DIY leather conditioner

[ScottWolf]

1 hour ago, deboardp said:

That's an interesting topic thread. Why are you averse to using tallow and lard?

Read the entire thread, you will see that I address the use of Tallow and other ingredients that I avoided in my first post. At this point, I can say I've used every ingredient thats been documented and used in making leather conditioners thats still available. The only only ones I can say I don't use or recommend using, after my extensive testing of them, is Vegetable oil and Lard (pig). Tallow (beef) works fabulously when you use the Wagu Beef Tallow from South Chicago packing that I mention in my recipe thread. My experience with both vegetable oil and lard(pig) was underwhelming (it under performed) and I actually did have a concern with both turning, as they began to smell strongly after awhile.  

[deboardp]

1 minute ago, ScottWolf said:

Read the entire thread, you will see that I address the use of Tallow and other ingredients that I avoided in my first post. At this point, I can say I've used every ingredient thats been documented and used in making leather conditioners thats still available. The only only ones I can say I don't use or recommend using, after my extensive testing of them, is Vegetable oil and Lard (pig). Tallow (beef) works fabulously when you use the Wagu Beef Tallow from South Chicago packing that I mention in my recipe thread. My experience with both vegetable oil and lard(pig) was underwhelming (it under performed) and I actually did have a concern with both turning, as they began to smell strongly after awhile.  

I'll read it again.

[chuck123wapati]

22 minutes ago, deboardp said:

I might like to buy the book online if it's in print and if it's relevant to making sandals (and later, belts and bags).

sorry its not about sandals lol. its a cool book even has recipes for fireworks lol. These are all pretty straight forward and of use in all leather products. What you need to remember is that back in the day most leather goods were conditioned to withstand the weather and they didn't condition different types of leather goods with products specific to just one thing. Boot dressing for example was used on belts, gloves satchels and such.

[deboardp]

10 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

sorry its not about sandals lol. its a cool book even has recipes for fireworks lol. These are all pretty straight forward and of use in all leather products. What you need to remember is that back in the day most leather goods were conditioned to withstand the weather and they didn't condition different types of leather goods with products specific to just one thing. Boot dressing for example was used on belts, gloves satchels and such.

What the book calls wool grease is what we call lanolin. 

[chuck123wapati]

18 minutes ago, deboardp said:

What the book calls wool grease is what we call lanolin. 

yes that is correct.

[ScottWolf]

Petrolatum IS mineral oil and those recipes are specifically for waterproofing, not conditioning leather.

[dikman]

Using tallow I can understand as it's fat that has been rendered and is pretty stable (doesn't go rancid). I don't think I'll be trying pork fat, however, I've seen a few "recipes" for various treatments and none have mentioned using pork fat. Same with lard (lard is for cooking with as far as I'm concerned).

[deboardp]

7 hours ago, ScottWolf said:

Petrolatum IS mineral oil and those recipes are specifically for waterproofing, not conditioning leather.

Which recipes are for waterproofing, Scott?

[ScottWolf]

32 minutes ago, deboardp said:

Which recipes are for waterproofing, Scott?

The ones in the picture(s) posted by Chuck.

[deboardp]

I'm impetuous. I realized this evening that Eastern Orthodox monks don't eat meat, and my target demograph is monks first and Orthodox lay people second, so why am i buying lard and tallow to condition their footwear??? Sheesh. I'm an idiot, too. 

So, regroup. I need to reread the discussion about recipes for leather conditioner that Scott Wolf mentions above in this thread, and read the thread on this topic from September. How does one mark that? Could i have used a browser bookmark? I had just gotten to the part where someone posted links to discussions from 1940 and from 100 years ago about fats and oils to condition leather. I did read in one of those that wool wax and wool grease are ingredients, and I heard of some kind of fat or wax made from nuts. I lost many memory functions during my stroke of 2015. Be grateful if you remember things. I guess I'll be wanting a leather conditioner that 1), doesn't harm leather in any way, but rather makes it soft for contact with tender feet, and 2), doesn't stain the socks that people can where with these sandals, and 3) doesn't contain fats from animal food products. 

Off the cuff, there's anhydrous lanolin and there's beeswax. I'll read more and see if my aversion to using NFO and other oils is warranted and supported by actual evidence, and to find evidence of what else could join my recipe. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by deboardp
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