ScottWolf

Chuck, great example of what I mentioned above about the effects of oxidation and the concerns about using a substance by itself without other substances like preservatives and or emulsifiers to prevent/retard oxidation.

Take a deep breath, it isn't a personal attack against you, it's clarification on a commonly repeated rationalization to not use a substance on leather.

There is a good deal of urban myth/misinformation in your post that bears clarification. I see the term "rancid" thrown around a lot when it comes to conditioners and leather. There are many others on the inter webs who parrot this information, and it tends to cause some confusion as to what really is and more importantly ISN'T a concern. In the context of leather and use of products on and or in the processing/manufacturing of leather the term "rancid" refers to when the substance itself OXIDIZES. The oxidation of the substance is what leads to degradation and or untimely breakdown of a leather product. Now, everything used on/in leather products will/does change chemically at some point, this includes those commercially available products that people religious stand by while denouncing the ingredients that are actually in their favorite product. A way of preventing and or mitigating that chemical change is to use things like preservatives and or emulsifiers, be it a chemical and or a natural occurring product. All of which can and are used in leather care products. I won't get into the types of chemicals used, as that's a bit involved and beyond what most people can make in their kitchens. However, natural ingredients, like Beeswax, Vitamin E and products high in Vitamin E (Etc, etc, etc) can both serve as a preservatives and or emulsifiers that retard and or prevent substances from oxidizing as they normally would and in some cases prevent it outright. Case in point, neatsfoot oil is a tried and true "go to" substance used by leather crafters for centuries, I doubt many would disagree with that statement. HOWEVER, neatsfoot oil is a horrible product in the long term as it OXIDIZES terribly in leather (especially if over used) and causes that super hard and dried out looking leather that we've all seen in older leather products that haven't been properly cared for. This is also why, those who are wise in its use, always caution to use it sparingly and not over use it on leather products. A good example, LEXOL leather conditioner IS Neatsfoot oil, you can see the MSDS on their website that states as much, if you doubt me. That bottle of LEXOL liquid that some people swear by is approx 5-10% neatsfoot oil and 80% is WATER and any of the remaining ingredients are chemical preservatives and or emulsifiers to allow oil and water to mix and retard oxidation. So while every substance used in leather care out there has a varying IV ( iodine value), some of which are low (coconut oil for example) and some quite high, which pertains to the concern about oxidation, when used in combination with things like Beeswax, vitamin E, emulsifiers, etc ( or chemical equivalents), these concerns are mitigated, if not outright negated. It should go without saying (CPT Obvious moment) that if you use these substances without the other substances mentioned, that you may very well encounter problems with them oxidizing and causing problems in your leather products, especially if over used, on your leather. Lastly, this is not me or my opinion on the internet, it's summarized information based in Science and Chemistry that I invite everyone to research for themselves, as I have done, as it is quite interesting and eye opening in what has been used in the past and is being used now in the process of making/manufacturing leather and its maintenance/conditioning afterwards. The easiest way to start is to pull up some of the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) for popular commercially available products and go to section 3 on the document, where you will see what is used in those products and or the approx ratios of each substance to one another. In some cases it can be like seeing the man behind the curtain when it becomes apparent that things like Olive oil, Almond Oil, Safflower oil, mineral oil, etc, all the ingredients that people purport as being "bad" for leather on forums like these, are actually used in those very same commercially available products.

Here is a post I wrote on this very subject, explaining ratios and products you can use.

Where I have found doing this makes a difference is when you have a piece of leather or a leather item where there are sections/portions that are drier or dried out from age/use than the surrounding areas. Applying water to dampen (not soak) the entire piece/section before dying results in a more uniform dye job when it dries. As mentioned, it may result it a slightly lighter finish and take a little bit longer to dry but its nothing a second coat won't fix if you want it darker, but it ensures that the end product doesn't have spots/areas that are darker/lighter than the surrounding leather.

As I stated in my initial post, I am FAR from being woke/PC or any of that other BS, because that is what it is. And no, as I am sure you know, squaw wouldn't be any better, that would be worse actually. Feelings have nothing to do with it, this is about pointing out an ignorant misnomer that people perpetuate. Yes, it might be pedantic, but would you rather someone told you that you were doing something (anything) wrong instead of just letting you continue to show that ignorance?

Sorry, but it's not artistic license, it's simply wrong. It's as inaccurate as referring to someone that is of Asian descent as Oriental. Rugs are oriental, not a people. There is no such thing as an Indian princess and it's not a term of endearment or any other rationalization one may come up with. It's one thing to be ignorant of facts, but when presented with those facts and one chooses to try and explain them away and or ignore them, then it's just stupidity.

Sorry if this is too pedantic, and I am definitely not being PC/woke here, but there is no such thing as an "Indian Princess". As a Native American, I can definitively say that in Native American culture, there is no such social hierarchy like what is found in a Monarchy, where there are such things as Princesses and Princes, etc. That aside, I do think the leather work is commendable in its detail and craftsmanship. Kudos.

Just bumping this to the top with an update. I know some of you like to use things like NFO and Mineral oils, etc. I was curious and played around with them, and the above recipe works just fine as long as you keep the ratios balanced. The beeswax and mineral oil mixture looks a lot like petroleum jelly , just firmer in its consistency and not as sticky. It puts a nice shine on a piece of leather, as well as brings faded color back to life on worn pieces. I'd use other conditioners before hand if you really want to condition the leather and only use the beeswax/MO mixture as a final dressing to give it a bit of shine and bring some color out. I had similar results with the beeswax and NFO mixture but found that adding Lanolin to the mixture made for a decent conditioner and softener of stiff leather pieces without having to worry about over saturation of the leather with NFO.

