for the first time. As luck would have it -- or lack of -- I got dumped in a pool. I didn't take off the belt as I was not at home and wore it until I got home -- no worries gun is fine (took that out after out of the pool and dried it). Took off the belt, wiped down with towel and laid it over a chair to dry out of direct sunlight. Come back a couple days later, wiped it down again and it was stiff in a few places and as I tried to straighten it out I hear a crack. The leather had become brittle and cracked. The leather looked dried out in parts and appears to have actually shriveled. The seam came apart and separated in the areas as well. I called up Mitch and told him what had happened and asked if there was anything I could do to save the belt, he said that he had never heard of this and to send the belt to him to look at before doing anything to it. It got up there and he said that no one in the shop had ever seen this before and would the guys that dumped me in the pool buy me a new belt to replace this one and he is sending me back the belt.

Is there anything that I can do to the belt to make it usable again?

Thanks.

m

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Louis F. Alessi

· #2 · Nov 15, 2001

Matfie, Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to salvage the belt. The chlorine in the water purged what oils were in the leather, and that's why it cracked. It probably got dried out too fast also. The quick evaporation of any water from leather will cause it to crack. Wet leather must be dried very slowly to avoid this. It's not really Rosen's fault, but we would have probably offered to make you a new one at a much reduced price, seeing as how the belt was brand new. That's a hell of a hit to take.
Lou

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xtreme122

· #3 · Nov 15, 2001

but we would have probably offered to make you a new one at a much reduced price, seeing as how the belt was brand new.

I hope this never happens with my sharkskin belt. But if it did...kidding.

Lou, you are simply the best.

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Kemo Sabe

· #4 · Nov 15, 2001

Reading this post reminded me that sometimes little things says a lot.
Mr. Alessi, who did not made that belt, offered a more than fair solution or alternative.
Mr. Alessi you are truly a gentleman.

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Louis F. Alessi

· #5 · Nov 16, 2001

Thanks Guys! Sometimes when craftsmen get so busy, and successful they forget who made them the sucess that they have become. It's the customers! Without the customers spending their hard earned money, the best craftsman in the world would starve.
It's guys (and ladies) like you who keep guys like me in business, so it's very important for me to protect that investment.
Lou

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Mark Garrity

· #6 · Nov 18, 2001

I'm on the same page as Lou. Slow drying and then lightly oiling the belt may have saved it initially. But in a case like this, especially with a new purchase; i would replace it with no further questions asked.
Get the pool dumpers to pay for it?
Seriously now!!!
(Just curious, was this an arrest or other LE
situation?)
Mark Garrity
Garrity's Gunleather

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matfie

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 18, 2001

No Mark, not job related, just some expensive horseplay.

m

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: matfie on 2001-11-19 02:25 ]</font>

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llavaseur

· #8 · Nov 20, 2001

Just out of curiosity I was wondering why I never hear anyone talking about preserving their leather and stitchings using any of the many products on the market. I really appreciate my fine leather products which include holsters, belts, leather jackets and the saddle bags on my harley ($2000.00 retail). Now I can understand not wanting to lose the stiffness which in turn would ruin the retention abilities of a holster but what about belts, when I purchased my wilson gun belts I immediatly used a leather product that is kinda like a cream that soaks in and softens the leather and also keeps the stitches soft and pliable .... these belts have had numerous rides in the washing machine from accidently throwing the jeans with belt still on them in the washer and after air drying they are like new. This also goes for saddle bags and leather jackets and leather boots that take a beating from the elements but hold up great because I take care of them using this product. I guess the only leather products i have yet to treat with this product is my holsters, does anyone know of a good product that will help protect it should it get soaked, something that is more a wax sort of coating rather than a cream that soaks in and softens?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: llavaseur on 2001-11-20 13:08 ]</font>

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