5. Leather Covering

Leather-covered trunks are easy to restore if the leather is not too dried out and crumbly. Use a Saddle soap and soft cloth to clean the leather and Neatsfoot oil to restore the suppleness and add color back to the leather. Any loose areas can be re-glued with white glue or hide glue and weighted down to clamp tight until the glue sets. Small areas of missing leather are best left alone as it will always look patched if you try to add new leather to a 100-year-old trunk.