Leather Conditioners?

Thomason

Thomason

Joined
Nov 28, 2002
Messages
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I'm looking for a good leather conditioner for an LL Bean A2 style leather jacket. This one sounded promising, Obenauf's Leather Oil. Anyone have any experience with it or maybe recommendations for another product?
 
We were always told that saddle soap dries. It may clean well; but you'll need an oil to keep it supple.

Thomason, Obenauf is what the Knives Ship Free guys use and sell. I've not used it, yet; but it's got a good rep with the Bark River folks. Give KSF a call; see what they can tell you.
 
Thanks guys, I have a plan. Saddle soap when I need to clean the jacket and in the meantime, Obenauf's oil to suppleize :D it.
 
I have been using Obenauf's for the past year or two. I really like it. It definitely suppleizes things and I really like the scent.
 
Sorry for the drift, but will Obenauf help expand leather spacers? I have an old Mark II Navy Camillus whose leather spacers have shrunk so that the pommel is loose. I'm trying to tighten it all up.
 
maturin said:
Sorry for the drift, but will Obenauf help expand leather spacers? I have an old Mark II Navy Camillus whose leather spacers have shrunk so that the pommel is loose. I'm trying to tighten it all up.
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Well, when you moisturize them, there'll be some natural expansion; but you may have lost some (there's only so far you can restore natural material once it's lost). I had a belt that was old and dried up; and I was able to get it back to some semblance of it's old self; but it was definitely thinner and weaker, and eventually cracked and ripped at the hole that I used for the belt peg. New, it would not have been so likely to do that. You have to maintain natural materials from the start for long life.

How old, and how dried out?
 
I've been using Montana Pitch for years on all my leather products. It's an excellent conditioner.

montana-pitch.jpg
 
Try Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator. One word of warning though, due to the smell you may decide you want to eat some, but I would avoid doing so...this stuff smells like honey butter but probably doesn't taste like it.
 
"How old, and how dried out?"

Thanks for the replies.

Not awful -- a while back I wrapped a wet towel around the handle, and it tightened up nicely for a short period, so I think it's doable.

As for how old, I'm not sure -- from the style and markings, I'm assuming WWII era. The blade is in great shape, and the sheath is in decent shape, but as I said, the leather has shrunk somewhat. I found it a few years ago under a house and don't have any idea how long it was there.
 
LEXOL..has been used to rejuvenate War Between the States era tack such as bridles/reins. I have used saddle soap sparingly to clean old/ dirty leather and then Lexol to replace the natural oils that have leached out over time by hard use or being soaked with water.

Best.
 
IUKE12 said:
Lexoil.
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Lexol...what he said. I also use Cetophyl, or the Wallyworld equivilent thereof. You can find it in "Health & Beauty", its used for really dry skin, like psoriasis (sp?). Stuff works wonders on human skin, so I thought, "Why not on dry, uncracked leather?"
The "raw" unterated 1/4 in. oak sole scraps I tried it on softened up, pliable. Cetophyl also darkend the leather to the "old school baseball glove brown" w/out any dies or other preperations.

I applied it to my very well made sheath that came w/ my Blackjack Halo 14 w/ fingergrooved moss green handles. Then I applied LEXOL in 5 coats, and 3 coats of Mink Oil.

Result?? The sheath looks as "old school chestnut brown" as possible, and has not deformed, rotted or drawn any water. The knife is A2, and I use EEZOX on the blade, and all the exposed tang and metal furnishings.

After over a year in everyday temps, humidity, storage IN THE LEATHER SHEATH, No leather rot, no shrinkage, stitch rot or other common problems.

Knife has been checked and EEZOX reapplied 3 times, because I am neurotic and picky. NO RUST, very small patina is easily polished off w/ Simichrome.
Lexol is a great product. If I could soak my black leather motorcycle jacket in a sealed tub o' that stuff, I would!
 
Lexol is a fantastic conditioner for leather. It's mostly vegetable oils. Montana pitch blend is great for boots, but I wouldn't use it on a jacket unless you like the smell of pine tar.
 
I like obenoufs. Both the regular and heavy-duty. I also like hedgehogleatherworks own leather conditioner
 
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