Olive Oil Vs Neetsfoot Oil

[NVLeatherWorx]

Ding, Ding, Ding! Thank you so much unicornleather for bringing this to light. And the message here is simple: know your materials; know your products; READ the ENTIRE label of any product that comes in a can, a bottle, a jar, a tube, or any other form of packaging so that you know HOW it is supposed to be used and then USE IT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED. And most important of all (and every label for leather work products says it) "test on a scrap piece of material" to make sure that the product does not create a negative color effect or other damage to your finished project/items.

I was taught decades ago (and it still applies today, even more than ever) that if the base material is of a purely natural source and fabrication (which quality vegetable-tanned leather is) then you should only treat it with the same quality of conditioners and oils to ensure that it maintains it's material integrity and lasts for generations to come. And to support this statement I have only to visit my local Historical Society where they have on display a natural cowhide leather hat box that was made by a craftsman in 1846 (it is etched inside the box) which was tanned using the processes of that time (and we pretty much know that we didn't have the "chemical dependency" that we have now) and was conditioned using the fats and oils obtained from the animal. It is in perfect condition today and still shows all of the intricate design elements, inlay work, and craftsmanship of that time, without any loss to material integrity. I have personally been able to put my hands on this item as I have solid relationship with the Society and I can tell you for a fact that this leather is just as conditioned today as it was over 100 years ago and there is no rot or brittleness to any portion of this item. Can you say that in 10 years about anything made today with a lower grade of tanned leather that has been conditioned with anything less than natural? I dare say, "NO".

[unicornleather]

Totally agree NVLeatherWorx, I have hides I have dressed in my workshop with my own leather conditioner I make which are all natural ingredients and they are as good today as they were when I bought them nearly 30 years ago. The saddlery I manufacture is all treated with this product and will last decades if treated correctly.

I even make some of my own fats and waxes that I use in it so I know how pure they are.

Can't beat the "old ways"

Edited January 20, 2015 by unicornleather

[RoosterShooter]

So, here's a couple of questions for you guys! You are waaayyy more 'seasoned' than I as I've only been doing leatherwork as a business for 6 years or so, and as a youngster I followed the 'Amish Way' of doing it as they were my mentors.

I'm using modern veg tan Hermann Oak leather.

I wish to have a rich dark tone to it, and it stay that way, without turning the leather into a baseball glove!

Lastly, I want to use something that's not going to leach into my bloodstream and cause me problems 20 yrs. down the road.

I currently have to heavily oil my holsters and outdoor products to the 'Fine Line' of over-oiling them in order to get the hue that I like. Here is what I'm after without all of the overoiling that I've been doing ....

For the record ... I'm linking my site and I own rights to it.

http://www.panthercreekgunleather.com/collections/frontpage/products/woodsman-chest-rig

What do I use that doesn't contain petroleum distillates or harmful chemicals?

Edited January 28, 2015 by RoosterShooter

[NVLeatherWorx]

If it were me personally, I would use PURE Neatsfoot Oil, not the Compound product. I would oil it very well on the grain side and give it a few coatings to make sure that it got in good and deep. To get the tanned tone you then hang it outside in the sunlight and allow it tan (leather will tan just like our own skin, but thank goodness it doesn't burn and we have to hear about it for the next week). Pure Olive oil will also give you a deeper color but it can sometimes get real dark. I too use Hermann Oak leather and it is already a russet color when you compare it to some of those Albino looking leathers (which are tanned outside the U.S. just so everybody knows). Neither of these products contain the toxic stuff so you should be good and the only "leaching" effect you may see is if you over oil the item you will see some oil residuals (but it washes out pretty good. You can also use any NATURAL conditioner that has been designed specifically for leather if you run across them.

[RoosterShooter]

I might try Olive Oil. Do I need to look for Extra Virgin, or simply Pure Olive Oil?

[NVLeatherWorx]

Pure Olive Oil is fine as it is all natural with nothing added.

[pepeunidos]

Reading this thread with interest - if applying olive oil prior to dyeing, I want that Sheridan style color, so I intend to do this in this sequence right after tooling:

apply olive oil light light coat let dry for a few hours

add background dye (water based) let dry

add resist (supersheen) let dry 24 hours

add antique gel ( water based ) let dry 24 hours

buff like crazy

add super sheen top coat

Would anyone have any advise or suggestions on this sequence? Thanks for your time.

pepeunidos

 

[pepeunidos]

On December 31, 2014 at 1:36 PM, NVLeatherWorx said:

I apply a 50/50 blend of water and Acrylic Resolene for most of the stuff that I make. 

Would you recommend thinning Supershene to this consistency as well? Just wondering if anyone's tried this.

PepeUnidos

[packjac]

I inherited a number of deerskin pouches from my father when he died. The leather is thin but very nice, about 50 years old at least, and a doe shin creamy color. I was sure nothing had been done to it for those 50+ years, so I applied  a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil on one of the pouches using a folded piece of paper towel. The oil immediately soaked in between the stitching, and by the next morning it had filled in any spaces that I was not able to reach with the paper towel. 

It has now been a week since I did the deed, and the deerskin pouch is beautiful. The olive oil darkened it from a creamy white to a leather- looking brown, and somehow it looks healthier. There is no olive oil smell, nor is there a leather smell, but there never was a leather smell to the pouches anyhow. I was concerned that the oil might turn rancid, but this conversation on this site has been very helpful regarding that. As a result, I don't feel hesitant to use the oil on the other pouches, though I will probably wait a few months just to be sure all is well with the first one. I'll upload before and after photographs when I get the chance. 

So thanks for the conversation. It is one of the online few that stays respectfully professional. And I'm so impressed that there is actually some real data presented and discussed. Way to go.  Jack      

[Burkhardt]

10 hours ago, packjac said:

I inherited a number of deerskin pouches from my father when he died. The leather is thin but very nice, about 50 years old at least, and a doe shin creamy color. I was sure nothing had been done to it for those 50+ years, so I applied  a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil on one of the pouches using a folded piece of paper towel. The oil immediately soaked in between the stitching, and by the next morning it had filled in any spaces that I was not able to reach with the paper towel. 

It has now been a week since I did the deed, and the deerskin pouch is beautiful. The olive oil darkened it from a creamy white to a leather- looking brown, and somehow it looks healthier. There is no olive oil smell, nor is there a leather smell, but there never was a leather smell to the pouches anyhow. I was concerned that the oil might turn rancid, but this conversation on this site has been very helpful regarding that. As a result, I don't feel hesitant to use the oil on the other pouches, though I will probably wait a few months just to be sure all is well with the first one. I'll upload before and after photographs when I get the chance. 

So thanks for the conversation. It is one of the online few that stays respectfully professional. And I'm so impressed that there is actually some real data presented and discussed. Way to go.  Jack      

Check out at the top of the page or on link these folks are doing a bunch of different oil tests on leather currently.