The varnish coating on a leather handle is cracking?

[verisharp]

I have a brand new vintage estwing bowie knife that is probably 30+ years old... Its got a stacked leather handle with some type of sealer or varnish coating. The coating has begun to crack (not large cracks just extremely small spyderweb like crackleing patterns) any advice for repair or prevention??

 

[richard j]

you could put some thin superglue over the entire handle and seal the leather back up. i use superglue on leather handle knives i repaired over the years and on the one i made a few years ago. work in small sections until you have the entire handle coated
and sand lightly to highlight the low spots which you fill in with glue. once you get a couple of coats on the handle you can sand it smooth and buff with 0000 steel wool.