If you're looking for a product designed to "do it all" that product may be Ballistol. The Germans invented it in WWI to be used as an all-purpose lube and preservative for all the things a soldier had, guns (the metal and the wood), knives, and the leather slings and belts and pouches that kept is all together.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Hoppes 9 for leather sheaths and leather knife handles?
- Thread starter Wind_Slash
- Start date
The thing to remember is do NOT use a softening agent on leather that needs to remain firm, such as stacked leather knife handles, sheaths, etc. SnoSeal, bee's wax, even carnuba wax will work better for those. Neatsfoot oil will penetrate the leather if put on to heavily, but if applied just as a surface coat will work for holsters and sheaths. I wouldn't use it on stacked leather knife handles.
Stitchawl
Stitchawl
I've asked around the net for what would be a good solvent for neatsfoot oil to thin it to facilitate light application and also getting in to cracks and crannies. No one seemed to think any solvent was good. I'm pretty sure Lexol has some kind of "thinner" in their neatsfoot leather dressing but I dunno what it is.
I've used neatsfoot oil on a stacked leather handle that was so dried out the leather pieces were separating. I applied it thickly, although I usually would not, and they swelled back up and looked right. I followed with a painting of very hot beeswax which firmed things up. It worked to save that handle anyway. YMMV.
On a new sheath that you are not tinkering with, a heavy coat of neatsfoot will certainly ruin it by softening it too much.
It's all good, I'm just in to endless discussion.
http://www.oldjimbo.com/Outdoors-Magazine/Hotwaxing-leather-sheaths.pdf
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59386
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/leather/hl.html
Last edited:
Dave has the '"endless discussion" thing right. There are a million different opinions on 10,000 different products. Had a guy on here wanted to soak his leather handle in used motor oil! I think that's about the only option that can pretty conclusively be ruled out as a never do. I have two stacked leather handles that are 30+ years old. Both have been used rather rough and both have been stored rather poorly...trunk tool box for many many years on end. I've never done anything to either.
Melted beeswax does some very interesting things to leather. If you have enough and can melt it and dip it you will get some pretty interesting results...hardens leather to an almost plastic like consistency. Kinda sticky too which is not a bad thing on a knife handle. If I had a brand new pilots survival knife, the ones with the plain tan leather washers, I might be tempted to dip that. Whether or not I'd be happy with the result is a question but I am pretty confident I would ruin the thing or damage it.
Melted beeswax does some very interesting things to leather. If you have enough and can melt it and dip it you will get some pretty interesting results...hardens leather to an almost plastic like consistency. Kinda sticky too which is not a bad thing on a knife handle. If I had a brand new pilots survival knife, the ones with the plain tan leather washers, I might be tempted to dip that. Whether or not I'd be happy with the result is a question but I am pretty confident I would ruin the thing or damage it.
Wikipedia has an interesting page about Neatsfoot oil, but as it says at the top of the page, there is need for verification...
Back when I was a teenager working with horses, we used to use Neatsfoot oil on all the tack. We'd use a sponge dipped in Neatsfoot oil to wipe down the saddles and bridles, let it soak in for a few minutes, then wipe off all the excess. Knowing what I do today, I'd still do the bridles and breast straps that way, but I'd be much more sparing with the oil on the saddles. I'd probably even opt for Lexol instead. But for stacked leather knife handles... if they were severely dried out I'd consider soaking them, but I'd soak them in ArmorAll instead of Neatsfoot oil, and then, as you did, I'd dip them into melted bee's wax or SnoSeal, and then not have to worry about 'em for the next 50 years... These days I don't even keep any Neatsfoot oil around.
Stitchawl
Back when I was a teenager working with horses, we used to use Neatsfoot oil on all the tack. We'd use a sponge dipped in Neatsfoot oil to wipe down the saddles and bridles, let it soak in for a few minutes, then wipe off all the excess. Knowing what I do today, I'd still do the bridles and breast straps that way, but I'd be much more sparing with the oil on the saddles. I'd probably even opt for Lexol instead. But for stacked leather knife handles... if they were severely dried out I'd consider soaking them, but I'd soak them in ArmorAll instead of Neatsfoot oil, and then, as you did, I'd dip them into melted bee's wax or SnoSeal, and then not have to worry about 'em for the next 50 years... These days I don't even keep any Neatsfoot oil around.
Stitchawl
Dave has the '"endless discussion" thing right. There are a million different opinions on 10,000 different products. Had a guy on here wanted to soak his leather handle in used motor oil! I think that's about the only option that can pretty conclusively be ruled out as a never do. QUOTE]
Glad I didn't come across as too argumentative. Or maybe I did and ya'll are just good folks, as is the norm here.
Painting a sheath or (easier) stacked leather handle with hot beeswax ain't rocket surgery. You can even use various degrees of hot and amounts of wax to get various hardnesses. Sometimes I'll rub a lump of beeswax over leather and heat it in with a hair dryer.
I've made various concoctions of neatsfoot oil, lanolin, and beeswax for leather. I've made the pine resin, tung oil, turpentine mixture for wood and antler. I just like to play.
'Course you have to dance naked during full moon in your back yard to mix up some of this stuff.
maybe
http://www.woodshopnews.com/columns...hing-cooking-up-the-right-finish-is-paramount
http://www.leroydouglasviolins.com/varnish.htm
http://www.ibiblio.org/london/rural-skills/woodworking/wood-treatment.non-toxic
Last edited:
I have used SnoSeal since around 1972 on all of my leather gear and it has kept all of it in great condition. If heated with a hair dryer until it just melts it will penetrate deply into dried out leather. Wipe off any excess and you're ready to go out and play. It will not soften or break down the leather and leaves it highly waterproofed.
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2010
- Messages
- 7
I made a 50/50 mix of beeswax and neatsfoot oil which solidifies to paste wax consistency. Warm the leather and apply the wax and then hit it with a hair dryer or heat gun on low. The wax will melt and seep into the leather, let cool then buff. I use this on boots, sheaths and stacked leather handles. Works great.
I'll add another "do-it-all" product to the mix: Fluid Film. It can be used to under coat your vehicle, stop rust & corrosion on knives & any metal, does NOT conduct electricity so it can be safely used on plugs & electrical connections to stop corrosion & even on leather & boots. Works on battery terminals, boats, guns, snowplows, & many other things. Made from sheeps wool.
http://www.kellsportproducts.com/fluidfilmfaq.html
http://www.kellsportproducts.com/fluidfilmfaq.html