Otzi

@rodneywt1180b Sorry for the late reply. I won't have anymore until this spring and will post a link to it thaen.

Thought some of you might find this interesting. At the finish the boots are as close as you can get to waterproof, highly resistant to damage from salt, mold, fungus, and bacteria.

@Retswerb It is calculated on checkout but average looks to be $9 - $10 (CAD).

@billybopp Samples are now available, there is a $1 charge I had to put in place to prevent abuse. https://birchees.ca/products/birchees-leather-care-sample-pack

I have some bark tanned Salmon leather for style that I have made in the same way as Russia leather wit my own twist. The Salmon leather is bark tanned using birch bark (inner) or willow bark. Oiled with Birch tar oil mixture that I made, I have added coconut oil to it as well as stabilized with natural antioxidant and tocopherols. Video of current batch: More information on the leather and to buy: https://birchees.ca/products/buy-bark-tanned-salmon-leather-russia-leather-style

@ScottWolf Thank you for the tips and pointers, appreciated. I have tried a mix without the tar oil and the darkening is minimal on point with many of the products I have tested, so it really is the Birch tar oil which is doing it, no surprise there as it is near black. I have sent some oil off to a lab to see if they can take most of the color out of it, still waiting to hear back from them. If they are successful and the cost is ok I will offer both the clear and original mixes, I have sent a bunch of samples out to people and many of them love the darkening and patina type look it gives. I am a little hesitant to add lanolin as I am reading a lot about it over softening leather, have you tried it and if so found that to be the case? I can always give it a shot as well, I do add a mix of oil soluble antioxidants and tocopherols to it as well. No vitamin E though. The conditioner I am keeping it very soft enough so that it easily comes out of a squirt bottle, almost jel like. I have found a bit of a sweet spot in the ratio on it for the d-limonene and this consistency is the result of that ratio, it is easy to apply and absorbs well without warming the leather, but warming is still recommended as it does help. It absorbs and dries without leaving any type of film, or tacky feeling and sets the leather up well for the wax application. The wax mix is firm to the test but with a slight push it slips easy (at 20C ambient), the warmth of the finger and friction of rubbing on the leather is enough to melt it, it dries without leaving any tacky / sticky or any residue. For the wax it is needed to warm the leather a bit otherwise absorption is not great. I am toying with the Carnauba but the mix is performing really well so not sure it would be necessary, I have also read that when carnauba comes in contact with water it swells, on the leather this might block off the ability to breathe while it is wet, not a huge deal though. The latest mix of wax is really exceptional when the conditioner is applied first, there is 0 water absorption, it simply evaporates. Currently on day 7 since that new mix was applied, so it is pretty promising, yet to test the wax only and see how it does. What ingredients do you use in your conditioner?

