Try rubbing a little Shae butter (on your finger tips) into the dry head. If you soak them to clean them use cold water and don't soak for too long. The shae butter or some lanolin based leather conditioner will put a little life back into the skins. Calf heads can last for years if you don't beat the hell out of them (as in Metal or hard rock.) New ones are expensive so it pays to take good care of the ones you have.

John

There are many 'old timers' who will talk about 'oiling' their skins to keep them supple. Various oils have been used, such as neatsfoot oil and ultra refined olive oil. The problem encountered using oils is that they generate heat as they dry.

Whatever short term regeneration of the skin is soon undone as the oiled skin soon dries out and will then split.

I know that others have opinions about oiling skins, but from my experience I would advise you to use the heads in the condition that they are now found. If the dried out snare head is intact it might probably still be OK for use on the snare bottom side. Your continued use of the heads is dependent on how you intend to use them - if you want to use them in performance you have to be aware that they eventually will age past their useful life. To merely reassemble a vintage drum for display you shouldn't have any problems so long as you handle them with care.

Those look good, real good. The other two are giving you good advice. Anything you buy today is not only expensive but nothing like what you got there. Don`t do away with all their authenticity. I heard a 1000 grit ...wood sandpaper,..will smooth them, but you have to do it first and dry. no oil yet.