Recent empirical tests in the Ethnology Laboratory at the Canadian Conservation Institute indicate a possible substitute for polyvinyl acetate (PVA) emulsions in leather and skin repair: the addition of an organic solvent soluble-cellulose ether to a pure synthetic resin in solution. An evaluation of four formulations resulted in a preference for a combination of B-72 (manufactured by Rohm and Haas) and EHEC (ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose manufactured by Hercules).