Preserving Pump Leather Cups

I got a few excellent leather cups I would like to survive a few years in my fettle box.
I also got a few 60-70 years old NOS cups that are completely dried out.
Would a soak in neats foot oil every year or two be beneficial?
Thank you

 

I soak old leather cups in neatsfoot oil, but when I put them in stove or lamp, I soften them with a pure mineral oil.

Tony

 

Thanks Tony. I had good overnight soak with all of my un-used cups (neatsfoot oil). The one that I need is soaking in mineral oil now. The rest of them are put into storage.

 

I don't think you need to do anything at all with the old dried out NOS-cups.
I have plenty of those too, and just keep them as they are. No fuzz.
But before use, they must be placed in a jar with any kind of mineral oil for atleast a day or more.
Then they are good to go despite 70 years of dry storage.

 

Yeah- I am probably overthinking it. Was thinking that dried out leather will never have that supple feeling back to it once its completely dried out.

 

One thing you should not do is test the flexibility before soaking them in whatever.

 

Yep. The older dried out ones are doomed to be cracked then. Me myself so much prefer the newly made. Thicker leather and supple out of the box. ​