Tony Crowe Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 I have a leather holster rig that has a lot of conchos on the belt and holsters that are starting to tarnish (turn green around the edges). What is the best way to clean them that will not do harm to the leather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choctaw Jack Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Tony, You could try Flitz,Simichrome Polish or Mothers Mag polish.All are in paste form and stay where you put it.I dont think it would hurt your leather but it's easy enough to keep it from going where it isn't needed. Choctaw Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe LaFives #5481 Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 I suspect I would slide a bit of cloth under the concho prior to cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Why not take the conchos off completely and clean them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Sandor, SASS #74075 Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 7 hours ago, Tyrel Cody said: Why not take the conchos off completely and clean them? +1 An hour and a half in the rotary tumbler with stainless steel pins works wonders - I did the all conchos on both my rigs/accessories this winter, and they look like new. Put them back on with a touch of blue Loctite and they'll be there until the next cleaning. CS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe LaFives #5481 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 23 hours ago, Tyrel Cody said: Why not take the conchos off completely and clean them? This works very well IF they are put on with Chicago screws or the like. Often though that is not the case hence my original comment about slipping piece of cloth under them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 1 minute ago, Joe LaFives #5481 said: This works very well IF they are put on with Chicago screws or the like. Often though that is not the case hence my original comment about slipping piece of cloth under them. How else are conchos attached? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe LaFives #5481 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 They can be sewn in or riveted. Some are very difficult to get to like on the band of a holster and so the time taken to remove them is extensive. The picture shows a rivet style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Crowe Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 Thanks for all the ideas. I don’t think removing them is an option. They appear to be attached by rivets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Oh-oh! Brass conchos! Brass in contact with tanned leather corrodes pretty quickly and gives that verdigris (green) covering. Even if you clean it once, you will be repeating it every year or so. And those conchos are embedded at the edges into the leather, so you can't really get a protective barrier between metal and leather either while cleaning or when wearing the leather. I'd guess the best approach would be to have a leather maker pull those conchos and put on something of the same or slightly larger size that would be made of german silver (nickel alloy) or even stainless steel. I don't think of a good solution if you leave the brass on that rig. Coating the leather with a sealer would slow down further corrosion, most likely, but not stop it. This approach with baking soda and vinegar MIGHT work for you: https://www.ehow.com/how_6386111_clean-verdigris-stains-leather-brass.html Try it on the back side and see if it cleans the posts without bleaching color out of the leather! As well, a site named LeatherDoctor has products that claim to be able to protect the leather while getting verdigris off, as this post describes: http://www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com/forum/showthread.php?8397-Advice-for-verdigris-removal-from-leather-caused-by-brass-hardware Note - I have not tried either of these approaches myself. I have leather slings with brass hardware, and every year or so, I pop the brass fittings off (chicago screws, buckles, loops) and polish with a good brass polish. And I just ignore any stain on the leather that won't come off with saddle soap. Good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grass Range Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Conchos on chaps; very time consuming to remove and replace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philosopher Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Maybe just try 0000 grade steel wool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MizPete Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 clean brass with ketchup. No, I'm not kidding. Put ketchup on a soft cloth & rub onto concho. Shouldn't harm the leather if a little gets on there. Might want to spot-test in an inconspicuous location first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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