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Neatsfoot oil ; what brand?
- Thread starter Hengelo_77
- Start date
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- May 10, 2017
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- 736
Gotta agree with Paul. I've never oiled the inside of a sheath. Little over 16,000 sheaths now. If not oiling the inside was bad, I'd of heard about it by now. This is just a normal batch around this Rancho.
I do this about every two weeks. Each one was treated with pure neatsfoot oil on the outside and a very light coat at that. Allowed to set and then finished with BagKote. 62 in this batch if I count right.
If we ever connect up, I've got a Boker Companaro I pickup up recently that needs a sheath. Curious if you would make one for it and how much?
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2012
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I don't line the inside of my sheaths and the flesh side can be rather rough so if I'm using neatsfoot oil on the outside I like to use gum tragacanth or some tragacanth type stuff I got from a place in Japan to treat the belt loop and inside of the sheath. I rub it in almost like you do when treating the edge of the sheath. I mark where the welts are going to go and definitely don't put it where I'm going to be gluing the welt.
On sheaths that I'm only using Tan-kote and Montana Pitch Blend I have a spray bottle of 1/2 Tan-kote and 1/2 water that I spray lightly into the interior of the sheath. I honestly don't have a clue how much it helps with waterproofing or whatever but it lays the fibers of the flesh side down a bit. I used to rub a coat of Montana Pitch Blend on the inner portion but the leather didn't fold as well when it was time to glue it up.
With that being said, I'd never think to contradict what Paul or Horsewright said, they are the grand high poobahs as far as I'm concerned and I'm rethinking any treatment on the inside at all now. I just thought it may be a bit different with sheaths that aren't lined on the inside.
On sheaths that I'm only using Tan-kote and Montana Pitch Blend I have a spray bottle of 1/2 Tan-kote and 1/2 water that I spray lightly into the interior of the sheath. I honestly don't have a clue how much it helps with waterproofing or whatever but it lays the fibers of the flesh side down a bit. I used to rub a coat of Montana Pitch Blend on the inner portion but the leather didn't fold as well when it was time to glue it up.
With that being said, I'd never think to contradict what Paul or Horsewright said, they are the grand high poobahs as far as I'm concerned and I'm rethinking any treatment on the inside at all now. I just thought it may be a bit different with sheaths that aren't lined on the inside.
Horsewright
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Oct 4, 2011
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- 13,326
PM me Dan and we can talk about that for sure.
Last batch of sheaths I made three of my Beltless sheaths. Here's an older one being worn over a belt:
In the past the tabs that fold over and attach around the belt loops I would line as this one above is. This was done just for finishing purposes. On these three I wanted to try not ling them because it was causing some difficulties in construction. I did something very similar to what grogimus mentioned and it worked very well. While the sheath was still damp from wet molding I slicked/glassed the roughout sides of the tabs. Then when dry I did it again with Wyoming Quick Slik. I was quite pleased with the results and will be finishing these sheaths in this manner from now on. The gentleman pictured above bought one of the new ones and its knife at a show last weekend.
Last batch of sheaths I made three of my Beltless sheaths. Here's an older one being worn over a belt:
In the past the tabs that fold over and attach around the belt loops I would line as this one above is. This was done just for finishing purposes. On these three I wanted to try not ling them because it was causing some difficulties in construction. I did something very similar to what grogimus mentioned and it worked very well. While the sheath was still damp from wet molding I slicked/glassed the roughout sides of the tabs. Then when dry I did it again with Wyoming Quick Slik. I was quite pleased with the results and will be finishing these sheaths in this manner from now on. The gentleman pictured above bought one of the new ones and its knife at a show last weekend.
IMHO, much of what we hear about oiling leather is myth and legend. John Bianchi knows a thing or two about leather and he dips his completed rigs in warm neatsfoot before the final finish.
I don't use neatsfoot but extra virgin olive oil. I put two to three light coats on every item I make from veg-tan. Hair side, flesh side, doesn't matter. The oil will work its way through the material either way. My leather work is just as stiff and formed after oiling as it was before. You can absolutely overdo it, just as with anything else but that is not to say that oil is bad. The leather is dried out through the tanning, tooling and dyeing processes and needs some moisture put back into it.
I don't use neatsfoot but extra virgin olive oil. I put two to three light coats on every item I make from veg-tan. Hair side, flesh side, doesn't matter. The oil will work its way through the material either way. My leather work is just as stiff and formed after oiling as it was before. You can absolutely overdo it, just as with anything else but that is not to say that oil is bad. The leather is dried out through the tanning, tooling and dyeing processes and needs some moisture put back into it.
Hengelo_77
Basic Member
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- Mar 2, 2006
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- 6,222
I ordered the pure neatsfoot oil but was send the compound. I'm sending it back but is it good for anything we do?
Just wondering
Just wondering
Horsewright
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Oct 4, 2011
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- 13,326
I don't use it for anything.
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- Jun 29, 1999
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We used to oil our boots and baseball gloves with neatsfoot oil (or veggie oil, for that matter) when I was a kid, several centuries ago back in the Dark Ages of the 1950s. Nowadays I use SnowSeal, a beeswax with silicon. Seals the leather and doesn't soften it like oils. I usually take a new leather sheath apart and melt in two or three coats inside and out with an old hair blower (note: do NOT use your significant other's dryer without asking
), then re-stitch the sheath using a cobbler's stitch and waxed nylon thread. Also works great on stacked leather handles.
), then re-stitch the sheath using a cobbler's stitch and waxed nylon thread. Also works great on stacked leather handles.