How To Best Apply Neatsfoot Oil?

[BDAZ]

I decant oil into a smaller bottler and keep a Tandy wool dauber in the bottle which I reuse until it becomes too discolored. I only oil after tooling and wet forming and the item is completely dry, assisted by the Arizona sun. My workshop is cooled to 85F and the oil penetrates well at that temperature. In the sun, a black item can reach 140F and the oil is distributed quickly. I re-oil once more before waxing and shipping.

I don't oil between production stages to save time.

Cya!

Bob

[oltoot]

All the Saddlemakers I've known dye then oil, then topcote then then buff.

[MerlB]

Thank you all for the tips!

I've tried the sponge, and it works much better than the original brush in distributing the oil evenly.

However I dont think I like neatsfoot oil much. For one thing I had hopes, that treating the dyed leather with neatsfoot would soften it up again since the oil dye makes the leather pretty hard. This does not seem to be the case though.

Then the oil darkens the leather very much. Too much for my liking. And third the oil seems to penetrate more at the edges, so around the borders and along stitchholes it becomes even darker. It does not look too displeasing but it certainly was not the look I was after, either... The pieces in the middle and on the right have gotten a single treatment with neatsfoot oil, the left scrap piece is dyed with Fiebings Spanish Brown Professional Oil Dye diluted 5:1 with denatured alcohol.

[Gump]

There are two basic neatsfoot oils, one is just called "neatsfoot oil", the other is "neatsfoot oil compound". The compound isn't as dark as the straight neatsfoot oil, but will still darken leathers slightly. Gump.

[MerlB]

Thanks Gump, didnt know that.

But since I already used the Compound... ...I dont need to try the real neatsfoot

[camano ridge]

Actually I use 100% Neatsfoot oil all the time. Neatsfoot compound is hydrotreated heavy naphthenic distillate (a petroleum product) and is not necassariy good for some leathers. 100% is now made primarily from lard. Neatsfoot will soften the leather some and the more you put on it the more it will soften. The important thing is that all of the action of Neatsfoot oil is not immediate, you need to give the oil time to migrate through the leather. Neats foot will initially darken the leather then as it is absorbed through the leather the lieather lightens again in most cases almost to the natural color. You will see more absorbtion around stitch holes and raw edges because there are open fiber to more readily grab te oil. However again given time the color will even out in these area also.

Edited July 25, 2014 by camano ridge

[MerlB]

Hm, the treated pieces on the image I posted earlier have dried for six days now.

[camano ridge]

Here is a little demo I did for you after my last post.Again I use 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil. When I was first learning leather back in the early 70's I was told by an experienced leatherworker to never use the compound as it was a petroleum product and not good for leather. I do know if it will hurt the leather or if it will darken the leather more or less then 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil. I just know I have never used the compound and I am usually happy with the results of using the Pure Neatsfoot. The first picture is of a piece of scrap leather as I got it out of my scrap box. The second picture is the same piece imeaditely after a finger tip aplication of 100% Pure Neatsfoot oil, the third picture is the same piece 4 hours after the application of the 100% Neatsfoot oil. You can see that it has returned almost to the same color it was before the oil was applied. I do a lot of western holsters and belts and many are left natural or are suntanned after the appliction of Neatsfoot oil, but they all get 100% Neatsfoot oil and I do not usually have a problem with them being to dark. Having said that I do notice when I use horse that the oil will darken itmore. What type of leather are you using?

Edited July 26, 2014 by camano ridge

[MojoGeorge]

Huh, I apply neatsfoot with my hands, I was taught that way by my grandpa and have never thought twice about it. He had a saddlery and harness shop and was a third generation maestro. He always felt that the leather needed to be handled, but he always claimed that items have souls and needs. He was a different kind of feller, but I still miss him. RIP

[MerlB]

Here is a little demo I did for you after my last post.Again I use 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil. When I was first learning leather back in the early 70's I was told by an experienced leatherworker to never use the compound as it was a petroleum product and not good for leather. I do know if it will hurt the leather or if it will darken the leather more or less then 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil. I just know I have never used the compound and I am usually happy with the results of using the Pure Neatsfoot. The first picture is of a piece of scrap leather as I got it out of my scrap box. The second picture is the same piece imeaditely after a finger tip aplication of 100% Pure Neatsfoot oil, the third picture is the same piece 4 hours after the application of the 100% Neatsfoot oil. You can see that it has returned almost to the same color it was before the oil was applied. I do a lot of western holsters and belts and many are left natural or are suntanned after the appliction of Neatsfoot oil, but they all get 100% Neatsfoot oil and I do not usually have a problem with them being to dark. Having said that I do notice when I use horse that the oil will darken itmore. What type of leather are you using?

Thanks a lot for the photos! A really nice demonstration. I use veg tanned cow leather 3.5mm thick, no idea what that is in oz... 7/8oz I think.