What is this crud on my leather firearm accoutrements?

[D.B. Cooper]

That actually makes a lot more sense.

Agreed. Except for the part where it says "You won't need to treat the leather further." This happens every time I clean the film off and put the sling, holster, whatever back in the safe.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I thought everyone knew that you NEVER EVER keep anything made of leather inside the gun safe.

If only common sense was actually common.

No, I have never heard this until today. Obviously, I knew there was a connection between storing leather int he safe and the mold/film/whatever it is, but I had to learn that through experience.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Well. It seems to me that the best, and possibly only, solution is to remove the slings from the guns and store them elsewhere. Possibly, I should spray some of that Concrobium or tinactin on the fabric lining the inside of the safe.

 

[WrongHanded]

If only common sense was actually common.

No, I have never heard this until today. Obviously, I knew there was a connection between storing leather int he safe and the mold/film/whatever it is, but I had to learn that through experience.

I actually keep some guns in their holsters in the safe. No issues, so I've always done it. If it's not a problem, it's not a problem. If it is, well, then do something different.

 

[Slamfire]

Less than 50 years after the Vietnam War, and 70 years after the China Burma India theater of WW2, the memory of molds and fungus attack on equipment has seemly been forgotten.

Equipment exposed to hot, humid, semi tropical or tropical environments quickly gets inhabited by hungry molds and fungi, all looking for munchies. The WW2 generation found to their horror, electrical insulation, rubbers, early plastics, etc, all being eaten by molds and funguses. And sometimes, themselves. I knew a WW2 Veteran (Dr Ben) who had been a Weatherman. I pooh-poohed him as a REMF until he explained, prior to Allied invasions, he and Metrological group were dropped behind enemy lines on the China border and the Philippines to tell the High Command the weather prior to the invasion! Metrological units would set up weather stations, at high elevation locations, and at the bottom of these hills, were Chinese bandit gangs on the way up for a visit. Dr Ben described mountain fire fights with Chinese bandit gang looking for goodies, and quite willing to kill round eyes to take their possessions! Dr Ben survived, and so did a permanent skin fungal infection. The skin had been peeling off his hands for more than a half century, and I don’t think it ever stopped.

I am unaware of specific mold and fungus testing prior to WW2, but after WW2, molds and fungi are recognized as threats to equipment deployed world wide. And so, you can find things like this:

Fungus Testing Lab

Standard Practice for Determining Resistance of Synthetic Polymeric Materials to Fungi

As to what mold or fungus is eating your leather, heck if I know. Some have estimated the number of fungi species as 2.2 to 3.8 million, with only hundreds of thousands identified. There are a lot of fungus among us. (My Dad just to joke about that) The reason one sling is being eaten and not the other is probably because of the tanning and dyeing chemicals in one, is more tasty to the little buggers! Could be the hide, maybe your fungi have a preference to Uruguayan cattle than Brazilian.

This will not get better, outside of dry environments. Fungi love hot moist, so does mold. I don’t know a cure. I am sure that anything that will kill fungi, will also damage your leather.

 

[crstrode]

I have the same issue even though there's a Golden Rod in my safe.

A heater in the safe does NOT reduce the amount of water. All it does is raise the temperature above the point at which water condenses into liquid.
A safe heater will actually make the interior more accommodating for biological growth.

This is one of those things that most folks give little thought to - sorta like saying a wadcutter bullet has low recoil.

Pardon the venting - I should have listened to Matt Dillon when he said "It never pays to help people who don't want it".

 

[benEzra]

Well. It seems to me that the best, and possibly only, solution is to remove the slings from the guns and store them elsewhere. Possibly, I should spray some of that Concrobium or tinactin on the fabric lining the inside of the safe.

You could also try a Golden Rod in the safe and a small standalone dehumidifier in the room (they are not expensive). Mold/mildew is a function of humidity.

Also, is the safe sitting on concrete, or backed up against a masonry wall? If it is, it would be a pain but you could consider adding something under and behind the safe to insulate it from the colder, wetter masonry. Carpet + underlayment, or laminate + underlayment. The problem with masonry is that it can emit moisture itself, or by being cooler than the room it can be a magnet for condensation.

That stuff does look like mold/mildew to me, though. Looks just like the stuff that ruined a nice pair of boots that my dad gave me years ago, after I stored them in a closet in Eastern NC humidity.

 

[Seedy Character]

Molds like warm and moist. They hate sunlight and airflow.

 

[CapnMac]

Two possibilities: Lanolin (an oil derived from wool fleece) or Mildew.
Mildew is also a fungal growth, but it tends to "bloom" on surfaces, rather than embed itself..

Mildew spreads by filaments drifting in air, so filtration can help. Environmental conditions are also key, temps need to be lower than 70°F and RH under 50% (this can be tough sledding in a safe).

