Burnishing W/ Saddle Soap: Bar Or Paste?

[superpacker]

Is one for preferred to the other, and if so, why? I mostly burnish natural veg tan tooling leather, leaving the edges undyed and just want them slick, but want to try chromexcel, and will dye those edges.

[dirtclod]

I use liquid saddle soap that i put on with dabber. I did try the paste and on some things it worked fine other not so good. Another thing the paste went liquid almost in the summer, it gets pretty hot in shop if you AC it might not do it.

[superpacker]

What about this tins of saddle soap (Kiwi I believe) that you can get in the shoe care aisles at most stores?

[electrathon]

I use bar soap. Easy to carry around. Works well. You need to dampen the leather first, not sure if you have to do that when using liquid.

Aaron

[superpacker]

Any specific kind of bar soap?

[electrathon]

Any specific kind of bar soap?

Glyceine saddle soap bar. I get it at Costal. Cut the huge bar up into little pieces. One bar will last years, longer if you do not use it every day.

Aaron

[chiefjason]

I dauber on liquid saddle soap too. Just burnished a few holsters and it makes it so much easier! I've tried several different things and I think I'm sticking with this.

[superpacker]

What brand of liquid saddle soap?

[Red Cent]

I use water. Using a grinder motor with a keyless chuck, my homemade dowel rod makes anything from 3 ounce to 10 ounce glass slick with just water. I used the bar soap and it would stain the leather while canned saddle soap will not. If I dye a piece, I will use the bar soap. If I do not dye and after the Neatfoots' Oil, I will add a beeswax and parafin rub to the edge with the dowel rod as I do with the dyed leather.

[dirtclod]

What brand of liquid saddle soap?

I use Febings liquid saddle soap.

[superpacker]

Wow, that "liquid" saddle soap really is liquid! It looks like a spray bottle of toilet cleaner. I thought it would be like a runny goo.

[superpacker]

I know a lot of drug and convenience stores carry tins of saddle soap, usually kiwi in he shoe care isle. Does anyone know of a convenient place to look for the liquid version?

[chiefjason]

I use febings liquid. Yeah, you can spray it on if you want. I got mine at Tractor Supply. IIRC Springfield has it by the gallon. Either them or Weaver's. I got tired of smelling Gumtrag and having to rub in pastes and my edges keeping that yellow tint. You get none of that with the liquid.

If you are looking for a burnisher for a drill or dremel I can't recommend Pro Edge Burnishers enough. I picked up their slot master and it is awesome! Went back and ordered a rub stick too for molding my holsters. Great products. He has a website and is on ebay.

[Sylvia]

I use Fiebings glycerine bar saddle soap. I grate it into a Quart jar with water (hot) then give that a good shake. (or if you really want to get fancy cook it in a pot the stove until the grated soap is completely dissolved and pour that into your jar) 1" square of the soap will make a small mayo jar of soap "slime" that works as well as the liquid stuff.... why pay for water? I did a cost analysis once... Bar of soap is about $6. I figure one can get about 10, QT jars from it. Saved something like $95.