I have been working on a small lineup of leather care products for about 8 months now. It turned out to be quite a journey and I think I am pretty close to having products are top notch, I started out on this with the mindset that I would offer something that was somewhat unique but that would perform or outperform the best in the industry. Lofty goals for a guy with no financial backing, labs, etc. But my prelim testing has shown me that I am doing pretty good. I am looking for some input and ideas from yall here as there is an incredible amount of knowledge and experience on these forums. Prelim Testing My prelim testing thus far has mainly been for products ability to repel water and how that ability decreases over time. Also once the ability decreases near to a control piece of leather to test soak through. I am testing water repel simply by dropping two drops in different spots on new pieces of veg tan with different products applied exactly as per their instructions. I time how long it takes for the leather to absorb the water, time from the longest of the two drops is recorded. These are daily tests and one of the drops is put in the center of the test piece, each day a new drop is put in the center, and one drop is put on the leather on a previously untested section of leather. The results on prelim testing have been surprising to me, with the products ability to repel water falling off drastically after 48 hours and most of them being back to an untreated state or near within one week. Until now all competitor products that I have tested have been AIO type products, meaning they advertise as a conditioner + repellent or even a waterproofer. My testing is saying to me that you cannot obtain good water repel that lasts without splitting up conditioner and wax / waterproofer into separate treatments. Reason being is the AIO tend to use a solvent which is needed as a carrier and to keep the end user application pleasing / friendly, but the kicker is solvents change the characteristics of the oils and waxes, especially waxes and degrade the performance drastically. A Few Prelim Results Moneysworth Heavy Duty Boot Protector: Repel same day as application was very good, minimal absorption. 24 hours later full absorption of water drop in two minutes., and 72 hours later absorption is the same as the control piece which is 45 seconds. Moneysworth Mink Oil: I do not think this is pure and the MSDS does not help. No test until 24 hours after application as instructions state to let it dry "overnight". I dropped the ball on testing a bit here, next day test showed good water repel with very little absorption. The next test which was 5 days later (I blame the kids lol) showed full water absorption in 2 minutes, the next test 7 days later was near to control piece at 1 minute and 5 seconds. Fiebings 100% Pure Neatsfoot oil: Test after application full absorption in 4 minutes, the water and leather took on a grey blue tint. 9 days later absorption was 5 seconds off the control piece at 50 seconds. There were tests in between but keeping this short. Atsko Sno-Seal: This one really surprised me. Test on same day as application was good, very small absorption ( I did not record a time in my notes), the day after full absorption in 1 minute 25 seconds, the following day three minutes, and the day after that two minutes. Day after test Is a bit weird, possibly because of the solvent they used not yet being evaporated, but at the same time I know I hit the temp needed to make their solvent do its magic, so not sure there. I have two other products on the way, those being Montana pitch blend, and Leather honey. Are there any other products you guys would like to see tested? There will be much more extensive testing when I am ready. Current samples are all new veg tan, later testing will also test chrome tan. Water repel tests will use wetlands water and sea water, both near my house to see how products deal with those and also because samples will at the end be put away wet in drybags to see how they cope with mold, fungus, etc. Samples will be monitored longterm for oxidization and rancidity. I will also be seeing how products react to cold (-15C). This is things a nutshell to keep it short. Is there are tests you guys would be interested in seeing? I am trying to keep them simple, well documented so anybody can reproduce them somewhat. My Mixes I had also at first though to just offer one product that conditioned as well as repelled water, but it became clear after much testing that if you want the products to really perform these need to be separated, and not only that they have to be designed to work together. So in all fairness my samples performance greatly outperforms everything I have tested above but it also requires two separate applications, but a few of the products I will be testing are also similar, so that will be interesting! When combined water repel on my conditioner + wax after 14 days is 25 minutes, just a slight absorption. Evaporation of the droplet on a waterproof surface at same ambient temp is about 33 minutes. My conditioner while it outperforms products I have tested so far does show the same tendency to drop sharply after 24 hours. On the conditioner after 7 days complete absorption is happening in 6 minutes. The wax only is allowing absorption after 7 days in 14 minutes. The Recipe I use the following in my recipes: - Birch tar oil ( I distill this) - Blend of natural antioxidants and Tocopherol - Coconut oil - d-limonene - beeswax The ratios have been difficult to nail down, but I am close. I have some samples at the lab also where they are attempting to remove the color from the birch tar oil so I can offer a version of the mix that does not darken the leather so much. This mix does not go rancid, oxidative stability is excellent. My Mix Pros - Oxidative stability is exceptional - Does not go rancid - Does not deteriorate stitching in any way - Very good at repelling water and saltwater longterm (just how long still under testing, this is relative to products compared) - Highly resistant to mold, fungus, and bacteria, also an antiviral - Does not block leathers ability to breathe - Repels insects, bugs, worms, some rodents - Acts as a restorer but does not overly soften leather - Migration in warm temps appears minimal My Mix Cons - Two part application for full performance - Darkens leather substantially (clear version in R&D) - Imparts a strong smoky smell that is long-lasting. Some people love it, some do not. - Will be on the high end of price range. Thoughts, opinions, recommendations all appreciated.

Excellent, thank you for the link, much appreciated!

