Using oil for conditioning?

[yaklady]

As far as the difference between olive oil and neatsfoot oil, here's what I learned from Will Ghormley in a class I took with him a couple of years ago.

Neatsfoot oil softens leather by breaking down the fibers within. Extra virgin olive oil softens by lubricating the fibers. Hence, too much neatsfoot oil can eventually break down the leather so much, it will stretch and fall apart. I learned this first hand as a kid when I got lazy in oiling my tack. I shoved the reins all the way in the bottle of neatsfoot oil to get the job over with in a hurry. It wasn't long before the reins became squishy and started stretching. That wasn't a good thing with the crazy horse I was riding at the time. The reins did stretch to the point of breaking and I had to replace them.

I have not been using olive oil long enough to have any real experiences like that, but have tried soaking leather with it, and have had no bad experiences. Nor have I had problems with the oil going rancid on the leather. That could have something to do with our dry climate.

Yak is good in extra virgin olive oil. Have you ever had Kung Pao Yak?

Kathy

[unicornwoman]

I really love Lexol. Down here in Texas, the hint is that you put a tiny bit of Lexol into the water you use to case leather prior to carving. It helps protect the leather from the effects of wetting and makes the carving go smoother.