Cosmoline on leather

[Hawkeye2]

I recently picked up a quill back bayonet and scabbard for my '04 dated Mauser 98 and I need to clean it up. It's completely coated with old cosmoline which varies from a very thick waxy consistency to almost a solid. Removing it from the metal and wood isn't really much of an issue and I've had a lot of experience cleaning 80 or so year old cosmoline off different substances but never leather. The scabbard is completely and thickly coated with it and most of it is in the sticky waxy state though some has gotten solid. The leather seems to be reasonably flexable for its age (bayonet dated 06 or 08) though there is one area where the surface seems to have dried and crumbled off leaving the brown exposed. I suspect the interior is well coated too as it took considerable strength to withdraw the blade and I know that it had been out a couple of weeks ago. I can remove the metal mouthpiece which will simplify the task but not the metal tip.

I have done quite a bit of leather work over the years and have restored and/or preserved old slings, scabbards, accouterments, etc. and I have always used top quality products like Feibings and Lexol. I don't wish to cause any more dammage than has allready been done and honestly I have no clue where to start with this project and would appreciate any suggestions.

[3leggedturtle]

Could you wrap it up in newspaper or an old towel , put it under a 60watt light bulb and let those slowly absorb the cosmoline. Todd

[Hawkeye2]

That might work though I worry (too much?) about that driving cosmoline deeper into the leather if it isn't totally saturated now. I do plan to start by scrapeing off as much as I can with a popsicle stick.