There's a seller on ebay who offers new old stock (NOS) straps from the '60s and '70s. I'm sure there are others too. I'm looking for lizard, crocodile, ostrich, etc. I wonder though if these are still good, or have they have aged and will degrade rapidly once worn. What are your thoughts?

 

Try them and tell us...

 

Leather doesn't deteriorate rapidly in my experience. It can acquire a mildew odor, though, so you may want to ask about that.

I once bought a new-old-stock Atlas leather briefcase from ~35 years ago. It was stunningly beautiful, but the mildew odor was overpowering. Several days outside in bright sun had no effect whatsoever. I had to send it back.

 

I have many vintage leather straps and agree the mildew smelling ones are near impossible to get out. You can, however, cover it up with Lexol leather conditioner. I love the smell of it. A little pricey but works on everything leather. Turns it butter smooth. That said, sometimes you get some old straps that have turned to cardboard and can't be saved.

Another trick for the old straps is to cover them in Vaseline and work it in to every pore. Keeps the fibers from working against themselves. Learned this trick from a guy who worked at the Nokona boot / baseball glove factory in Texas. Works well on dried out leather.

 

Does the Vaseline darken the leather? Not that it would matter on black, but not great on tan.

 

I have had god luck with getting the mildew smell out of leather. I put the leather strap in a shoe box stuffed with crumpled up news paper. This method took a week or so I left the straps in the box for 2 weeks worked out well on a few watch straps and rifle slings After 2 weeks in the box The smell was gone

 

It will make the leather darker and it will make the raised white stitching darker, too.