Curious if anybody here has tanned fish leather and or used it in end products. I will be experimenting more with tanning it in the next couple of weeks. I have done a couple of tests and they turned out ok, they were done similar to how russia leather was done, inner birch bark for tanning liquor, then oiled with birch tar oil. The skins are incredibly tough. Must keep them fairly cool while tanning or you end-up with a foul soup! Do you do fish leather or have? If so can you share some of your process?

Added you to my list, thanks for the interest!

Thanks for that info, I had heard about it before but never had read up on it. Apparently that dressing is no longer recommended or suggested by the national library of the netherlands. https://www.kb.nl/en/organisation/research-expertise/preservation/guidelines-for-the-conservation-of-leather-and-parchment-bookbindings I am in the process of translating the article linked to from there that is only in Dutch and it makes for a very interesting read! They bring into question the solvents and from what I can see for good reason, both X4 and hexane have very fast evaporation rates both of them substantially faster then acetone. I'll post the translated article here when done, maybe some of you will find it interesting. Something I forgot to mention above is I am increasing the oxidative stability of the birch tar oil. I have sent samples out to a lab to have the iodine value tested as well, it will be interesting to see just how much it changes with the mix of natural antioxidants I have added!

I have been working on a leather conditioner recipe for near to 8 months now and I am getting fairly close to having it ready for people to try out. I have a limited number of free samples I can send, the main purpose of these is to get your feedback on the product. If you take a sample please do follow up with me after you have used it and let me know what you think. I will post the recipe so you can see what is in it (tentative and may change some) but I will not post the ratios as that has taken a large investment of time and money to get right. The Recipe - Birch Tar Oil: I distill this from Birch bark in my area, I have agreements with forestry and logging in the area that allows me to harvest bark from their blocks and lots. Some of you may be familiar with it from Russia leather. Increases leathers wear resistance, durability, repels water, highly resistant to saltwater damage, repels insects, worms, and bugs, highly resistant to mold, fungus, and bacteria, strong antiseptic properties. Imparts a strong unique smoky smell that lasts for years, it does fade. - d-Limonene (Citrus Terpenes): A natural solvent, it is volatile and evaporates from the leather after 1-2 days. It does not damage the leather or dry it while it is present in my testing. Makes for easier application and also cleans the leather. PH of d-Limonene is 3.5. - Antioxidants: This is a mix of natural antioxidants and used to increase birch tar oils oxidative stability. I believe Birch tar oil already has good oxidative stability and have sent a sample to a lab who to start will test for Iodine value so I know for sure. - A little beeswax is also added to the mix. This mixture does not go rancid and in testing looks to be more stable then animal based products such as minks oil or neatsfoot. The only unknown is the Birch tar oil as far as iv and PH, things I will know very soon! This recipe is easy to apply, penetrates deep and smells awesome (at least I think so). It does darken the leather (will have pics soon). If you want to give this a try please reply here stating so and I will add you to the list, please note you pay shipping. It will ship from Canada. It will be a month+ before I ship any samples, getting samples to the lab for testing is ridiculous slow right now. I will also have tanning oil available which is simply the stabilized Birch tar oil.

Bit of a necro here but this is a great thread and I have been trying different combinations out over the past 8 months and am close to what I think is a really good combination, I am not providing ratios as it will be a product that I sell at some point. 1. ) Birch tar oil: Penetrates deeply offering very good repelling of water, increases leather durability, highly resistant to salt water damage. Makes the leather highly resistant mold, fungus, and repels bugs and insects. Due to it being little known as far as I know nobody has done any tests on it for iv value but oxidative stability seems pretty good from what I have seen using it. I am sending a sample out to have its iv value tested and will also be checking its PH. 2.) d-Limonene (Citrus Terpenes): A natural solvent, it is volatile and evaporates from the leather after 1-2 days. It does not damage the leather or dry it while it is present in my testing. Makes for easier application and also cleans the leather. PH of d-Limonene is 3.5. 3.) Coconut Oil: The highest iv value of both vegetable and animal oils which translates to oxidative stability, also provides resistance against mold and fungus. I have managed to get this and birch tar oil to play nicely together, took awhile though! 4.) A little beeswax is also added to the mixture, I think we all know the benefits it can give. This mixture does not go rancid and in testing looks to be more stable then animal based products such as minks oil or neatsfoot. The only unknown is the Birch tar oil as far as iv and PH, things I will know very soon! This conditioner mix is easy to apply, penetrates very deep and gives very close to 100% waterproof. It does impart a pleasant but strong smoky smell, something the russia leather was well known for, it also darkens leather quite a bit. For those of you thinking of using linseed oil as mentioned it has dryers added (boiled) and linseed oil has bad oxidative stability (135-180), not something I would put on leather.

