cowboy boot care

[jdalberta1]

As a trail guide in Alberta constant exposure to horse urine and poop is eating mine and everyone else's boots at a costly rate. If anyone could share a tried and true means of dealing with this problem I`d appreciate it. I`m going to mount up some boot brushes near the corrals sorta like truckers install on their running boards for daily boot maintenance. Once a week washing, drying, reconditioning and oiling is about all I can think of at the moment.

I`m thinking it`s the ammonia mostly that`s to blame? There must be a easy means of treating leather to neutralize the Ph or whatever is causing this problem. Maybe a solution in a spray or squirt bottle applied at days end once the boots have been kicked through a brush a few times.

Soles delaminate, uppers crack and separate, stitching dematerializes so fast that a decent pair of boots are toast within a matter of a season at best.

Edited May 12, 2009 by jdalberta1

[Randy Cornelius]

I done an experiment with Lexol products a couple years ago. I bought a new pair of Justin lace up work boots for wearing around the ranch. Deal with horse and cow poo, mud rain, hydrolic and motor oil so it was a good test.

I usually cleaned them once every week or two as needed with lexol cleaner and conditioner, then let dry and treated them with lexol conditioner. That was 2 years ago and the boots are still going strong, soft, supple and no cracks or dry rot. I am not saying it would be the same for the next person but it worked for me. I know there are a lot of leather care products out there that are good, another product could have the same results. I really think that washing and scrubing them after they get soiled is the key. If you negelect them it will show. But for my money I use the lexol products on all my leather stuff.

Randy

[bcboots]

jd

I have been working at a 90,000 head cattle feeding operation for the past 13 years.

I've gone through 3 pair of boots during that time. My current pair will be 5 years old in about 60 days. The boots were made in my shop so I had to put them to the test. Never had overboots on them during winter or after a rain.

This is how I care for mine. When I wash them I use Ivory soap or the Lexol cleaner that Randy mentioned. How often will depend on the weather conditions. Then let them dry on their own. Never leave them by the fire place or floor furnace. Dry them too fast or with too much and I'm asking for trouble. When the boots are dry I use Williams Saddle Dressing on them. Just put it on with a small scrap of woolskin. A lot of people only condition the "vamp" (foot) portion but the boot tops also need it; along with the welt. Williams has lanolin, tallow, and bees wax as part of the ingrediants. No chemicals.

The Williams dressing will help water proof the boots also.Every evening I try to wipe the dust off with a damp cloth. The dust particles get in the pores of the leather and this is where the cracking begins. Williams is a little pricy but in my opinion well worth the expence.

Blake

[Saddlebag]

Good old Dubbin. If urine is an issue clean the boots with some baking soda in the water to help neutralize. When barely damp rub Dubbin in. I slather it on and allow to set for 24 hours. I'll then vigorously rub it in with my hands creating a little heat. Water should just bead right off.