How do saddle shops get a shine on a used saddle?

[kypeep]

Hey Guys,

Turning to the experts here to help me out (once again!). I've got a Sean Ryon 2004 model that I'm getting ready to sell. I've cleaned it with Fieblings soap, put a little neatsfoot oil on it, and buffed it up. Looks good but still doesn't have the "shine" that it would if I sent it back to Ryon's and had them clean it. So, how do the saddle shops and ya'll experts do it? And how do I get the conchos gleaming too?

Thanks in advance!

[whinewine]

Hey Guys,

Turning to the experts here to help me out (once again!). I've got a Sean Ryon 2004 model that I'm getting ready to sell. I've cleaned it with Fieblings soap, put a little neatsfoot oil on it, and buffed it up. Looks good but still doesn't have the "shine" that it would if I sent it back to Ryon's and had them clean it. So, how do the saddle shops and ya'll experts do it? And how do I get the conchos gleaming too?

Thanks in advance!

master's quick shine?

[Randy Cornelius]

personaly I am okay with the saddle soap but that is where I stop. I do not oil with neatsfoot any more because of the inconsistancy of the several manufactures of so called neetsfoot oil . I use only Wesson 100% pure vegatable oil now. Oil real good and let it set where it's warm for 24-48 hours it will return to the natural color, then come back with a coat of Fieblengs leather conditioner, rub in good with a scrap of sheeps wool and it will bring out a good shine. Also may want to follow up with a coat of Tan Kote. It will buff to a good shine if not satisfied with the other.

Randy

[heath]

In the shop I worked for all we ever used to clean was Lexol. First we went over it with Lexol PH leather cleaner and then with Lexol NF ( neatsfoot but a non-darkening formula). If you rub in the cleaner with a piece of wool, the used a toothbrush for the tooled areas it will get the dirt out that is what caused the most damage. We dealt with alot of show guys( ropers and pleasure) they were big on keeping there saddles as light as pssible and this combo left them shining and with as little darkening as possible. We oiled our new saddles and tack with olive oil, it gives a nice light honey color and goes on even. We never had to set stuff out side to even out the color, like I've read in several places on here.

Edited July 4, 2009 by heath

[rustyriggin]

Leather Sheen, or Saddle Lac is what some folks use, if your just looking for what the high shine is, a liquid aerosol spay wax

[Saddlebag]

I have pretty good luck with glycerin soap, golden for med. to dark leathers and a colorless for light leathers. I'll wet my hand and rub on the bar until it's quite tacky, then apply to the leather. When this is dry I use an old flannel rag and buff to a pretty good shine. I one time, and believe me it will be only once, did a spit and polish on the seat of an english saddle. With directions off the internet I started until my spit was depleted. Drank lots of water to replenish the spit. The entire time I'd dab a cloth to my tongue, then to the polish and apply in a circular motion. Three hours later the finish was still hazy. I think I'd drunk a gallon of water by this time. About the beginning of the 4th hour the haze began to disappear. Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel. Sweat running I soldiered on. Then it began to shine all over with a depth to the shine like I'd never seen. Four years later and plenty of use, the shine remains.

[secondcrk]

You can not, I repeat NOT. get Neatsfoot oil to shine. I don't know how many times I hear this again and again. Glycerin saddle soap can be buffed , but places like Mccall and Courts use Fiebings Bag Coat to give the saddles a shine. Yes you can use Saddle Lac or neat -Lac type of products, but they do seal the pores of the leather, but they shine!

[spur2009]

Everyone is pretty much right on. Ain't much I can add. In ref to Wesson oil. It's great and I have used it for yrs. However, you don't have

to buy the expensive stuff. You can do the same with generic oil as long as it is 100% veg oil. Also do not use neat lac or other laquer

type finishes as them cause way to many problems. Your silver conchos will shine right up with tooth paste. By the way, I really

like Black Rock for a final finish on saddles and othe leather grear.

[hidepounder]

.....apply LeatherNew (it has liquid glycerine). It cleans and refurbishes the leather and can be buffed to a nice shine. I think it is common for people to over oil. They apply it when all they needed was a little saddle soap. You can re-apply NeatLac if you need to, but be sure everything that was applied prior is thoroughly absorbed and dry first.

[jwwright]

I agree with Bob. Leather New is a great product for general cleaning and conditioning, and can be buffed to a mellow shine. Over oiling is a bigger problem that I see, rather than under oiling. If you want a nice shine beyond what you can get by buffing Leather New, I use Tan Cote on both new saddles and clean/refurbish jobs. JW

[cowboy bill]

I agree with Bob. Leather New is a great product for general cleaning and conditioning, and can be buffed to a mellow shine. Over oiling is a bigger problem that I see, rather than under oiling. If you want a nice shine beyond what you can get by buffing Leather New, I use Tan Cote on both new saddles and clean/refurbish jobs. JW

i admit i probably over oil. but i hate leather that s begging for oil or leather that is trying to crack! i've had saddles for decades that i overoiled. saddle soap and leather new is sure cheaper that neatsfoot oil anyway!! BILL

[Saddlebag]

An old cotton tea towel and plenty of elbow grease brings up a nice shine. I use Feibing's soap and neatsfoot if it really needs it, then buff when dry. I prefer the mellow glow not the glossy shine.

