SUP

Henna you can get at any store selling South Asian groceries. You will probably get a reddish color with that. Like Mahogany maybe?

I wonder what they mean by 'leather oils'?

Rust water stains clothes brown. Might work for leather as well.

@TomE, I have included the SDS for Fiebing's Saddle oil below. https://fiebing.com/download/soil00p016z-fiebings-silicone-lanolin-saddle-oil/?wpdmdl=13234&refresh=66d8c0e9066dd1725481193 The solvent seems to be the main ingredient! Maybe that is why applying too much of it give bad results.

@TomE I could read it too. Informative article! @AlZilla Yes I saw that. Others say 'Neatsfoot oil >= 10%' in the ingredient list. https://www.msdsdigital.com/system/files/BR Neatsfoot Oil Compound.pdf Neatsfoot compound probably started as neatsfoot oil with additives and ended up being additives with a little Neatsfoot oil in it! LOL The amount of Neatsfoot oil probably differs in different brands but I bet it is very low. The compounds usually have other ingredients that the companies keep as a 'proprietary blend'. And if the additives are just mineral oil, I'm fine with it.

Of course! Never thought of that! @fredk Is there a difference in the thickening of Neatsfoot oil and Neatsfoot compound when it is cold?

@TomE Oh! So even for thicker, heavier leathers you don't need to warm the oil. Thank you. I did not know that. I cannot access that article on hardening leather. Do you have another link? I am not subscribed with Medium. "Maybe being cheap is more important to other folks." It might not always a question of being cheap, @Dwight Sometimes, Neatsfoot oil is not available since stores are increasingly selling the compound and not the pure oil. And some people actually prefer Neatsfoot compound to Neatsfoot oil. I have met a couple of people who do. Anyway, personally, I just do what I think is best for me, based my own range of knowledge and experience. Everyone does the same, I should think. Who knows who is completely correct or completely wrong, or if there is even any such thing? As long as none of us completely destroys our leather, and I doubt anyone has, using Neatsfoot compound vs oil

Yes. And that would have been the effect of the Neatsfoot oil, not the additives. One has to be very careful with Neatsfoot oil as it can turn leather very soft and limp. I solved that on one piece of leather by keeping it under a candle warmer for a couple of hours. It stiffened up the leather so that it was at least useable. I put that tip on using a candle warmer up here as soon as I discovered it, though I don't know whether anyone took it seriously. Maybe the Neatsfoot oil needs to be warmed when used on thicker, stiffer leather. I don't use leather that is thicker than about 6 oz. so cannot say anything about that. Natural fibres will rot over time, no matter what one does to protect it. That is why I use synthetic thread. More practical.

A lot of the negative publicity for Neatsfoot compound has been through hearsay. It is usually a case of, 'I heard...' and, 'Old-timers or longtime leather workers say..." who probably heard it from the other old-timers and so on. Even when people say it rotted something, they do not mention what else was used or how the item was used. Besides, synthetic thread does not rot. Natural fibre will, more with natural oils than with silicones on them, which might actually be protective. Pure Neatsfoot oil is fine as long as you don't overdo it. Neatsfoot compound has silicones in it, along with other additives, which will probably have some protective effect. Just because silicones and other synthetic materials were unknown in past times, it does not mean they are bad. Many times, manufacturers and sellers of products spread misinformation about their competitor's products. I suspect that this could be how all the rumours about Neatsfoot compound started. Many of the ingredients in Neatsfoot compound are also present in other products used to make leather shiny or water resistant or waterproof. Even so called conditioners that are popular, have the same or similar ingredients. e.g. Aussie conditioner which has a good amount of petroleum jelly!!

You also get finger protectors. Little cut-resistant things you slip onto fingers. I find full gloves restricting but I slip these onto my fingers and they seem to help.

Yes, commenting every month or so is a good idea. About oiling, I thought I would check which of the leather pieces require oiling and which I can postpose for a while. It will tell us the frequency needed for the different oils.

I have completely stopped using poly cutting boards. For actually cutting leather, I use self healing mats. For punching, thick pieces of splits ( pretty inexpensive) which do the least damage to punches and stitching chisels. The split pieces are placed, usually on a thick block of wax in a large pan, which is placed on a piece of granite. Works for me.

Yes. Checking in every month or so is a good idea, even if just to say that there is no change. About oiling, maybe we could oil each piece as needed and make a note of it. We will get an idea of the frequency of oiling needed for each of the different oils.

So true!

You do get empty oil sprayers into which you add whichever oil that you want. Those would work for you.

Leather has been used for thousands of years. People through the ages will have used whatever tools were available to them. It is the same now. Use what is comfortable to use or you have at hand. You can use the most expensive of tools or whatever you have at hand, but ultimately, it is the efforts and talent of the leatherworker that is the most important. If you want to know more about leatherworking tools, there are many threads here which do give that with information, provided by experienced, wise and very helpful leatherworkers. You could look those up.

Look up Etsy. Many of them are willing to let buyers sell items made from their patterns. If you want something unique, you might need to come up with something yourself. If someone comes up with a unique pattern, they might not want to just hand it around.

Oh. Okay. Thank you.

Oh. Okay. I did not initially see the springy plastic. These are are a great idea. Where did you get that springy plastic base, if I might ask?

Wow! Those are lovely! Do you make them in different sizes?

Love that! I'm going to make one for each of us in my family!

Great advice @Dwight and @Mulesaw This thread needs to be pinned for anyone who wants to start a leather business. .

D-Limonene in water with alcohol and a surfactant. Spray on, leave for a while, wipe off, repeat until clean. This usually works for most things. If it is dog stuff on your leather, it might work. I use a 16oz spray bottle, 3 Tbsp each of D-Limonene and rubbing alcohol and a couple of drops of dishwashing soap. I increase the Limonene if needed. It is a solvent so I wear gloves when making the concoction but the spray is harmless, at least for me and my dog. I use food grade everything.

Thank you @Zanshin.

Thank you for those tips. I should try that, since I already have the tin.