olive oil vs harness/leather honey

[13132]

newbie here.

ok I've  had stock from age 8, my leathers in the old day was maintained with beef tallow in a piece of canvas .

for the last 25 years I've used what started out being called harness honey but now called leather honey, been in production since 1968 

I found this site and have been reading about extra virgin olive oil, one of my saddles is better then sixty five years old, had  beef tallow used on it for years but had to run a wire down from the ceiling joist with a hook to hang harness or bailing string to loop over the saddle horn, to protect from mice and rats, but for 25 years now I have used leather honey, a commercial product sold by the same family since 1968, anyone tried both olive oil and leather honey, if so I'd really like your thoughts between the two. I only very recently heard of using EVOL, so have no clue on which is better and why is better or worse, I noticed several on here work leather, I've only every rode or drove, but a good saddle or harness if properly maintained should last a hundred years or better, like I said one of my riding saddles is kinda old but leather has no cracks, no dry rot, just slick fine looking ready to ride day in day out for another 60 or 70 years if kept maintained like I do my leathers, but you never stop learning till your dead, and learning of olive oil  is brand new to me, please your opinions, advice, and thoughts greatly appreciated.......

from the Ozark mountains of Arkansaw 

Richard  AKA 13132

[Bodean]

I am still learning myself. I recently started using Fiebing's Aussie leather conditioner and I like it. I have used EVOO, but it didn't seem to do anything special.

[OLDNSLOW]

There is mixed bag of reactions to the use of Olive oil here on the site, and of course there is the issue of how much olive oil in the oil.  Some reports that I have read indicate that in some instances there is a low content of true olive oil, in the oil otherwise the cost would be much higher than what it goes for.  That's doesn't mean you cant try it and use it if that is the only option you have just chose wisely.

[13132]

ok as I said I was raised  using beef tallow in a piece of canvas, but rodents make that a problem, so I don't really remember how long ago I started using at first called harness honey now called leather honey, been in production since 1968 and my old saddle arou nd 70 years or so, was better then thirty years when I bought it, started with tallow last 20 years leather honey, not a single crack or tear in my saddle, love it more then my old girlfriends probably why I ended up single hehe, but my saddle is cared for as I have will have at least another 70 plus years, I picked up a mule team with work harness, leather taken good care of, I got a friend that travels to mule pules mule waon rides, still to this day makes garden, cuts grass so on so forth with mules, he is the one that said id better use extra virgin olive oil, but in 48 years of caring for my leather saddles, tack, shoes, boots, holsters, knife sheaths and so on, with now a team harness set, I've yet to be converted to olive oil, I've read on here and see many on here make leather products i'm sure many saddle and harness masters are on he, so I had wished to see if I could become more informed on leather, using is far different then working with. yawl work and shape leather, my but and hands polish what masters make, I've went to a fore cart because they amputated my right leg below the knee and the front half of my left foot, I need no pity, I am still here, and since with no front half of my left foot I cant use a saddle no more, I have had Shetlands from age 8, I've raised QH AN APHA my adult life, so as my bucket list is a team of mules I cant disappear into the woods no more but I can still travel down paths and trails as well as roads so I am quite happy, so I believe unless given a compelling reason I'll stick with leather honey 20 years or so of proof are on my old saddle, I do appreciate any knowledge given to me, thank yawl for your time

richard

[YinTx]

This topic really piqued my curiosity.  I have never heard of leather honey.  Anybody know what is in it?  Has anyone else used it and had the same results as Richard?  Anyone used it on new leather before making something with it, after dye etc?  I would presume this would be used in place of neatsfoot oil?

How about use on chrome tanned leather?

YinTx