Feibings Aussie

[bruce johnson]

I got a can of Feibing's Aussie conditioner a while back. I recently opened the can and tried it on some repair stirrup leathers. I was expecting something along the line of William's. The first thing that hit me was that it smelled of lighter fluid in the can. It applied easily enough, but after three days outside, the surface still has a sticky feel to it. I haven't hit it with the heat gun yet, but that is next. Anybody have any experience with this stuff good or bad?

[Beaverslayer]

Bruce, Aussie is all I have ever used, tried Lexol and didn't really like it as much.

Just popped my can open, the smell is somewhat like lighter fuel, but more like a wax smell, but my nose is old.

I will apply the aussie, rib it in really well, then use the blow dryer on it. Have never had any problems, and really like the way it softens the leather, and buffs up to a nice not to shiny finish.

Ken

[awharness]

I've found that the aussie works differntly on differnt types of leather. I will make something and then work that in on it, let it sit for a bit then wipe it down. Lexol will take that stickyness off of it I've found. I just leave the top off of it on my die bench. Some of the pulling people and loggers that use horses around here will bring in tack and it will be so nasty I will clean the leather and use that on it. Works pretty good, but I know what you're saying about that sticky nasty feal! give it a squirt of lexol and its gone~!

-Andrew

[TwinOaks]

I'm sure others will chime in, but here's my $.02:

I picked some up to use on the stirrup straps of a repair job. Can label say's smooth leather, but when I made a set of reins for the same customer, I used it grain and flesh- really saturated them. The sticky was there for just a little while, and after the leather aborbed what it would, well, I just buffed off the rest. Now the leather feels....like leather. No sticky left to it.

Smells like Mink oil to me.

[bruce johnson]

I was really not liking this stuff much earlier. These straps have been out in our afternoon sun for 4 days, and still all they all felt sticky, dried Pepsi on the steering wheel sticky. I took some end cuts a played tonight. This stuff was so tacky that pulling a rag over them was like tug of war.

Ken,

I hit a scrap with some heat, and it melted in. Seems like it takes more heat than either HideRejuvenator, Saddle Butter, or Williams. Probably a factor of the higher melting point of the waxes in it (Might be a good thing?). Got rid of the gooby tacky feel, and felt pretty good.

Andrew,

Actually I was thinking this stuff was feeling just like that sticky crappy dampish crud on straps and back billets that builds up in damp weather, exactly the feel a guy wants to clean off before running anything through the machine. A quick swipe of Lexol and it is OK now. Even a Lexol dampened paper towel was enough. I added a quick swipe to the heated ends above and they improved off that too.

Now I feel a little more armed with how to use it. Feel free to buy yourselves a drink on my behalf.

[TwinOaks]

Bruce, I forgot to mention it in the last post....I hand rub the Aussie in very well. On the reins, I rubbed it in hard enough to effectively burnish the flesh side. Maybe that was a part of the difference.

[bruce johnson]

Mike,

Thanks for the input, I was playing some more while you were posting. Look like a little heat, a little Lexol, and a then the rubrag, and it gives me a pretty good feel with the least effort. Says Bruce, whose rotator cuff is now saying ouch tonight. Back to boring shoulder exercizes in the morning.

So for those who have tried some of the others. Is this stuff superior in any area to things like HideRejuvenater (that needs to come in a larger size again for the makers), Williams, or some of the other pastes?