[horsewreck]

I wish the folks in my country would just oil period. I see a lot more saddles that have been dry most of their lives, than I see saddles that have been over oiled. I do from time to time get in saddles that look as though they have been dipped in a oil vat, but the vast majority of saddles come in pretty thirsty. As far as putting a shine on a saddle we use a lot of RUDY'S by Bee Natural, it is a conditioner that goes on after a saddle has been soaped and oiled as needed, but it does not seal the leather like some of of the lac and koat products do...... Jeff

[Lurker]

My love of leather started with obsessively cleaning my tack over the years and buying old tack then shining it up better than new. I couldn't afford a new/fancy/good brand name saddle when I first started riding but I could afford the dusty/moldy/grimy 30+ year old used brand name saddle...and if the seller saw it after I had it for a few weeks they would've doubled the price

Please don't use Leathersheen, Resolene or any other sealer product on a saddle. Won't wreck it but it's really not a "correct" thing to do...and it does seal the pores so that it won't absorb any oil until it wears off. Might also make the saddle a bit slippery.

Basically,

If saddle is used and dirty, wash with a sponge, water and glycerin soap. Wait to dry. This is important otherwise the next steps will seal in any dirt and you won't have a nice finished product.

If saddle has been washed and/or is dry then oil it with 100% pure neatsfoot oil. Use a brush or sponge and apply til it won't absorb any more. Avoid any linen thread, particularly if the saddle is fairly old. Won't rot it like the myth states unless it's already weak from age then it might help speed up the process. If it's synthetic thread or newer linen thread just oil away without worry. Oil won't provide shine though unless you oil past the point that the leather absorbs, then it'll be shiny and wet and ruin your pants the first time you sit on it.

Wait 12-48 hours depending on your climate for the oil to soak in. Overnight was fine when I was in a dry climate but in my current humid climate it's no less than 24 hours.

Then use a bit of LeatherNew sprayed on a sponge. Sponge saddle in circular motions. Wait to dry (an hour or a few, not as long as the oil though) then go back and buff in circles with very soft cloth. I actually use ShamWows to buff. Works great! Then you'll have a nice, clean, well oiled saddle with a brilliant shine.

It's all about the elbow grease

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

I am of the same school of thought as Bobby and Jim. Lately, I have been using another product that I like and it does not seal the saddle simply gives it a nice shine and feel. It is Feiblings leather balm with atom wax. Put it on, rub it in good, let it dry and buff. I had a saddle in that I did with it, the owner later told me that one day he was out riding and got caught in the rain. He though he had messed it up cause it had water splotches on it by the time he got in out of the rain, however; when it dried, there were no signs of the splotches. He was happy, and that is the goal for me.

Bob.

[cutbow]

What if the saddle leather is black? Does that make any difference in whether to use neatsfoot oil or vegetable oil? Does anybody use Murphy's oil soap?

[mauifarrier]

Love this forum because there are so many great ideas. I have read that vegetable oils can go rancid. I have certainly experienced that with Crisco in my cupboard here in Hawaii where it's hot. I have also read cautionary tales against Murphys Oil soap on leather. However, I have tried Murphys on a deer raw hide I was working with and I liked the results.

What makes the shine? A wax product.

Leather Balm with Atom wax, bee natural, any of those

I would be willing to spend the extra $$ for products formulated and sold for use on leather. Bee Natural products are wonderful, their saddle oil with fungicides is great. I use their products on all new leatherwork I do. If you don't want to buy their products at retail, then piggyback onto a friends Weaver Leather order and you'll access them at wholesale price.

If the leather is black, you won't worry much about oils or waxes darkening it. Clean it, oil it, and after all that dries a day or so, try Fiebibing's Leather balm with Atom wax. I think that would be the cheapest, and you'll get a nice shine.

Good luck! It was fun to read everyone's contribution.

Gretchen

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Love this forum because there are so many great ideas. I have read that vegetable oils can go rancid. I have certainly experienced that with Crisco in my cupboard here in Hawaii where it's hot. I have also read cautionary tales against Murphys Oil soap on leather. However, I have tried Murphys on a deer raw hide I was working with and I liked the results.

What makes the shine? A wax product.

Leather Balm with Atom wax, bee natural, any of those

I would be willing to spend the extra $ for products formulated and sold for use on leather. Bee Natural products are wonderful, their saddle oil with fungicides is great. I use their products on all new leatherwork I do. If you don't want to buy their products at retail, then piggyback onto a friends Weaver Leather order and you'll access them at wholesale price.

If the leather is black, you won't worry much about oils or waxes darkening it. Clean it, oil it, and after all that dries a day or so, try Fiebibing's Leather balm with Atom wax. I think that would be the cheapest, and you'll get a nice shine.

Good luck! It was fun to read everyone's contribution.