Normally, mildew has a "stank" about it--it's a gym locker room sort of smell, acrid and "mucky."
If there's no smell to it, I'd highly suspect the lanolin in the leather treatments (like neatsfoot and cheaper "saddle soaps"). Those just need wiping down, as all that's coming up is the excess material.

If it's the treatment, the last thing you want to do is strip all the treatment off and start over again, as you'll then have excess treatment material present, to "bloom" back up again.

Much of the US is in a transitional climate right now, flip-flopping between heating & cooling cycles (inside or outside our houses). In a month or so, that will pass and we'll be back to equilibrium again.

When I lived between two river bottoms, this time of year, mildew would occasionally appear even on synthetic stocks--mildew wants a surface.

 

[Electrod47]

I store all my gun leather in ventilated tubs out in the 6 car metal barn. All my older rigs grow that crap, so I have an annual clean up party. The humidity here in Mississippi is a fact of life and little can be done about it. Mold, fungus, whatever....here in MS it should be called a cash crop!

 

[commygun]

I last saw that on some leather hunting gloves that I recently pulled out of the attic after 10 years of storage. A light wiping with Huberd’s shoe grease removed (or subsumed) it instantly.

 

[desmobob]

There is no question the stuff growing on my Nylon rifle slings was not prior treatments oozing out... it was bright white, fluffy looking dust that seemed above the surface rather than in it. I'm really regretting not taking a photo. Next time...

 

[LoonWulf]

That would upset me greatly. Most of the guns in there are near-hundred year-old family heirlooms.

All my leather stuff molds, as do my guns, i have to wipe them down every few months. It dosent leave any noticeable residue in good wood, but if youve got some rot started you might see it darken. It used to freak me out a little, now its just one more thing to clean.....

 

[SterlingBullet]

It is mold. I have used 70-90% alcohol to remove the mold, it may require soaking. However, the alcohol dries out the leather. I use mink oil to fully penetrate the leather and maintain its pliability and avoid drying/cracking. Periodic applications are needed. Leather should never be stored in a lockable air tight environment like a safe.

 

[jrmiddleton425]

The safe is in a climate controlled room that average about 65-75˚F and runs about 50-70% humidity.

Right there is your problem. Get rid of the humidity, and you'll get rid of the mold.

 

[DoubleMag]

Equipment exposed to hot, humid, semi tropical or tropical environments quickly gets inhabited by hungry molds and fungi, all looking for munchies.

Environmental conditions are also key, temps need to be lower than 70°F and RH under 50% (this can be tough sledding in a safe).

40 posts, only 4 ppl mention its TOO HOOMID in the safe? The low # the OP gave is the outside HIGH # that should be tolerated.

Work towards 30-40%. Good luck!

 

[usaral63]

State flower here in Florida!

 

[starnbar]

I live if fl too and mold in the summer is everywhere try using some food grade silicone on the leather and stocks it is good at keeping moisture down on most things and won't hurt leather or stocks.

 

[average_shooter]

Obenauf's leather treatment might be worth a try.

They have a "paste" and a liquid product. It's beeswax based and the propolis is supposed to work well against anything growing in the leather. I've used the oil on slings and the paste on holsters.

I have multiple pairs of all-leather work boots and Obenauf's has been the standard for many years to keep the leather protected, supple, and free from mold and mildew.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Once you have mold or mildew, there is no cure.
The only way to keep it under control on leather or cloth is to keep the temperature moderate, the humidity low and the air circulating.
On plastics, rubber and unfinished wood, keep the items clean and protect with a quality wax, then, again,keep the temperature moderate, the humidity low and the air circulating.
This struggle never ends as long as humidity is high.

 

[JTHunter]

Agreed. Except for the part where it says "You won't need to treat the leather further." This happens every time I clean the film off and put the sling, holster, whatever back in the safe.

In all likelihood, what you are wiping off are the "fruiting bodies" of the mold (similar to mushrooms). You aren't getting rid of the mycelium (like underground rhizomes) that is the main part of the growth. If you don't get rid of that, it just comes back when in those warm and humid conditions again.
Good luck !

 

[KevininPa]

Northeast Pa is pretty humid, especially if you live in the woods in a wetland area. Leather coats, holsters and boots all get that along with wood stocks. My best weapon against it is Balistol. With a minor bit of due diligence, it's been my best weapon against rust and mold.

 

[InTheSwamp]

Leather Cleaner & Conditioner FREE SHIPPING - Leather Honey

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Leather Cleaner & Conditioner FREE SHIPPING - Leather Honey

I have a similar/competitor version of that stuff. Works good, but it has its limitations. In general, I don't have any problems cleaning the stuff off the leather; I'm just trying to figure out how to prevent it. (And the answer is, don't store leather in a gun safe.)