I was wondering how often a pair of leather boots should be oiled? I use obenaufs leather oil, but recently I have been reading that oil is/may not be necessary at all. I have a pair of leather boots that I use as every day shoes. They are not abused like most work boots, but they get wet/muddy/heater exposure/ect. I would like to know is oil is necessary and if so, how often should it be used? (and how much) Likewise, I will be getting this beautiful leather wallet soon. I know wallets do not get the same treatment as footwear does, but should that ever be oiled at all (like once a year or so?). Thanks. It seems that NO one knows how to really care for leather. Leather conditioning companies say to oil it every 4-6 months and the leather companies say never. I know they do that so you end up buying their products more often, but the complete lack of any convincing evidence either way is frustrating.
Hmm, Great questions and ones that I have often wondered myself. On my Sorel's and other boots I usually use Mink Oil and will only apply it when the leather starts to look a bit dry. The Sorel snow boots maybe get a Mink Oil coating every other year or so....my dressier type boots only when the surface looks dry... I have never treated a wallet before, I would think that the wallet may pickup enough oils from your skin from everyday use...as I have never had one dry-rot on me or get dry / brittle leather... My strops get a rub from my palm or neatsfoot or other types of leather dressing / conditioner as needed....mostly when I want to increase draw or they look dry.. Hopefully some others will chime in...
Just for your consideration, I have read in numerous articles that neatsfoot and mink oil can be bad for leather. Likewise I have read numerous articles that say both are the best products to use. I personally do not know, but I avoid them just because it makes me feel better. I found some products that seems to be top of the line and I personally recommend. it is obenaufs leather oil, Heavy duty LP (its a water proofing wax), and their white jaguar cleaner. The oil and wax are goretex safe, will not clog pores (so they say) and the cleaner is so mild on leather but it works pretty well. The cleaner has no odor and is made from plant extracts. I love their products, but like I said before no one really knows. Everyone has their opinion...use this avoid that, no use that avoid this and on and on. My plan is to use oil every 4 months and in the winter use both the oil and a coat or two of wax. I don't know if that is too extreme or just right, but its a starting point. As for my wallet, it is 13 years old and pretty beat up (been through the washer, dryer, and the dog tried to eat it) but still hanging on. I finally found one very much like it but even better. So after a few years I may put on a light coating of oil.
Haha, it sounds like that wallet was well made to stand up to that abuse Thanks for the great advise, I have a couple pairs of Gore-Tex boots...Both are made by La Sportiva, I know the folks at The North Face store recommended a product for them called Nikwax but I haven't tried it yet It's also sold at REI and looks like it may be a good option.
The only outdoor-type boots I own are Sorels. I've probably had them for 30 years and the only thing wrong with them is one of the loops that you use to pull them on with is broken. Even the original wool felt liners still keep me warm! They have never seen oil or wax...just snow.
Michael, A light coating of Mink Oil on you Sorels will work great, it may darken the leather slightly but a light coat will maintain the water-repelling and will keep the leather soft and supple for years to come.... Sounds like they are holding up fine on there own without the special care though......impressive :happy088
Anynone know if pure Mink oil would work on light color leather seats in the car? I have a whole lb. of this oil in my fridge (or the freezer) that I bought to use in soap, but never got around to it.
There are may products available to choose from. Being in the the saddlery business, we've seen many of them. We like to use Lexol cleaning and conditioning products but we really like Leather CPR and Horseman's One Step. Mink Oil will darken leather down too much. Mink oil is not used since it tends to rot stitching. Sun is the biggest contributor to leather darkening. Like anything, use sparingly but often. You can use saddle soap to clean but you will need a conditioner. Water proofing is a different animal and a wax based product will help with that.
I'll check these out; thank you. The weather has been in triple digits for some time now, so I'm sure my car gets even hotter. The leather is not dirty, just seems dry.
I have use some of my home made shave oil.It works great and is very cheap.Lanolin ,almond ,olive ,grapeseed and castor oil are part of the formula. Cheers, ROCKET
