Hoppes 9 for leather sheaths and leather knife handles?

W

Wind_Slash

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Aug 3, 2012
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So I used some to bring life back to some dry leather on a old Kabar and its leather sheath. Then I got to thinking about it...and I hope I didn't mess anything up.

Is Hoppes 9 lube safe to use on leather?
 
Why don't you use something designed for that ?
One of the natural substances is the brain of an animal.But commercial things exist based on lanolin as I remember.
 
Hoppes will weaken the leather. I use Cleanzoil on all my knives and guns. It is recommended for use on wood and leather too.
 
I don't know, but #9 is pretty mild as solvents go. I'd be surprised if it caused any real damage to the leather, but I'd also expect it to evaporate out pretty quickly and not offer much in terms of long term protection.

edit: Mossy posted while I was posting. He may be right. I've had a couple leather holsters that have soaked up their share of #9 from the guns they held with no apparent damage, but I've never outright soaked anything leather in the stuff. :confused:
 
G. Scott H. said:
I don't know, but #9 is pretty mild as solvents go. I'd be surprised if it caused any real damage to the leather, but I'd also expect it to evaporate out pretty quickly and not offer much in terms of long term protection.

edit: Mossy posted while I was posting. He may be right. I've had a couple leather holsters that have soaked up their share of #9 from the guns they held with no apparent damage, but I've never outright soaked anything leather in the stuff. :confused:
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I didn't use the solvent I used the lube.
 
I believe some neatsfoot oil would do a lot more good than Hoppe's no.9.

Hoppe's oil might smell good, but it's really not made for leather.
 
mete said:
Why don't you use something designed for that ?
One of the natural substances is the brain of an animal.But commercial things exist based on lanolin as I remember.
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Interesting comment. When I was a few years younger and energetic, I used to braintan my deer hides. Still today the hides are pliable and impossible to tear apart. A thong of properly tanned hide is very difficult to tear apart.
 
Kiwi leather lotion, then a silicone waterproofing after the 1 or 2 coats of Kiwi is dry. It does amazing work.

Use for shoes $ boots too.

Joe
 
What you guys want is a beeswax-based leather conditioner called "Sno Seal." I used it on my boots for years and loved the stuff so much it's now on all my sheaths, holsters, belts, etc. It does a great job of waterproofing but conditions better than any other product out there. Heck, I even re-wax my Filson gear with it!
 
What you guys want is a beeswax-based leather conditioner called "Sno Seal." I used it on my boots for years and loved the stuff so much it's now on all my sheaths, holsters, belts, etc. It does a great job of waterproofing but conditions better than any other product out there. Heck, I even re-wax my Filson gear with it!
 
the Hoppes oil is actually just mineral oil. it shouldn't be bad for leather at all. now the solvent wouldn't be goof for it, but the oil should be all right.
 
If you're looking for product to use strictly on leather, I'd use Lexol. It's made from vegetable oils and is recommended by Galco for leather. If you want to add a waterproofing quality, try Montana pitch blend. It's good stuff.
 
I used the inside of a fresh banana peel on this sharp shooter sheath. It works in a pinch.

sheath-1.jpg
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The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet, found here -->: http://www.hoppes.com/msds/MSDS-hoppes9-lubricating-oil.pdf ) for Hoppe's Lubricating Oil lists the single ingredient (100% by weight) as 'process oil'. Looking for an explanation/definition of 'process oil', I came across this:

(from site --->: http://www.precisionfluids.com/Lubricants-Glossary )

"Process Oils: A lube base stock that receives additional processing to impart a very specific hydrocarbon composition in addition to viscometrics. Process oils are not used as lubricants; they are used as chemical components in the manufacturing of rubber, plastics, and other polymeric materials."
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Based on the above, it sounds as if it's a relatively unrefined product ('lube base stock'), and the inclusion of the 'hydrocarbon' descriptor makes me wonder if it's really as safe or innocuous as true 'mineral oil'. If it does contain hydrocarbons, from which many solvents and fuels are made, I wouldn't put it in the same category as something like pharmaceutical-grade mineral oil, which has been refined highly, so much so as to make it completely non-reactive in the body (used as a laxative and an ingredient in skin lotions).

I'd assume at the very least, there probably is some solvent component in it. I'd also assume it's relatively mild as such. Not necessarily a big deal for leather, but any solvent has the potential to strip away natural oils and other moisturizers. The MSDS does mention it may cause skin irritation (usually implies drying of the skin, which is what solvents do). I don't think it'd be the best thing to use long-term, for leather, if used alone. As mentioned, use something made for leather (I'll add another vote for Lexol, which is very basic, natural stuff).
 
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Petroleum-based lubricants won't harm leather as long as you don't soak the leather in them for any length of time. Just wiping on a coating won't hurt a bit.

Loosearrow said:
A thong of properly tanned hide is very difficult to tear apart.
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... regardless of how pretty the girl is who's wearing it.. :D

michaelmcgo said:
What you guys want is a beeswax-based leather conditioner called "Sno Seal."
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SnoSeal is one of the best waterproofing agents for leather when you do NOT want to soften the leather at all. It was what we used to use on leather ski boots back in the day when they were made as double boots of leather rather than plastic. SnoSeal is a mixture of bee's wax and mink oil, and does a great job of preserving leather. On the other hand, if you want to treat more pliable leather to preserve and keep soft, use something like Lexol.

If you have some really OLD, DRIED OUT, dead leather, spray it down heavily with ArmorAll... You will be amazed at how that stuff can rejuvenate leather! I bought an old sheepskin barn jacket that had been soaked then just wadded up and stuffed into the corner of a hot attic for 20 years. For some reason the mice never bothered it, but when I bought it (for 50 cents at a yard sale) I was buying it to cut up and use the sheepskin as 'dye applicators.' Someone suggested that I spray it with ArmorAll and see what happens, so I did... And wound up wearing that jacket for the next 20 years! That's 20 years... These days I treat ALL my leather jackets twice a year with ArmorALL. But knife sheaths, leather knife handles, and any leather that I want to remain stiff get treated with SnoSeal.

Stitchawl
 
Don't use synthetic oils on leather you want to last. Neatsfoot oil and lanolin are best for leather, neatsfoot followed by a neatsfoot lanolin mixture is ideal. Lanolin will stop the neatsfoot from "bleeding" but won't soak in as well on its own.

Animal based oils on animal hides, vegetable based oil on wood (which is vegetable based). :)

That said, mineral oil or vaseline or even hand lotion and such will make leather last longer than nothing at all and are good for boots, sheaths you don't plan on lasting forever, etc. Mineral oil and other petroleum based oils will rot the stitching and weaken the leather in the long term.

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/39737/mineral-oil

If you don't want the leather softened then use a very light coat of neatsfoot. Wet the leather and then apply lightly and let dry. That'll keep the coat light. A coat of hot beeswax can stiffen it up a bit as needed.
 
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davek14 said:
Don't use synthetic oils on leather you want to last.
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With all due respect, I've been using ArmorAll on leather for more than 35 years. Not only does it make the leather last, it can bring it back from the dead... I've done it many times with old dried out leather, so dried one would be afraid to bend if for fear of cracking. ArmorAll made it soft and supple, and kept it that way.


Stitchawl
 
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