JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

Neats foot oil. I use it on my saddle, reins, headstalls, baseball glove, etc.

Let it soak in and then buff dry. Periodically, 1-2 times a year, treat with leather conditioner.

I have some old leather items that are as "soft as butter!"

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I have used all (or most) of the products mentioned above to revive reins and bridles that were brittle as could be. One of the best pieces of advice I got from one of my trainers was to roll my rains into a coffee can, pour in some clean motor oil and put the lid on it. After a week or two, the leather would be as pliable as brand new. It could then be cleaned with any of the leather cleaners available. It works.

JBRIII

Call the Smithsonian.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

Saddle soap is another good possibility.

ramarsh

Mink oil.

Hawkowl Loc: Ithaca, NY

You're getting some really good feedback, assuming the case is genuine leather. And although it "looks" in the pictures like real leather, I'm not necessarily sure it is. I remember some of those old cases and recall how they were stiff right from the beginning, but with use they would sometimes crack and break in a way that real leather wouldn't. I suspect that they were made by gluing small particles of ground-up leather, and perhaps other fillers, under pressure, and that the stiffness helped to maintain its integrity. Such a product can be easily embossed to make it look more realistic, or there might also be a thin outside layer of real leather. Either way if this is that type of product, I'm not sure that the above solutions would be advisable, as adding oils or softeners could conceivably be counter-productive. You did refer to it as "leather-like", so maybe you have a similar concern. Like someone else mentioned, you might want to be conservative and just try oiling a small piece, like the front strap, and seeing how it holds up, especially to flexing and bending.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Very good advice

RowdyRay Loc: MN

Got here a little late...but, have to give my vote for Neatsfoot oil. Awesome stuff. Of all the items listed, this is the only one I think could work. It's thin enough to soak in and possibly revive it. Used many of the others listed. Those are much thicker and meant to maintain and/or waterproof leather that isn't already dried out. Just my .02.

leatherviews Loc: Pakistan

Don't know

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

As with high quality leather hiking boots, the best way to "fix" dried and cracked leather is to use a "greasy" rub on conditioner BEFORE it gets dried and britttle. Once the leather cracks it cannot be repaired/restored. Some use beeswax, others use a blend of softeners/lubricants and other leather-friendly chemicals in a carrier that one can rub on, often penetrating the pores in the leather. Neatsfoot Oil is made from rendered cattle fat - which oxidizes and can make leather brittle over time. There is a lot of mythology, and just a handful of products I might actually use on any leather I own. Luckily there is an internet and if you are comfortable separating the wheat from the chaff, you can find something perfect for your situation.

I can't tell how damaged the leather is from the pic, but other than being stiff, it doesn't seem to have much cracking at all. So you might get lucky with multiple thin coats of a conditioner, applied weekly, until it becomes soft and supple.

https://www.obenaufs.com/heavy-duty-lp-p/leather-preservative-paste.htm

https://www.gearx.com/limmer-boots-limmer-boot-grease

Sno-Seal, Nikwax, Mink Oil, etc each have their following.

And there are these from the auto detailing industry:

https://morningchores.com/best-leather-conditioner/

To my point about tried and tested long haul conditioners and softeners: These are a pair of Peter Limmer and Sons Boots - purchased in 1996, and conditioned exclusively with Limmers Boot Grease.

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(Download)

krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

More than 60 years ago, my dad gave me my first real baseball glove and a red can of Snow Proof. I think the glove might have lasted longer than it did if the dog hadn't thought it was a "chewy".

MDI Mainer

Have used it for years on cars, cases, furniture luggage, wife's handbags, etc.

https://www.autogeek.net/cohica1.html

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Used that on a pair of Dunham hiking boots. Leather lasted a long time, but they got really soft. Ok for baseball gloves, not sure how it would do on a relatively stiff camera case. It could work if applied sparingly.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Nice pair, well taken care of. Only 25 years old, thanks to a product that works 🏆🏆🏆