I documented a simple way to make your own birch tar oil as well as some of its uses and how to refine it further for specific uses, hope some of you find it useful. https://otzispouch.ca/how-to-make-birch-tar-oil/

I have been experimenting for the last 6-7 months on mixing birch tar oil and beeswax and finally have a process that really works well and am super excited about it. The wax seems to further stabilize the oil ad on test pieces I am not seeing oxidization where the birch tar oil itself will oxidize some after around 8 months (much less then animal based products such as neatsfoot, mink oil etc). The tar oil maintains its properties such as repelling bugs, insects, worms, and the leather is very resistant to mold and fungus. This product will launch under a sister company names birchees.ca.

This post goes into how you can create your own powerful antiseptic which is Birch tar oil but distilled in a bit of a different way to retain as much of the phenol and derivatives as possible. It is an extremely strong antiseptic. https://otzispouch.ca/birch-tar-oil-a-powerful-antiseptic/

I have scaled up substantially thanks to some agreements with local companies. I also have new and better ways to distill which means a better end product. This means a substantial price drop, I am also changing the measurement which it is sold by, from ounces to ml/cc. New pricing is $10CAD per 100ml. A few other things that the oil does when used on leather or wood: - Repels insects, bugs, and worms - Highly resistant to molds, fungus, and bacteria - Increases resistance to damage from salt water - Excellent water repel On wood it leaves a very durable and tough finish with a beautiful patina, many of the traditional Puukko makers use it on their handles. Other Uses It contains antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiparasitic qualities and has long been used by farmers and ranchers to treat a wide array of afflictions on livestock, especially skin and hooves. Handy thing to have in your pack when your in the bush as it can be used for so many different things. With a little heat you can easily refine it down and use it to repair boots, clothes, tent, seal seams, or even as a high strength glue which does not get brittle at cold temperatures. I have tested it down to -25C and it stays flexible, even mores if you mix in some fibers while it is hot.

I have been playing around with making fish leather for 6-7 months now. It is incredibly strong especially its tensile strength, you would never think it given how thin it is. Another couple months of tinkering and I think I will have the quality to the point where I would be comfortable selling it. As I already sell Birch tar oil and have pretty much unlimited access to Birch I have been reproducing the "Russia Leather" way of making leather. Have had to modify it a little but overall it is very close, I won't be doing dye they way they did back in the day though.

Things have been going well! Interest has picked up and have some fairly regular buyers now. Mostly those that make sheaths for knives and guns, a gunsmith that uses it on his rifle stocks and a traditional mongol bow maker. Very interesting people to talk to and get to know. My boots that I treated with tar on August 20 still completely waterproof even after months of work in the bush, and not a sweaty foot in sight Can see my post where I detail treating those boots here: https://otzispouch.ca/leather-waterproofing-with-birch-tar/ If you look closely at the header picture you can see the leather looks much better on the treated boot. As I have said before I am not knowledgeable in the way of leather, I just go by what I see and feel I use what I preach so to speak.

I use the term Birch Tar Oil as that is what it is commonly called in the circles where it is made, or discussed. There is already enough confusion with people between the tar and oil, now if I start calling it birch bark oil they will be even more confused. The times I have seen Birch bark oil was always referring to essential oil, which is another confusion point for people.

