Beeswax for holster finish

[bcraig]

What is the best natural thing to add to beeswax to protect a holster 

I have experience using store bought olive oil and beeswax as I have made my own mustache wax and poured it into lip balm plastic containers .

After about 6 months it starts to have a sorta rank smell to it,it’s easy to tell when you have a good sense of smell and it’s on your upper lip !

The smell on a holster would not bother me but I don’t want it to rot my holster !

Suggestions for a natural product ?

I believe that I am just going to use the beeswax by itself,non perishable ,won’t go rank .

 I am going to melt it then when it starts to go solid again dip my fingers in it and apply to the leather.

Thanks

Edited September 14, 2019 by bcraig

[chiefjason]

I use U 82 saddlers oil, but I wouldn't call it natural exactly.  For natural maybe neatsfoot oil, but the real stuff not the compound.  And I use paraffin in there if I need it to be thicker.  I get mine to a paste like consistency, think lip balm in the metal containers.  Rub that on the holster then use a heat gun to get it soaked in.  

[chuck123wapati]

I use any of the leather boot waterproofing products that have mink oil/ beeswax in them, haven't had any problems, some of my personal sheaths are 30 + years old. they darken the leather a bit.

[DuaneS]

I'd use straight Beeswax.

I have an EDC knife that I carry literally on my belt every day, I made a wet-molded and beeswaxed sheath for it 8 years ago.  It's doing just fine!

Edited September 14, 2019 by DuaneS
add some

[dikman]

If you want to soften the beeswax mix in some tallow and neatsfoot oil. Tallow doesn't go rancid.

[wizard of tragacanth]

You might want to try Sno Seal. It is "emulsified" (can't think of a better word) bee's wax... ready to use. It's pretty soft in the jar. Warm the leather, apply it and repeat if necessary.

Personally, I do not want to make my holsters softer. I want to make them firmer.

nick

 

[bcraig]

The more I have investigated the matter the more I have become convinced that using quality beeswax by itself is the route I will take.

Mink oil 
Neatsfoot oil
Lard ,tallow are all Perishable and will become Rank .Beeswax with nothing added is non perishable and will never become rank.

Any oil added to beeswax will soften the Leather and introduce bacterial breakdown to the leather to the degree that the oil penetrates the leather and then starts to go bad(perish ,go rank etc)
I do not want to add a perishable ingredient to a non perishable .

It seems as though anything added to Quality Beeswax works in spite of itself and not because it was added to the Beeswax .

The downsides I see to using beeswax are that it can be considered expensive,not easy to get quality filtered beeswax that has not had something added to it.
More difficult to apply to leather than just using liquid oil or a paste.
If leather is totally saturated in beeswax  and extremely hot temperature that would approach the melting point of beeswax then obviously the leather would be less stiff until the temp was lowered again.

For my use of protecting the stitching,and helping to preventing bacteria from getting inside the leather and to provide a high degree of water resistance plus (in my opinion)a pleasant smell,the Beeswax with nothing added to it will get my use.

[dikman]

Well, my tallow has been sitting in an unsealed container for quite a few years, stored in a shed that gets bloody hot in Summer and very cold in Winter, and hasn't gone off. I've got several concoctions I've mixed, using tallow, and likewise had no issue with deterioration. Just sayin'.

[bcraig]

46 minutes ago, dikman said:

Well, my tallow has been sitting in an unsealed container for quite a few years, stored in a shed that gets bloody hot in Summer and very cold in Winter, and hasn't gone off. I've got several concoctions I've mixed, using tallow, and likewise had no issue with deterioration. Just sayin'.

Yes ,It sounds like you are happy using it.

I like the idea of using a non perishable natural material .

Thanks for your information ,I appreciate it


 

[bcraig]

13 hours ago, DuaneS said:

I'd use straight Beeswax.

I have an EDC knife that I carry literally on my belt every day, I made a wet-molded and beeswaxed sheath for it 8 years ago.  It's doing just fine!

I am going to use the Straight Beeswax,non perishable and from what I have read there have been finds of beeswax several thousand years old that the beeswax was still fine .
Out of curiosity how often do you reapply ?

Thanks to all for your sharing of your information.