HELP with treated Python skin

[RMB Custom Leather]

I am repairing a set of saddle bags for a motorcycle and I replaced the skin on the side with some Python skin. The skin appeared older and was very dry so I treated it with Fiebings's 100% neatsfoot oil to seal it for outdoor use. As you can see by my picture below it made the skin really dark compared to the dry skin which I not to happy with. My question is will the skin lighten back up as time goes on or is there somthing I can do to lighten it back up faster?

[UKRay]

  wwwrmbbladescom said:

I am repairing a set of saddle bags for a motorcycle and I replaced the skin on the side with some Python skin. The skin appeared older and was very dry so I treated it with Fiebings's 100% neatsfoot oil to seal it for outdoor use. As you can see by my picture below it made the skin really dark compared to the dry skin which I not to happy with. My question is will the skin lighten back up as time goes on or is there somthing I can do to lighten it back up faster?

My experience suggests that snakeskin will tend to hold oil for quite a while. It appears the skin was pretty dry when you applied it so, by the look of it, the oil was absorbed right through the skin. Obviously the more oil you have in the skin the darker it will appear. For future reference, you might want to try a conditioner like Lexol before oiling in future as this should add oils without making the snakeskin quite as dark as neatsfoot. You could then use a transparent beeswax waterproofer like Skidmore's Biker Wax to seal it all up.

Ray

[ryano]

I think it looks great!

[MADMAX22]

Let it dry and it will lighten back up.

[RMB Custom Leather]

Thanks everyone!

[whinewine]

  UKRay said:

My experience suggests that snakeskin will tend to hold oil for quite a while. It appears the skin was pretty dry when you applied it so, by the look of it, the oil was absorbed right through the skin. Obviously the more oil you have in the skin the darker it will appear. For future reference, you might want to try a conditioner like Lexol before oiling in future as this should add oils without making the snakeskin quite as dark as neatsfoot. You could then use a transparent beeswax waterproofer like Skidmore's Biker Wax to seal it all up.

Ray

Or use Bick 4, which won't darken leather/skin like NF oil or even lexol.

[kevinhopkins]

Hi... it will lighten up, but it sure will take a while. The bickmore product has worked well for us in the past. I'm not a big fan of neatsfoot when it comes to exotics. Still looks good tho!

Kevin

[badLoveLeather]

OK, so where do we get the Bickmore (bick4) product from?

[MADMAX22]

  badLoveLeather said:

OK, so where do we get the Bickmore (bick4) product from?

Springfeild leather

Weaver

Zacks

Atleast Im pretty sure. I got mine from springfeild so I know for sure they carry it. I just started playing with it and it seems really nice so far. It doesnt have a strong smell of anykind and is absorbed quickly with the leather Im using it on and doesnt leave any funny residue or greasy feeling or anything. Seems good so far.