Question for leatherworkers?

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

The simple question is how does one choose the right treatment to preserve and protect a particular piece of leather?

The less simple background:

I use a moderate amount of leather products, some are soft leathers, some "hard" ones, and some are subjected to very little environmental exposure, while others, like boots and leather bicycle saddles, see a lot of dampness and salt from me overly sweaty tootsies and bum. So I know what works for one use might not be so good for another one. I've ruined a few pieces (a couple of saddles, more than one pair of boots, at least one knife sheath, for starters) by either using the wrong product, or not using the right one correctly. In trying to figure out what's right or "best" for the conditions, one runs into the same old "oil wars" kinds of comments, like "Always use neatsfoot oil--NEVER use neatsfoot oil," "Always use mink oil--mink oil will vaporize your leather right before your eyes," "Saddle soap's the best thing ever invented--saddle soap's even worse than mink oil" and so forth thru the beeswax based products into who knows how many "hi-tech" products.

So I'm not trying to start the usual fights yet again, but trying to learn the "whys" of using, or not, particular products on various leathers, not just someone's (often ignorant) opinions of what's gonna kill my leather. The butcher already did that! I'm just trying to make that old dead hide last as long as possible!

Rick C

 

[Bob Wright]

CraigC, of Graveyard Jack Holsters, mentioned he used extra virgin (?) olive oil.

I've used saddle soap on finished leather with good results, folowed by Johnson's paste wax.

Bob Wright

 

[Poco Oso]

Yep, Olive oil. Great stuff. Just be sure to let it dry thoroughly, before other treatments, if any. I like to use Fiebings Atom Wax or Tan Kote, depending on the desired gloss. The Olive Oil is a lot cheaper than Neatsfoot and doesn't go rancid as quick. Just be sure it's "extra" virgin. (How do they do that, anyhow? :? )

 

[sfhogman]

For Brooks leather saddles I use Brooks Proofide, and a bat if the saddle is new...

Jeff

 

[Viking Queen]

Hi Rick,

I do leatherworking. A little bit of oil, and I do mean a LITTLE BIT, will rejuvenate dried leather. I prefer EVOO over other oils. Olive oil, if extra virgin and kept in a cool cupboard, seldom goes rancid. I have an old tooled handbag from the 1940's which was dried out and beginning to mold. I cleaned it up with a tiny bit of lemon juice to kill the mold and worked in a bit of olive oil. It is supple and like new. A tiny bit of oil on a piece of old tshirt, worked in and buffed off. Too much oil and the leather will darken appreciably and get all limp. That is a REALLY BAD THING, especially for holsters, where you need it to hold shape for retention of the weapon.

I use a product like Montana Pitch Blend if I really need to seal leather against the elements, as in bags on a motorcycle. For holsters and belts and belt bags I dye the leather then when dry I use a product called Gum Tragacanth followed by another product called Bag Kote. You can get these items at a Tandy Leather shop or on line. The Gum Trag seals backs of belts and insides of holsters as well as sealing the edges of these items. The Bag Kote is a final finish for the outside of the leather item and is not a shiny finish. If you want shiny there are other products. Stay away from saddle soap, it adds too much water to the surface of the leather and Neatsfoot is just waaay too oily for most leather items. PM me with particulars about what you need to "fix" and I will try my best to help! Viking Queen

 

[stevemb]

I'm fond of Sno-Seal. It's wax based and won't weaken or over soften the leather. You can warm the object and or the Sno-Seal before applying, or you can apply it, then take a blow dryer to it and melt it in. Yes, be careful of the heat from the blow dryer. I've used it since about '75. Oh. I'm not a leatherworker, and didn't stay at Holiday Inn Express, or wherever.

 

[coach]

I've used sno-seal too on boots to waterproof. It doesn't seem to soften the leather.
For cleaning I use saddle soap or Lexol cleaner.
To condition and preserve leather I've used Lexol on most everything from leather car seats to shoes and boots and sheaths. Not sure about using it on leather holsters if the are hard molded. It might soften especially if used to excess.

 

[Cracker-American]

This is, at least to me, kind of important. If the piece of leather you are working on has been treated with silicone then the oil products will not work. Silicone treated leather only use more silicone.

My own personal group of products

Lexol
Glycerin saddle soap
Ray Hole's saddle butter (a well kept industry secret)
Neatsfoot oil (going to try Extra virgin olive oil though)

 

[Phoenix too]

... and a bat if the saddle is new...

Jeff

ROTFL! A rolling pin works, too.

EVOO hmmmmm, 'spose SWIMPAL would miss a few drops? My Brooks could use a dollop. Treatments on leather saddles is why bikies wear black shorts...

 

[DGW1949]

I don't know if this helps, but....
I've got a saddle that is at least 60 years old, and a hand made holster that was made for me in 1979. Both get a yearly wipe down of neatsfoot oil. I've also been known to occassionaly rub some Kiwi shoe/boot wax into one or the other..."occassionaly" meaning about once in a blue moon. Cleaning has mostly consisted of wiping them off with a damp rag. Neither has suffered any ill effects from me doing those things, and both are just as servicable as they were when new.
On the other hand, used equipment looks used. I got no idea how to prevent that.

That's about all I know on the subject.

DGW

 

[Rick Courtright]

ROTFL! A rolling pin works, too.

EVOO hmmmmm, 'spose SWIMPAL would miss a few drops? My Brooks could use a dollop. Treatments on leather saddles is why bikies wear black shorts...

Hi,

And way back in the days of dinosaurs when EVERYBODY rode leather saddles, it's said the pros would have a "second" put the first few hundred miles on a new saddle for them. That's NOT a bad idea, either: my most comfortable Brooks is a long since discontinued B15 Narrow I bought from a coworker at one of the shops I managed. He and a couple of buddies had done a Canada to Mexico ride the summer before he started working in our shop, and put somehere past 1500 miles on that Brooks start to finish. His mistake was starting the ride with a brand new saddle right out of the box, and I think the first few hundred miles left him kinda tender for the next 1000. He was rather happy to sell it when the trip was over! It's 40 yrs old now... and still in decent shape (it's one of them I did NOT ruin with the wrong treatment.)

Dunno about EVOO on a bicycle saddle. Maybe in real serious moderation? Neatsfoot oil is what I used to mess one up, by overusing it. Most of the guys I know who advocate neatsfoot oil today use DGW's approach: a once a year treatment, and a light one at that...

Rick C