M3 trench knife - loose guard and dry leather

[whgraham]

Hey All. I've got a Boker M3 trench knife. The stacked leather handle seems very dry, and I think that's allowing the guard too much freedom of movement. I've hydrated leather items before with Balistol and the like, so I thought I'd ask about this here:

Is the overly dehydrated stacked leather handle the likely culprit of the guard being able to move?

Is it common to hydrate stacked leather handles with an oil of some sort? If so, what do you all suggest?

Thanks.