Alright, I've got a box of scrap leather, and I want to know just how solid I can make it without changing it's appearance or creating any odd smells... and without making it brittle or flaky.

It's black cowhide, about what you would expect to find on the outside of a genuine leather biking jacket that hasn't been broken in yet. The trouble is, I want to turn the scraps into some good arm guards, It needs to be durable, and it has no reason to flex whatsoever. This seems like a job for some other material, but this is for a costume, so that leather look and feel is important to the design.

Ideas?