Leather Preservative Experiment

[dcg]

This thread is the sort of thing that really sets Giles apart from other retailers.  Such a cool idea.  Thanks, G!

[xtcclassic]

^Amen to that! And I agree with Seul, LP for the win.

[Snowy]

Thank you!

(looks like I'll be sticking with LP)

[scroogen]

I think LP looks the best too, but olive oil is a close 2nd…

[natehate]

Digging the olive oil myself

[seawolf]

Thanks for doing this Giles. You're the best!

[summ3rhays]

+1 for LP. I think the olive oil looks good, but I'm not sold. Great results though. What a cool idea.

[joesaintjohn]

I kinda dig the mustang paste. Nobody feeling it?

[urbanwoodsman]

@joesaintjohn:

I kinda dig the mustang paste. Nobody feeling it?

I like the color of the mustang but I feel like the oils would be pretty amazing on leather that is actually being used.

Also, were the pastes/waxes applied then hit with a heat gun? I know this was a fun experiment but I'm just wondering.

[xtcclassic]

The Mustang Paste is a close second IMHO.

[Giles]

@urbanwoodsman:

Also, were the pastes/waxes applied then hit with a heat gun?

No, just rubbed in with a cloth

[toddjcoley]

The lp seems to have less cracking and marks from the bend test. Do you think any are better?

[Giles]

IMO the LP is best.  Remind me to show them to you when you are next down.

[ohighyo]

@dcg:

This thread is the sort of thing that really sets Giles apart from other retailers.  Such a cool idea.  Thanks, G!

Agreed

[mclaincausey]

I'd think that vegetable oils (like olive oil) that can go rancid would be a bad idea.

[dave28]

I made the fatal error of putting neatsfoot oil on several pairs of leather shoes and boots.

Mould, mould and more mould. Disgusting stuff ruined all my leather goods.

[mclaincausey]

That's crazy, that's what Nick Horween says to use on cxl

[mclaincausey]

This isn't true, mineral oil would have been fine on the butcher block (but NOT on leather).

The logic is entirely backwards, the entire rationale for vacuum sealing, for example, is exactly the opposite what he's describing, removing oxygen and oxidation from the material to be preserved so that it WON'T rot.

@Rollo:

@seawolf:

A bit of warning: Olive oil rots over time, and smells really bad. I thought it would be a good idea to oil my big butcher block with olive oil, because, you know, its a cutting board, so what better to oil it with than olive oil, right? Wrong! After about a year, I noticed a foul odor that actually permeated the food and tasted horrible. I can't imagine the effect would be less on a nice piece of leather. Since that incident, I got a new butcher block, and oil it with mineral oil, which won't rot, and keeps my block looking (and smelling) fresh!

As good as that olive oiled leather looks, I would strongly advise NOT using olive oil on your own belts!

There's a good reason your chopping board became stinky.
Oil creates a seal, that will seal any sort of dirt, mud or tiny chopping remnants inside of it. It'd be like coating a piece of meat in vaseline so it degrades in an almost oxygen free environment and any space in that seal is going to reek.

[Chris]

@dave28:

I made the fatal error of putting neatsfoot oil on several pairs of leather shoes and boots.

Mould, mould and more mould. Disgusting stuff ruined all my leather goods.

Do you have any pictures of the damage?

[seawolf]

@Chris , are you thinking it's bloom, not mold?