Treating Leather

[3Feathers]

Anybody heard of treating leather with canola oil to preserve and to soften it.?????????

[Joe D]

Never heard of using Canola Oil however, I'd imagine it wouldn't hurt anything. One of the craziest ideas I've ever heard though was from this ol time muzzleloading guy up the hill from me. He uses WD-40 on all his leather. It sounded crazy but, I figured I'd give it a try on some leather I had that if it screwed it up it wouldn't be a big deal. Well, I have to tell you, I use WD-40 on all my leather now and it is an awesome conditioner. It really softens the leather nicely and seems to be an excellent protectant. Give it a try, you won't be dissappointed!!  

[MercilessMing]

That's interesting.  Does the WD-40 dry out after some time?  How often you need to re-apply if WD-40 dried?

[Mojostick]

I'd found nothing easier or more convenient than Wilson's premuim baseball glove oil.
 http://www.hitrunscore.com/a6764-wilson-glove-oil.html

[reddogge]

Why use some untried method when there are great things on the market for doing so.  Pecards is used by museums and is good stuff.  Others have their favorites too.

Be careful, some things will soften your leather too much and ruin it.  A lot of leather is killed with well intention kindness.

[benny]

Alot of saddle makers use canola oil. So do I.

Benny

[sleepingbear]

I kind of like mink oil

[bofish-IL]

I would think WD-40 would be an awfully strong odor for any hunting situation.

It is used for all types of stuff though. I have even heard of people spraying it on their joints for arthritis

[Joe D]

That's interesting. Does the WD-40 dry out after some time? How often you need to re-apply if WD-40 dried?  

Yes it does dry, relatively quick! I just rub it in with a rag.

 

I would think WD-40 would be an awfully strong odor for any hunting situation.

It is used for all types of stuff though. I have even heard of people spraying it on their joints for arthritis  

The smell goes away quickly also, or you could try getting get down wind of your quarry!  

[Chris Shelton]

I know that kerosene and other strong smelling things are used to soften or clean oil.  

However, it would be very helpful to know what type of leather you are using, chrome tanned, vegitable tanned, and brain tanned leathers do not need to be protected, they are water proof.  Meaning they will not rot when they get wet.  Of course they will get stiff, and all you need to do is work it a bit and it will soften back up  But if it is alum or acid tanned and gets wet repeatedly it will eventually rot away.  So they need to be protected

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

I'm partial to neatsfoot oil. Another go for light hides like deer is Cornhusker's Lotion.

[buckracks7]

Yes, heard about Canola from a very intelligent and experienced bowhunter that posts on here sometimes. Name was Bill Turner. If he says it works, I believe it.

[twitchstick]

Good question I now it works good on knife handles.

[Killdeer]

I have an old friend, and when I first met her, she was using peanut oil to condition her bridle and saddle. I don't see where any vegetable oil would do any harm. I have heard that neatsfoot will rot cotton stitching. In my years, I have used peanut, neatsfoot and Lexol on my tack, plus glycerin soap, Murphy Oil Soap, Mink Oil (Pecard) and...shudder...Vaseline. My granddad told me to use it on the saddle he gave me. "Before you put it in the case, rub Vaseline into the leather and it will be good as new when you take it out." Well, that 1918 Pariani doesn't look new, but it is still pretty darn good for its age.

I just don't think mineral based oils are what leather is crying for, though. I usually use Murphy Oil Soap, now, for cleaning and moisturizing. For knife sheaths and boots and the like, I may use Montana Pitch Blend sealer or Sno-Seal. The Sno-Seal is great on boots and stays in there longer than the Pitch Blend. I like the way the Pitch Blend smells, though, especially on hunting stuff.

Killdeer

[Jon Shade]

I like Montana pitch blend.

[poison arrow]

Of course it depends on the leather and what it is being used for. Many of my Single Action Shooting buddies use Balistol on all their holsters which are veg tanned. Balistol is kind of like wd-40. I use Neatsfoot or Lexol. I prefer Lexol over Neatsfoot because neatsfoot gives me a headache if I'm around it too long. The problem with canola and olive oil is they rott. If you leave canola or olive oil out in your kitchen after time they become bad. Sure it DOES condition the leather for a bit, but when it gets funky and rotten, then what? Take some leather scraps and try different methods. Canola on a peice, olive on another, lexol on one and neatfoot on a peice. Leave them out for a couple weeks and check the results.

[Killdeer]

I forgot about Ballistol. Use it for everything, especially in the gun room. It is NOT like WD-40, it is more along the lines of Murphy soap. It is approved for wiping down food surfaces, which I would not do with WD-40 or all those other unstickums on the market.

If there were a law that required me to narrow my inventory of useful substances down to one or two, Ballistol would be right up there. I think duct tape would be the other. Neither is ideal for all situations, but it will do in a pinch for most.

Killdeer

[swampdrummer]

See if you can get Dave Bulla to let go of some of his Bulla Bulla Boot Butter. Its good stuff!

[Bowferd]

I've been a leather junkie for many a year. Started out as a "Shoe Shine Boy" at age 11.
Was involved in leather restoration on vintage autos and furniture for 20 years and still dabble with a project from tome to time.
On rare occasions I have used many different treatment methods depending on the age and condition of the leather, but my old standby has always been Lexol. You can find it at almost any good Country Store or tack shop. 1 large bottle will last most people a lifetime at a very reasonable price. Follow thecleaning and treatment directions and you are safe and the leather is conditioned and in most situations good to go for at least 6 months.

[Terry Riley]

Any product that safely moisturizes your skin and doesn't contain perfumes will work on leather goods. WD-40 is a solvent that will breakdown oils or waxes in the leather. Over time, I would expect that it would dry the leather rather than condition it but I could be wrong. I use Snowseal on my boots and warm it with a blow dryer to help the first application penetrate. I also like Lexol for restoration and conditioning. Petroleum products I'm told will eventually break leather down over time or cause them to darken and harden.