The leather patch on my old varsity jacket was cracking, fixed it with a knife sharpening stone

Last fall I noticed the leather patch on my 1978 varsity jacket was all cracked and stiff. I tried conditioners and oils but nothing soaked in right. Got an idea after sharpening a folder on my 400 grit stone, so I lightly sanded the back of the patch to open the pores. Then applied a thin coat of neatsfoot oil, let it sit overnight, and it softened up like new. Turns out the old finish was sealing the leather and that roughing step made all the difference. Has anyone else had luck reviving old patches on vintage sport coats with something unusual like that?

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