Adouthit

It was... I'm still new to repair work and I did a terrible job. Live and learn I guess.

Oh, this tex tan balanced ride has rawhide where the latigos go. It's different and I'm not fond of it but I guess it's best to fix it with what the manufacturer used. It's broken both sides on the keeper so I reinforced it with some latigo leather on the inside and the rawhide on the outside. I should have had this fixed awhile ago but I'm procrastinating. https://photos.app.goo.gl/NcziGNaUBZmmixoX8

I bought a hunk from Tandy for a saddle skirt repair. I find it tricky to work with and am not having any fun with it. Thanks for the input! I'll take a look at your recommendation.

Any thoughts on what to use on rawhide. I've briefly looked for an MSDS for rawhide cream and wasn't successful. I've read Tallow is good for rawhide. So possibly tallow and beeswax? I've still been fiddling with leather lotion and conditioner recipes involving mineral oil and amber petroleum jelly. It's generally 1/2 cup mineral oil or amber petroleum with about 2 Tablespoons of lanolin, tallow, NF, castor oil and raw linseed oil. The beeswax and carnauba wax are a dependent on what you like. I usually use about two teaspoons beeswax and a teaspoon or two of the carnauba. Too much and it sits on top and takes more work to get it into the leather. With the lotion, I add an emulsifier and a little water. Lastly Vitamin E for a preservative. It's okay but using the mineral oil or amber petroleum can be more pricey than other options. I don't mind using them as a carrier for the other items but by themselves they're not very good. So the stories I've read on the net of whipping out the Vaseline to use on your saddle in a pinch don't hold much merit with me.

Thanks!

I came across an older saddle that had the pinking Edged rossettes. Does anyone know of where to get them or the die? I need sizes 2" and 1 1/4".

I think the above recipe is a good place to start. It is easier for me to make my own than run to the store or wait for a shipment. I think it takes plenty of reading and playing around to get what works for you.

Thank you! I'll have to go back and read your initial post again. I tried the tallow and liked it. I've been trying to rehab old saddles and tack so making my own is nice. Getting some like back into some pieces is a real challenge.

This is a great post. I've been making a simple balm with beeswax, olive oil and sometimes coconut oil. It works but I don't like how dark my saddles get. I've been playing around with variations and looking at different msds for ideas. Mineral Oil seems to keep the leather lighter but how about tallow? I see that balm manufacturers seem to use water in thier recipes. Any thoughts on that?