Conditioners for New and Old Leather Sheaths and Holsters

Snowseal is good, adds some waterproofing but darkens, I like Pitch Blend too but will also darken, and it goes a bit rancid smelling but adds waterproofness.

Venetian shoe cream is a top neutral high quality cream I use on most of my leather goods. A little goes a long way and it's all natural so I just rub in with my fingers instead of losing a bunch on a cloth... and then buff it.
 
I treat all my leather sheaths with SnowSeal, which is basically beeswax. It doesn't soften the leather like oils, seals it against moisture and lasts a long time. I cut new leather sheaths apart, apply a good coat of SnowSeal inside and out, melt it in with an old hair dryer, and restitch with waxed nylon thread using a carpenter's stitch. The sheaths last for decades and there's no worry about the leather absorbing moisture.
 
Could you refer us to some site that describes the carpenter's stitch? I think I'm using it now, but would like confirmation, thanks.
 
When I was a much younger feller I did a lot of backpacking and some mountaineering, even a lil rock climbing. I wore some higher end boots from a company called Vasque. The use of Sno Seal violated their warranty. Don't know if things have changed or not. I heard it rotted the stitching. But I know that A Alberta Ed has been doing that for a long time.
 
Horsewright said:
When I was a much younger feller I did a lot of backpacking and some mountaineering, even a lil rock climbing. I wore some higher end boots from a company called Vasque. The use of Sno Seal violated their warranty. Don't know if things have changed or not. I heard it rotted the stitching. But I know that A Alberta Ed has been doing that for a long time.
Click to expand...

Sno-Seal has a solvent in it that lowers the melting point. It likely doesn't fully evaporate from the warm leather and that might damage the stitching.
Also if you follow the directions but not to the letter, you can damage the leather and maybe weaken any adhesive bond. You're supposed to heat the leather to something like 120 or 140 degree then apply the Sno-Seal so the hot leather melts the wax. It's kind of hard to get to that point without getting the leather too warm which can cause it to break down. Along with weakening a lot of glues and any plastics used. A lot of boots use a synthetic rand, as well as heal cups and those might be damaged. Very likely they don't want to deal with repairing leather that people have damaged. If it's too hot to handle with bare hands, then it's likely too hot.

It might also be that the wax clogs the breathable lining they use and it causes your feet to get wet.

Melting the wax in a can or pot and applying it to the leather seems less damaging.
 
Last edited:
I used to sell Vasque boots, and I recall something about the goretex warranty being invalidated because the snoseal could clog the pores in the ptfe membrane.
Never had any issues with it damaging thread in the many years I've used the stuff
 
Unicorn161 said:
Sno-Seal has a solvent in it that lowers the melting point. It likely doesn't fully evaporate from the warm leather and that might damage the stitching.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what it is but there has to be something to soften the bees wax because bees wax is quite hard otherwise and SnoSeal is soft right from the can.

I use a homemade concoction because I like making my own stuff. I blend neatsfoot oil with warmed bees wax to a ratio where the beeswax does not cool rock hard. To apply it I warm the homemade "conditioner" with a heat gun to a point where I can spread it. I smear it on the leather, work some into the seams with a toothbrush then warm the leather a bit with the heat gun on low so the conditioner soaks in. Right or wrong, it waterproofs my boots.
 
Lorien said:
I'm a fan of Snoseal
Click to expand...

+1 Also great for tightening up stacked leather knife handles. I wait for a warm day and set the knife or sheath — and the SnoSeal jar — in the bright sun to heat them up. Then I apply the SnoSeal with a rag until the leather won’t absorb any more, using numerous coats with some wait time in between. Then set aside and repeat in a day or two. Never had a problem with Sno Seal harming any stitching.
 
Last edited:
iamunique127 said:
I'm not sure what it is but there has to be something to soften the bees wax because bees wax is quite hard otherwise and SnoSeal is soft right from the can.

I use a homemade concoction because I like making my own stuff. I blend neatsfoot oil with warmed bees wax to a ratio where the beeswax does not cool rock hard. To apply it I warm the homemade "conditioner" with a heat gun to a point where I can spread it. I smear it on the leather, work some into the seams with a toothbrush then warm the leather a bit with the heat gun on low so the conditioner soaks in. Right or wrong, it waterproofs my boots.
Click to expand...
It's the solvent they use.
This is their application tips and tricks, https://www.atsko.com/sno-seal-application-tips-and-instructions/
There is a subtle, but very important, difference between putting Sno-Seal on leather and then heating it, vs. putting it on leather that is already warm. Solvents evaporate toward a source of heat. So if Sno-Seal is applied and then heated, most of the solvent evaporates toward the hair dryer leaving the wax on top of the leather. On preheated boots, the solvent evaporates into the warm leather drawing the wax in with it.
Click to expand...

I've been playing around with mixing carnauba and beeswax, with a little bit of Obenaufs oil in some of the containers. Without oil just for protection, with oil to help condition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top