Care of leather of collectible knife

[EChoil]

I use the pure neatsfoot oil and it's an oil (liquidy). I'm talking to be able to achieve a thin coat by just brushing it on. Right now I'll sometimes moisten the leather and rub on the neatsfoot to get a thin coat after the water evaporates. That doesn't work as well in the crevices. Lexol neatsfoot compound has some type of solvent which evaporates after application. Who knows what else is in it though.

That's gonna be either an alcohol or petroleum product like I was talking about. As I recall, Lexol always smelled 'alcoholy' to me but they never listed it as an ingredient. It's why I never used it. Does it still have an 'alcoholy' smell?

 

[EChoil]

So does anyone know of a solvent or "thinner" for neatsfoot oil so you can paint it on to get into cracks and crevices and still end up with a thin coat?

I use neatsfoot followed by a mixture of neatsfoot and lanolin..

I think the best thinner for it IS mineral oil, which intersperses these discussions.

I've used a little lanolin too from time to time.

 

[RevDevil]

You could try a light application of (pure) neatsfoot oil. Tractor Supply sells Fiebings, but I believe they only sell it by the quart.

A friend that used to work in leather years ago told me about neatsfoot oil. I haven't tried it yet, but he swears by it. Works on belts, wallets, purses, jackets, boots, everything made of leather.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

That's gonna be either an alcohol or petroleum product like I was talking about. As I recall, Lexol always smelled 'alcoholy' to me but they never listed it as an ingredient. It's why I never used it. Does it still have an 'alcoholy' smell?

No alcohol in the 'Lexol Leather Conditioner' I have. It literally smells like nothing, so far as I can tell. When I first tried it, I really wondered if it was just water-based, because it seems so innocuous. Just looks, smells and feels like somewhat 'dirty' or slightly oily water. Even the MSDS for it (1st link below) states "Lexol Leather Conditioner contains no hazardous components." Alcohol would at least be a fire hazard, if not an ingestion & respiration hazard as well, so the lack of mention in the MSDS would seem to indicate it's not in there. The same seems to be true for the Neatsfoot Leather Dressing as well; see the 2nd link below:

http://www.lexol.com/msds/Lexol Leather Conditioner MSDS.pdf

http://www.lexol.com/msds/Lexol Neatsfoot Formula MSDS.pdf

Lexol makes other products as well (leather cleaners & conditioners); maybe one or more of them have other solvents like alcohol, but I don't know.


David