Leather Case Repairs ?

S

Ste_S

Messages
584
Edit My Images
No
Anyone had their leather case from a vintage camera repaired ? Any recommendations ?

Have a couple of cases that need re-stitching, straps replacing, some strengthening and leather treating. Have asked at the usual high street places but none of them want to touch them.
Google search in my area (Birmingham) shows a few places that work on leather furniture, but none on luggage/briefcases/cases etc
 
Have you tried asking saddle/harness makers/repairers they often will do that sort of thing
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
Ste_S said:
Anyone had their leather case from a vintage camera repaired ? Any recommendations ?

Have a couple of cases that need re-stitching, straps replacing, some strengthening and leather treating. Have asked at the usual high street places but none of them want to touch them.
Google search in my area (Birmingham) shows a few places that work on leather furniture, but none on luggage/briefcases/cases etc
Click to expand...
Have a look for a proper cobbler. We had one in Kenilworth until recently, then he sold out to Timpsons. There are a couple on Nicholson St in Edinburgh too. Neither much help, but a more local search might.
 
all the skills you require are the stock in trade of a saddler leather worker.
They can resew by hand and cut and replace straps and re-nourish the leather.
However Saddle stitching is certainly learn-able by anyone and I have done so myself, It does require a little practice and a few tools, but it is not exactly easy to do a good job.
So it would make sense to find a local saddler, they are to be found just about everywhere that there are horses. and will take on just about any leatherwork task.
 
One of the reasons that the local high street cobbler tends to avoid working on ageing camera cases is quite often not only has the stitching failed but also the leather is not salvageable even with re-nourishing and last thing they want is folk coming back with claims for damaged camera equipment. The new stitching will usually be perfect but when the leather gives way under the strain of everyday use that's your Leica going for a tumble down the road.

All for a £20 repair, probably not worth it..
 
RaglanSurf said:
One of the reasons that the local high street cobbler tends to avoid working on ageing camera cases is quite often not only has the stitching failed but also the leather is not salvageable even with re-nourishing and last thing they want is folk coming back with claims for damaged camera equipment. The new stitching will usually be perfect but when the leather gives way under the strain of everyday use that's your Leica going for a tumble down the road.

All for a £20 repair, probably not worth it..
Click to expand...

What Nick says is worth giving some thought to!

I still have the original leather case for my M4 that it came with, however it only gets used if the camera is travelling some distance, for example in a case / bag if going on holiday, simply to offer it additional protection.
Otherwise it has a paracord wrist strap attached and is either in my hand or in a suitable camera bag for days out.

Much as it looks the part when it's in its half case ( bottom section), I don't trust the aging strap even though it would appear to be reasonably sound.

I used to have a leather case for my Rolleicord which was used for the same purpose…...Good job really as the shoulder strap deteriorated and snapped in two whilst handling it….Fortunatley without the camera inside!

This doesn't mean that the old leather cases can't be used but just be aware that most of them are old and no longer offer the strength/ support that they once did!
 
When I rescued my broken Pentax ME from the box it was sitting in, it was still in its original Pentax case, however the case was in terrible condition, and a right pain too, using the tripod socket to screw into and some tricky clips over the camera straps. I'm afraid I ditched it... :(
 
I've been using my Autocord over the weekend with it's leather case. I don't usually use cases but the camera's quite tidy and I want to protect it. Plus I've decided it looks quite cool in the case now! The leather seems to be in good condition still, but now this thread has got me paranoid about using it! What's the best way to maintain a good leather case? Do they need treating every so often?
 
If you Google leather care you'll probably find some info about 'feeding' leather to keep it supple - however, make sure any product or restoration tips are suitable for a camera case - not much point in having a supple but sticky camera case that stains everything it touches!

I've used a product I was given when I bought a leather sofa around 12 years ago (which I think may be lanolin based?). It's applied with a moistened cloth and rubbed into the leather, then the excess is polished off after about 15 mins when it's dried. When treating an old camera case, depending how dry it is, I will typically give it three or four applications over a period of two or three days, paying particular attention to any areas that fold or hinge. Other leather care products are available though, this is what I've used because I already had some!

I also inspect the camera strap and its fixings and buckles for any wear and tear, signs of cracking, splitting, etc. I figure this is probably going to be the main cause of the camera hitting the floor if it fails, so I don't take any chances if it looks suspect or there are definite signs of the leather cracking or tearing at the case anchor points, etc. I have a couple of cases that I'm not using as I don't trust their strength, and one where the strap actually did tear free from the case when pulling the camera off a shelf.

I imagine a qualified and experienced saddler would be able to give you some advice on restoration, leather care and whether or not the case will still be strong enough to do its job. I would think they should be able to replace case straps safely too. After all, they're dealing with things like reins, bridles and stirrup leathers, and if one of those should break then a life could be lost, not just a camera dropped!

However, whether or not the charge for a saddler's time to carry out major repair work, such as making and fitting a new strap to match, or completely refurbing a case, is economically viable will most likely depend on the value of the camera and case, as we can't expect a time-served and skilled craftsperson to work for virtually nothing just because we've bought a £30 camera with a tatty case. Hope this is useful.
 
Last edited:
Once upon a time I used to use neutral dubbin on my leather football boots...but can't remember if it stays greasy or how long it takes to soak into the leather to become dry. Anyway just a cheap idea.
 
Upholstery feeder/conditioner will be better than footwear type polishes as long as the leather's still strong enough for the job.
 
Thanks everyone, I've dropped The Saddle Company in Walsall an email (they're closed for Easter) and will see what they'll come back with.

Mr Badger said:
However, whether or not the charge for a saddler's time to carry out major repair work, such as making and fitting a new strap to match, or completely refurbing a case, is economically viable will most likely depend on the value of the camera and case, as we can't expect a time-served and skilled craftsperson to work for virtually nothing just because we've bought a £30 camera with a tatty case. Hope this is useful.
Click to expand...

Under no illusion repairs and restoration are going to cost an order of magnitude greater than the worth of the cameras themselves. However they're both cameras that I enjoy using, and if I get cases back that will last me for the foreseeable future I'll be happy.
They're also both cameras that don't have strap lugs, so I'm more or less reliant on the case to use a strap. Aware that I can get tripod mount straps which I'll probably use in the interim period, but don't want to use this as a long term solution.
 
Carl Hall said:
I've been using my Autocord over the weekend with it's leather case.
this thread has got me paranoid about using it!
What's the best way to maintain a good leather case? Do they need treating every so often?
Click to expand...

Gently caress the strap and whisper sweet things to it like " Please don't snap whilst we're out tomorrow"! :runaway::exit::LOL:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top