There are a couple of product available in the states that are great for softening leather. My favorite is a product called "Soffener" that is sold by a company called "Colorplus" in Pennsylvania. It is a tallow based product that really saturates the leather and brings old, dried out leather back to new condition. There is also Lexol which is, I understand, water based but which still has rejuvenating properties. I have seen ads in British car magazines for a leather restoration product but the name escapes me.