Generally the birch tar oil reduces a fair bit but not quite that much. Out of 3 ounces of oil I would expect to get 1.5 to 2 ounce of tar. I don't know what they added, but I know they added something and it is not pure birch tar as claimed, smells something like Camphor. They provided nothing no MSDS, the oil came direct from Russia, customs did not provide any additional information on it. They are selling a modified raw product dishonestly would be how I put it. I sell the oil, tar, and also pitch From what I have found it seems Russia both old and new use dry distill method same as I do. The tar if slightly warmed does not need a carrier and adding a carrier such as beeswax defeats one of the best things about the tar which is its ability to breathe while still repelling the water. Bottom line here is that this Russian product is not pure birch tar oil as suspected, what they have added to it is unknown at this time. Smells a bit like Camfor. If it seems to good to be true it usually is. Who knows maybe I will send some for an analysis at some point.

@mikesc I finally received my order and I can say 100% without a doubt this is not 100% birch tar oil. Just by smelling it I know something is off. If you spent any time on a farm or ranch and have treated stock for skin or hoof afflictions you would pickup the smell right away. It definitely has been added to / cut with something. I hope to have time in the next week to refine it and see how much tar it yields, the consistency is a bit off as well. It is past the point of being watery, it is more like a high proof alcohol that is very cold when you pour it. I contacted this seller when ordering asking specifically it it was pure and they said it was, considering this seller is selling FOR Farmaks which is one of the largest Birch companies in Russia.....

The way it should be, it's s a shame more people do not make full use as you do. Indeed farmers are not only very hard working but extremely efficient and minimal waste, good stuff. That is some massive lumber, you are very lucky, where I am (Quebec) they cut most of the timber back in the 60s and 70s so we have very little for big trees like that. Cool that you do web design, I actually was in a similar industry for the past 8 years. Started out freelance Linux admin and consulting for hosting companies before finally opening and running my own hosting company for 4 years. I sold that 6 months ago. I am not all that good with web design but if you need a rock solid site with load balancing and automatic failovers I can make that happen Happy to hear somebody else understands how the wood burning process works, I have argued with people previously about Birch and them saying it burns "dirty", very difficult to make them understand! We are too far North here for Maple but I have traded for it a few times and that is really am amazing wood to burn. Burns with very little flame, very clean, long, and extremely hot. Sounds to me like they are spoiled with their Oak, Beech, and Ironwood.. lol. I have looked pretty extensively for USA and Canada and did not find any. There are a few Canadian companies putting substantial money into extracting from Birch bark and the wood but they are looking to extract past the oil / tar into individual compounds like triterpenes, acids, etc. I have found just 2 people on Etsy and now this Russian company that is selling (Farmacs). Doing some digging they seem to sell a large amount of oil for livestock treatments which is a 10-15% tar mix for treatments of hoofs, skin issues etc. No idea if that is what I bought :D That was an interesting timeline to read, thanks for sharing it Random thing I just found out about Birch tar tonight. This was not through anything I found online, just my own little weird test :D We have a bunch of wild cats that my wife has taken the habit of giving "treats" which I try to lightly discourage. I know Birch tar repels many insects and pests so I got to wondering if it would have any effect for animals. I set one of my freshly treated work boots 4-5 feet away from the cats "treat" dish and watched as cat after cat came, sniffed, walked around in circles and then left without touching the food.

The main reason I started this was to utilize the entire tree rather then just firing it all in the woodstove which I see as a big waste of a resource. Here Birch is the main source of firewood so a lot is cut and a lot is wasted unfortunately. So not really interested in reselling a product from Russia and pitching to hipsters. I would rather at that point focus on the really rare version of the oil that I have yet to see anybody mention much less sell, just talked about in some very old somewhat obscure documents. Also in perfecting it in its harder states as a glue and in traditional and period specific crafting. Just have to wait and see how this bottle tests out.

I agree on a big scale like mentioned they can do it cheaper then a little guy like me, but I don't think they can do it that cheap. I have seen Birch debarked by machine and it removes inner bark as well as outer, the inner is no good to distill so needs to be separated, and depending on time of year inner and outer can be stuck together pretty hard. That is an additional cost over regular debarking, then you have the distill process which would not be cheap, though probably fueled by scrap wood and maybe even that inner bark. Either way it is interesting and once this bottle shows up I get to either eat my foot and rethink things, or have confirmation of my suspicions, can't wait until it gets here to see.