leather care question

[Grizz]

What would you use to restore and preserve old old leather?

I have a mail bag from long long ago, and a pony-express type saddle bag.

They are seriously dry and in need of some TLC.

I would prefer something I could get in Juneau, but would buy something here
if necessary. There is a tack shop up the road, maybe they have what I need,

what is it?

On a more serious note, for the benefit of those who don't know me,
here is my version of a hiking stick. yeah. it's waiting for me to get
back and warm it up

hiking_stick.jpg

00

Grizz

[pwl44m]

Just don't fire till U see the whites of Their eyes.
Perry
Oh ! back to the question, should be lots of Whale Blubber there.

[bdhold]

https://www.obenaufs.com/index.php?rout ... duct_id=30
Obenauf's LP is about the most tenacious out there.
You might find a bit better price if you shop around.

[M. M. Wright]

I use BLACKROCK Leather 'N' Rich.

Blackrock
PO Box 549
Pekin IL 61555

This is the stuff they use at the Western Heritage Center in OKC. I use it on my 1890ish R. T. Frazier saddle and my Shipley chaps, some old holsters and belts. Great stuff.

[Rusty]

Some time back I seem to recall someone here having an old leather item they had and someone here on the forum suggested olive oil. You might do a search on olive oil and see if it fits your problem.

[Blaine]

https://www.obenaufs.com/index.php?rout ... duct_id=30
Obenauf's LP is about the most tenacious out there.
You might find a bit better price if you shop around.

What he said. I used it for chapped lips once.

[Grizz]

https://www.obenaufs.com/index.php?rout ... duct_id=30
Obenauf's LP is about the most tenacious out there.
You might find a bit better price if you shop around.

What he said. I used it for chapped lips once.

chaps don't go on lips they goes on hips

[Grizz]

Some time back I seem to recall someone here having an old leather item they had and someone here on the forum suggested olive oil. You might do a search on olive oil and see if it fits your problem.

Rusty I have checked that out and got scathing criticisms because it doesn't do the good thing to leather and does bad things to it. I like olive oil but am going to try to get some of Blaine's chap balm.

Thanks for the info on Obenauf's and Blackrock

Grizz

[JerryB]

Plain old Neatsfoot oil has always served me for saddles and bridles. use it on boots, gun rigs, saddle scabards, there may be better stuff but it worked for me.

[Grizz]

Thanks Jerry

I added it to the list. Hopefully the tack shop will carry the right stuff.

[C. Cash]

I don't put my stuff through the paces of most here, but I've had good luck with Olive Oil. It was the only thing that brought back an old Ozark Saddle King saddle that had sat in a storage room too long without care. The leather doesn't seem to break down and come off on the rag as it did with Lexol, and it looks/feels "alive" and not dull and dry. It worked well on everything else too, without over softening and is what I use. Has anyone had trouble with olive oil? Maybe it's just that simple and we've had a great leather care product since the beginning of civilization?

[bdhold]

neatsfoot oil is of course good stuff - it's also an ingredient in OLP and most other good leather treatments (Brooks Profide, etc.)
It also evaporates. The other treatments will have a mix of vegetable oils and beeswax, which slow the evaporation and, of course, seal and waterproof the surface.
Some treatments are all vegetable plus beeswax, because some leather dyes are dissolved out by neatsfoot oil.

CC, your experience with Lexol is because it is mostly a soap with added preservative. The soap removes the leather that's already broken down. But overall, tanned leather is happier in mild organic acids (tannic) than alkalies.

Most shoe leathers are tanned using the chromic acid process, on an industrial scale, and have to be neutralized with alkalies. Lexol is better for shoes than for soft leathers.

[damienph]

I use Lexol on my saddles and leather lineman belts. They make a leather conditioner and Neatsfoot dressing, I use them both.

Several years ago I got a what looks to be pigskin WW2 vintage Cavalry saddle bag from my Dad (he brought it home after the war, 1st Cav Div). It was a little stiff and dry; I used both Lexol products on it and it did soften it but it also darkened the leather.

[MZ5]

I, too, use Lexol. The toughest-use leather I have at present is a heavy motorcycle jacket that I wear most days of the year. It's not an ancient jacket, however. The Lexol does not over-soften it, nor does it strip any finish in any way. The cleaner cleans it well, and the conditioner keeps it pliable yet durable.

[Sixgun]

I, too, use Lexol. The toughest-use leather I have at present is a heavy motorcycle jacket that I wear most days of the year. It's not an ancient jacket, however. The Lexol does not over-soften it, nor does it strip any finish in any way. The cleaner cleans it well, and the conditioner keeps it pliable yet durable.

Could not have been said better. The only time I switch from Lexol is on my boots---they get Obenoffs. (or however that name is spelled)--------------------------Sixgun

[Blaine]

I also use this once a year on everything that needs to be waterproof, or at least very resistant.

[JerryB]

damienph,most all of the later U.S. Cavalry saddle bags were made of pigskin.

[damienph]

damienph,most all of the later U.S. Cavalry saddle bags were made of pigskin.

I don't know the actual date of this one and my Dad passed away 9 years ago so I can't ask him but maybe I just assumed he brought it home in '46. It is pretty cool, white cloth lined, oval with US on both flaps.
Jerry, what vintage do you think that it would be? I can take and post some pics if that would help.

Sorry to be rambling off thread

[JerryB]

I know the WW1 saddle bags were pigskin so the army probably stayed with that on into the 1930's until they disbanded the horse cavalry. I'll do some checking on it.

[Jeff H]

Bick Number 4 Leather Conditioner. Rub some on with your fingers until it soaks in and buff or rub in some more. It has kept my boots from cracking and they look new again when I use it. I have leather sheaths that took some effort to make and Bick 4 goes on them a couple times a year too. Keeps them looking very nice, repels water and does not soften features or make the leather mushy or flimsy.

http://www.bickmore.com/bickmore/Leathe ... Bick4.html

I got put onto this one by Weaver Leather, in Mt. Hope, Ohio. ("Amish Country")

http://www.weaverleather.com/

I've used a lot of other stuff, but Bick 4 has been the best on important or expensive leather items by far. I am sure there are others that are good too but this one has impressed me most so far of everything I have tried.

I use that silicone stuff BlaineG showed on everything made of cloth that I wear outdoors - hats, jackets, coats, but never tried it on leather. It works very well for the availablility, cost and ease of application.