Start with Isopropanol rubbing alcohol and dab it on the spot and blot it off, don't wipe. You may have to do this several times repeatedly. If ISO doesn't work, you can try D-Limonene and or "goof off". As mentioned, this may lighten and or remove some of the color from the leather. If this happens, try conditioning the area to see if it darkens it up or you can touch up the area with some dye to blend it in

99% of all "belly bands" out there are junk and safety concerns. There is one actual belly band that is not only modular and can accommodate a kydex/leather holster with actual retention along with other accessories. That one exception is made by UNITY tactical and it's called the CLUTCH. It's also not for everyone, as it was/is a specific requirement made item for a specific target audience. If the CLUTCH does not satisfy your requirments , then the next thing I would recommend that will likely fit your need is the ENIGMA, made by PHLster. It is by far, one of the most concealable systems currently out there that is both highly concealable and safe.

I've used Angelus acrylic paint for leather a good deal with an air brush and with a paint brush. The best advice I can offer is to watch some of the video on Angelus's website and a guy by the name of Dillion Dejesus. Most of the videos are about painting on leather tennis shoes, but the how's and why's of using angelus paint on leather are spot on. Be sure to understand how to use duller, thinner and the right kind of finish, it makes a huge difference in how your project turns out.

Just a SWAG from the picture, it appears to be about 1/4" wide or wider and about 4-5 ounces. Looks like it might be oil tanned leather.

I've seen this attributed to neatsfoot oil in old leather tanning text, as well as had items exhibit the same white film that you have. From na article titled: "The Application of Oils and Greases to leather", page 102 page 102: "oils such as noatsfoot opinions differ widely. Neatsfoot oil is a very common one in England as a material for use with fine leathers, but Eitner warns against its use on the ground that it is liable to cause a white spue and also to give the leather a disagreeable smell." page 117: "The defect above mentioned of the skins when in a warehouse throwing off a white spue or deposit on the grain surface, particularly noticeable on black leathers, is chiefly due to this cause, the acid in the skins causing the neatsfoot oil and soap fat liquor to spue."

Something to keep in mind, that document address the Tanning processes and ingredients used to make tanned leather, not necessarily how to use oil, greases on finished (tanned) leathers.

I just bought a bottle of it off of Amazon a few days ago. The envelope showed up empty and I contacted them and had another bottle on my door step the next day. I normally use Barge, but figured I'd give this stuff a try after reading this thread.

Hence why I said to check the MSDS/SDS if one is adamant about actually using a product with real mink oil in it. If you haven't checked the MSDS, you really don't know what you're getting in the tin.

Most mink oil doesn't actually contain oil from minks as one would think. It is usually an amalgamation of products, sometimes petroleum based. One has to look at the MSDS/SDS of the mink oil to ascertain what is actually in it. Not all mink oils are equal and real mink oil is typically very expensive. Also, what is it you are looking to protect from? Are you looking to waterproof/resist an item or condition it? Here is a recipe for a conditioner that will likely do what you are looking for, both condition and protect.

UPDATE: here are a few other variations on the original recipe that I have tried and found to be good to go. *alternative ingredients* 2 tbs. of coconut oil 2 or 3 tbs. of beeswax (depending on how firm you like it) ¼ cup of sweet almond oil ¼ cup of castor oil Another variation of ingredients that works as well, but will cost more has the following ingredients: 25g | 0.88oz Beeswax 25g | 0.88oz Shea butter 17g | .6oz Jojoba ( beads or oil) 17g | .6oz Castor oil 17g | .6oz Coconut oil 2 teaspoons Anhydrous Lanolin **If you want to make any of these recipes tacky, add tree/pine resin. This can be bought on Amazon in rock form. You will need to crush it with a hammer if the rocks are large. Add it to the mix and allow to melt while stirring it in with the other ingredients. You may want to melt it first in a separate pot until it is liquid and then add it to to your other ingredients. Start with a small amount (19g / .7 oz) in a test batch to determine how tacky you want it before doing a larger batch or using more resin.

I use it to seal after dyeing and a thorough rub down. I have had no issues with dye rubbing off after applying it as a sealer, but it is critical that a good rub down is done before applying it as a sealer. If you want the feel to be on the tacky/grippy side, increase the ratio of beeswax to the recipe, as that will give it a slight tacky feel after its been applied to the leather. It will eventually soak in be rubbed off from use, but another application will bring that tacky feel back without being greasy or staining.

I would suggest treating/conditioning the jacket with Atom wax and let it soak in for 24-48 hours before applying anything else on top of it. As an alternative to Sno-Seal, which I don't think will work well on a jacket, I would offer up that you look at a DWR finish that's made for leather, like the one in this link. http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/products/waterproofing-wax-for-leather-liquid/

Generally speaking, all that is needed is around 25psi for most things

Take a look at the Badger 105 airbrush, it is what I use for my projects and unless you are doing large quantities/large products, it should work fine for doing edge work right out of the box. You'll likely have to buy a small adapter to fit your compressor hose to the brush, but those are in the 2 dollar range typically. It's not the cheapest, and its not the most expensive, its about in the middle and it has proven to be durable over time.

Dr Jacksons is primarily a Mineral oil product per the MSDS, which is why it will darken the leather considerably more. Bicks 4 is a good choice to condition without darkening that much.