stiff cuffs

My leather cuff is just a single peice of 2" wide leather steam used to hold a saddle to the horse.
And I put in in hot water. It did make it softer.

You didn't tell me it was padded, and of course I didn't ask.
My cuffs, wrist, ankle, collar and waist straps has no lining or padding.

[Like Ra]

@lugnuts, Any photos?

As someone who has had to work with leather items since 1986 I'd never recommend using anything where it is drenched in water. All our climbing gear, gloves, etc that were leather were treated and cleaned as I posted, which protected the leather as well. For cuffs they wouldn't need as much, but I do recommend people oil and clean their leather cuffs occasionally. Until I gave them away I had a set that lasted 15 years and is still going with the new owner, so now 22 years later.

here's the picture

   

as you can see, they're distorted. What's less obvious is that it's about 25% shorter than the untreated cuff (above in pic)

as you can see, they're distorted. What's less obvious is that it's about 25% shorter than the untreated cuff (above in pic)

Yep, the water shrank it. The distortion is the rivets holding the smaller strap onto the main part. 

I don't think it can be made to return to its original size sadly 😟

The cuffs look like the latest ones I bought on Ebay, will be oiling them this week.

live and learn.

after my major blunder, and I'm not very happy with myself, I started to look around and found this. I haven't tried it, but it might be something to look at. I don't really like posting someones website, but if helps, great. If not, we can always delete this post. So, Here goes.

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Six Leather Restoration Tips – Leather Honey



https://www.leatherhoney.com/blogs/leath...ation-tips



If the leather is soaked in water, the best way to keep it dry is to wipe the water using a dry cloth. Avoid using heat to dry the wet surface as it will only cause further damage. Time is the best remedy, followed by Leather Honey.

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Restoring a water-damaged leather can be a tough job but manageable. If the leather is soaked in water, the best way to keep it dry is to wipe the water using a dry cloth. Avoid using heat to dry the wet surface as it will only cause further damage. Time is the best remedy, followed by (insert product here). Water damage can leave leather dry and brittle, so you’ll want to restore lost moisture by conditioning.
Copied from website.

Don't worry about it. It's hardly the end of the world. I'd rather have friends who care enough to give advice than a quiet board.

hugs!