What applicator do you use to apply pure Neatsfoot oil to grain and flesh side?

[jasonsmith]

I use Feibing's Pro Oil dye. I'm going to be dying both sides of the leather. And I see many talk about rubbing in some Pure Neatsfoot oil. So I got some as that is what I see people pretty much talk about. Though I believe there may be some other things out there too that would add some oils back into the leather.

I plan to dye first, let dry for a day and buff. Then add oil, I'm guessing just one thin coat, and let soak and buff and let sit for a day.. And then put Tokonole on the flesh side and burnish with a piece of glass. And then on the grain side after dying and oiling, that I'd brush on a sealer. Though I've read some say to only oil the flesh side? Would it be better if I only oiled the flesh side, or should be sides get it?

But I'm wondering what applicator do people generally use to apply Pure Neatsfoot on the grain and the flesh side of the leather?

I'd prefer the applicator to not leave a mess behind. I know the wool stuff can/does leave fibers behind. And recently I decided to try a high density sponge to apply dye to the flesh side, and the sponge pretty much was hard to use on the flesh side and had little pieces coming off. I had to give that up after dying 25% and go back to sponge brushes.

Thanks.

[Mablung]

I've just used a soft cotton rag torn from an old t-shirt.  That seems to work pretty well.  I have only used lambswool daubers to apply dye and haven't had any trouble with those, so I'd think they'd work well for oil as well.  That said, nearly anything will have fibers removed and held by the flesh side, especially on something like shoulders (which I've been using a lot lately), so I try to do as much from the grain side as I can.

[jasonsmith]

16 minutes ago, Mablung said:

I've just used a soft cotton rag torn from an old t-shirt.  That seems to work pretty well.  I have only used lambswool daubers to apply dye and haven't had any trouble with those, so I'd think they'd work well for oil as well.  That said, nearly anything will have fibers removed and held by the flesh side, especially on something like shoulders (which I've been using a lot lately), so I try to do as much from the grain side as I can.

They do have those cotton lined foam pads in the auto section that people use to apply wax to cars. But not sure how well that would work on the flesh side as it may keep getting hung up since the flesh side is kind of like sandpaper when trying to rub on it. So in that case, A t-shirt may work better since it may be able spread it better since a cotton shirt can more conform to the rough terrain compared to say one of those waxing pads.

Do you oil both the grain and flesh side? I have read of some saying just to do the flesh said. Which I'm not sure if that was so you don't put too much oil into the leather, or if they didn't want their colors darkened on the grain side. I only use Pro Oil Black, so making it darker would probably help hide any splotchiness.

Is there any good way to tell, after you've dyed the leather, if it needs oil added to it?

[Littlef]

I mainly use the cheap disposable paint brushes from the hardware store.  I have lambswool/fleece, but I mainly use those for applying dye.  I also have a bag of old t-shirts that I cut into rags that I use sometimes.

[chuck123wapati]

 a lot of the time I just use my hands. Especially on small stuff, sometimes a piece of paper towel folded up, sometimes a piece of cotton rag.

[Mablung]

36 minutes ago, jasonsmith said:

They do have those cotton lined foam pads in the auto section that people use to apply wax to cars. But not sure how well that would work on the flesh side as it may keep getting hung up since the flesh side is kind of like sandpaper when trying to rub on it. So in that case, A t-shirt may work better since it may be able spread it better since a cotton shirt can more conform to the rough terrain compared to say one of those waxing pads.

Do you oil both the grain and flesh side? I have read of some saying just to do the flesh said. Which I'm not sure if that was so you don't put too much oil into the leather, or if they didn't want their colors darkened on the grain side. I only use Pro Oil Black, so making it darker would probably help hide any splotchiness.

Is there any good way to tell, after you've dyed the leather, if it needs oil added to it?

T-shirts are smoother and less likely to get caught on the flesh side fibers.  In my limited experience with NFO, the blotchiness is easily avoided by (1) not loading the rag/other applicator too heavily, as that will produce a hot spot of oil just like with dye, and (2) rubbing a drier corner of the cloth over any spots with more oil---if those spots are rubbed, the cloth seems to pick some oil back off the surface of the leather and distributes it more evenly.  I also put a couple light coats so that I can start the second coat in an area that received less oil the first time around, and that helps even out the color saturation.

My process is hardly well-refined, so maybe I'll change my mind on that, and lots here have more experience than I.

[jasonsmith]

One thing I forgot to mention is I had read of some saying to warm it up first. So I'd probably put some in a microwaveable plastic bowl and microwave it for like 10 seconds or so depending on how much is in it. Thanks.

Edited November 30, 2023 by jasonsmith

[Littlef]

1 hour ago, jasonsmith said:

They do have those cotton lined foam pads in the auto section that people use to apply wax to cars. But not sure how well that would work on the flesh side as it may keep getting hung up since the flesh side is kind of like sandpaper when trying to rub on it. So in that case, A t-shirt may work better since it may be able spread it better since a cotton shirt can more conform to the rough terrain compared to say one of those waxing pads.

Do you oil both the grain and flesh side? I have read of some saying just to do the flesh said. Which I'm not sure if that was so you don't put too much oil into the leather, or if they didn't want their colors darkened on the grain side. I only use Pro Oil Black, so making it darker would probably help hide any splotchiness.

Is there any good way to tell, after you've dyed the leather, if it needs oil added to it?

 

I gauge how much oil is needed by how fast it absorbs.  I put on light coats.  The first couple coats soak in almost immediately.  After a couple coats, it starts taking longer to soak in.  It's not an exact science, but once it starts taking several seconds to soak in, I decide that's probably enough.  I typically only oil the grain side and not the flesh side.  I've noticed If I oil the flesh side , it gets saturated and mushy.  I can better control it by just applying to the grain side.

[jasonsmith]

Thanks. I'll have to do more research on if I want to put oil on both sides the flesh and the grain side. Never heard before of it making the flesh side mushy, so will have to do more research to see if I should just stick to oiling the grain side. What do the majority of people do here, both sides, or just the grain or just the flesh side, or no oil at all?

I'm getting back into leather as it's been near a decade, and I never put oil into the leather, but figure I may try it on a piece and see how it goes since I had seen several people talk about it, and decided to go with pure Neatsfoot oil, just because I saw it mentioned so much. But I plan to start trying to sell pieces, which is why I'm doing more search instead of just whatever making things for myself.

Pretty much I'm making arm gauntlets with spots and grommets, but went with a little thicker leather this time because of the spots prongs denting the leather on pieces I made years ago and because I needed the leather to hold a point and not get droopy.

[fredk]

1. warning, about warming. Heating the oil up in a microwave COOKS it. It warms up ok but each time its heated in a microwave it cooks. Bestest is to heat a jug of water in the micro then put your jar of NFO into that. The NFO doesn't need to be super-hot, just hot enough to flow nicely