Oiling Leather

[wyme84]

I'm starting out, making some bags with 8-9 oz leather from tandy.

I was at first very tentative about conditioning the leather with neatsfoot. Everyone keeps saying --- DON'T OVER DO IT.

BUT - this leather is super dry and it seems like I could just keep pouring more and more oil and it would just suck it up!

How can I tell if it is conditioned/oiled enough?

[mlapaglia]

What makes you think its real dry? In other words what does it look like. There is a certain amount of flexibility to leather that is not real dry. I really do not know how to tell you how to judge. I developed a feel for it but cant explain it. Someone will come along with the perfect explanation and we will both learn.

Give it a LIGHT coat oc neatsfoot oil and put it away for 24 hours. Then give it a second LIGHT coat and another 24 hours. The oil nees time to migrate throughout the leather. Most times 2 light coats is all you need. If you still feel its to dry than you can apply a third coat and again with the 24 hours.

If it really is that dry take it back to Tandy if you just got it. Otherwise you might want to consider one of the conditioners like Lexol. Chances are 2 light coats of Neatsfoot oil will do the trick. Use a wool pad to apply the oil Trim the wool to about 3/4" to 1 1/4 inch in length so its not real thick. Put some oil on the wool and make one pass on a section of the leather. depending on how long your pass is you might need to add more oil for the next section or you might not. You will get the feel for it pretty quick.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN ALWAYS PUT ON ANOTHER COAT. IF YOU GO TO HEAVY ITS VERY HARD TO TAKE IT OFF.

Michael

(the above is how I do it. I know that there are other ways to get it done. YMMV)

Edited July 31, 2015 by mlapaglia

[club49]

What is the difference between Mink oil and neats foot? What I am really asking when would use one or the other?

[Art]

Mink oil is the rendered subcutaneous fat from mink pelt production. Most of it comes from China. NFO is (or used to be) made from hooves of cattle, but today could be rendered from bones or whatever. They both are oils and will work similarly in unfinished leather. They are used to restore and aid the flexibility of dried-out leather. Mink oil is an organic oil which has an unusually high resistance to rancidity, higher I think than any other animal or vegetable oil; this is probably the reason it is used extensively in cosmetics. Finding pure 100% Mink Oil might be a little daunting and possibly quite expensive. Fiebing's has Mink Oil, but if you look at the MSDS, it is greater than 50% light and heavy naphtha type ingredients, better to call it Mink Oil Compound. The amount of actual mink oil is not clear as it is called "animal oil" in the MSDS, and is reported as greater than 0.0%. I guess what we should take from this is, if you like it use it.

I just use Montana Pitchblend Leather Oil, which is made from Pine Pitch Sap and Mink Oil, when I need to oil. I have found over the years that you just find what you like and don't worry about it.

Art

[zuludog]

I make mostly belts, dog collars and knife sheaths. When I've finished the piece I slap leather oil on it; both sides, inside & outside, till it's saturated with oil. My theory is that the leather itself will decide when it's had enough. Any excess will dry out or wear off. Usually I then buff it up with a cloth, and perhaps a bit of shoe polish

Been doing that for several years and don't seem to have had any problems - "find what you like and don't worry about it".

I use Tandy's Prime Neatsfoot Oil # 2260-34

[Art]

I don't saturate anything with oil. I put on enough that it takes up all the oil (it will look and feel dry) in 1-2 hours. If it takes over a day, it is over oiled. Anything that bleeds oil is way over oiled. With the Montana Pitchblend or Pecard's one coat is usually enough and I stop at two coats unless it is really obvious it needs more. Even tack that spends a lot of time outdoors rarely needs oiling again for a year or two, something that lives in the tack room almost never.

Art