Gretchen

Hi Gretchen,

I have heard that in Hawaii you are presented with conditions, such as heat, humidity and so on that cause makers there to have to use different materials for saddles for use there rather than traditional. Can you enlighten us on that at all? I am referring to things like not using sheep fleece and so on. Also, how the products that have been mentioned here work in the heat and humidity.

Thanks ,

Bob

[mauifarrier]

Hi Gretchen,

I have heard that in Hawaii you are presented with conditions, such as heat, humidity and so on that cause makers there to have to use different materials for saddles for use there rather than traditional. Can you enlighten us on that at all? I am referring to things like not using sheep fleece and so on. Also, how the products that have been mentioned here work in the heat and humidity.

Thanks ,

Bob

OK Bob,

I'll try to answer how I can within the limits of my experience to do justice on the subject. In Hawaii we have heat, humidity, and NO winter frost. Bacteria, fungus, mold, as well as flies, mosquitos, and termites have no off-season. We fly spray our horses all year round, deal with thrush, abscesses, and even "scratches" (fungal skin infection of lower legs) at any time of year. I was a farrier first, and saddlemaker/leatherworker second, so some of my notes show that influence.

Saddles and equipment are under attack by mold, termites attacking the tree, and even from dust as the trade winds often blow 15+ mph daily. Your saddle sitting in a tack room can be accosted by scat from mice, roaches, or geckos. And rodents love to chew on rawhide. The pitfalls of over-oiling can include trapping fungal/mold spores into the leather. Some regions of the island seem to perpetuate mold in tack if it is stored and not used. I've seen folks use vegetable oil on older saddles and can not prove or detect that it ever went rancid, but after reading somewhere that it could, I cant get the warning out of my mind. I have a friend on the big island who uses a chest freezer to occasionally freeze saddles on purpose in order to kill termites lurking within the tree.

The lack of fleece in the skirting is unique to our hawaiian saddles. There were two main reasons a saddle did not have fleece in hawaii and both have to do with water. For decades, the cowboys had to "swim cattle" out to boats that would take them to Honolulu for market. This meant roping the steer and plunging into the ocean until horse & steer were both swimming out to meet a small boat. The small boat would lash the horns to the rail and then paddle the cattle to the bigger boat waiting further out in the bay. I'll try to attach a photo or two to satisfy curious eyes. For swimming cattle the saddle would be stripped of all leather possible. Our rigging is made of braided rawhide and brass rings because it held up much better to the salt water. The second reason for no fleece is for riding and working in rainy weather. Fleece would simply act like a sponge and not dry out. The hawaiian saddle is held together with saddle strings and can be disassembled, repaired, or stripped down easily by the Paniolo (cowboy) who owned it.

Living on an island forces residents to make due with what's available locally. Many older hawaiian saddles are blackened by the used machine oil from the Sugar & pineapple mills. That's right, they used the discarded machine oil (transmission, gear oil etc) to oil their leather. It imparts a funny smell and a dark color. Probably not the best thing for the leather.

As I build my saddles, I've called them Hawaiian "style" rather than authentic/historic Hawaiian. I've tried to blend the old with some new technology and design comforts for a recreational rider. Using a modern tree to fit a modern horse's body shape is also important. I buy leather from the mainland and Bee Natural products to get things off to a good start. The Saddle Oil with fungicides is a proprietary blend. I don't know what's IN it, but I would guess mostly pure Neatsfoot oil with maybe some anti-microbial "essential oils". Just a guess. If the owner of Bee Natural ever wanted to reveal it, I'd be all ears. I'm very happy with the stuff, and nothing has molded that I've made with it. Not that I know of. But I've only been doing leatherwork for a few years.

My next project is to restore a 100+ year old tree. It is handmade of local wood, damaged by termites, and needs to be re-covered with rawhide. I'll be lacing it up with goat rawhide because that's what they used back then. As that project progresses, I'll update my profile and website with photos.

A few photos attached for fun...

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Hi Gretchen, thank you so much for that information. I had heard some of it a long time ago, and it was nice to get it from someone who actually lives and makes saddles there. I have been lucky enough to visit there many times, while I was in the service and later with my wife. One of my favorite places in the world! My wife and I used to love to get up early and go for walk on the beach and watch the sun come up.

Thanks again for taking the time to post.

Bob

[GrampaJoel]

I went from the dirty saddle to the shiny saddle using this method.

1. saddle soap wash and toothbrush scrub..

2. let completely dry

3.Add neatsfoot oil

4.let dry completely

5.wipe in Bee natural real well.

6.buff to shine.

7. Kiwi paste wax neutral color on high spots

8. buff with soft cloth. ( old sweat shirt)

I also re-made the saddle horn, re-padded the seat, added some tie strings, shined the silver a little and eventually made and added an offside billet, re-soldered a concho on the near side, and removed the seat stain.

Yes the saddle did darken a little.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Joel, looks like you have been a busy beaver! Nice job! I am sure the saddle's owner will be pleased.

Bob

[Saddlebag]

Some of the topicals add a nice high shine as long as they are applied only to areas that don't bend, the forks and maybe the cheyenne roll. If the leather moves, the topicals crack leaving a fine spider web appearance. I have cleaned hundreds of saddles and pretty much stick with elbow grease.