Can this cantle be saved?

[Jags]

This looks to me about like an old shoe coating that was sold to make leather look spit shined. It was a plastic that you spread over your stuff. After a while it ended up looking just like this if you left it on too long or did not renew it.

Now that is interesting, I'll need to look this stuff up. This could very well be what you describe. Shame it wasn't just spit shined, would have lasted the test of time better if it had been!