European leather manufacturers have had to find substitutes for sperm oil as a fat-liquoring agent because the EEC has banned import of whale products for commercial purposes, effective January 1, 1982. A line of synthetic ester derivatives is available from: Hodgson Chemicals Ltd., P. O. Box 7, Chantry Lane, Beverley, North Humberside HU 17 ONN, U. K. This firm also handles Bavon waterproofing products which have been widely used in the last decade for the stabilization of archaeological water-logged leather artifacts. -- AATA