Question about leather

[smcclown05]

So I'll admit this is slightly off topic but I have a question concerning leather treatments.

Along with knives, I have developed cigar hobby. I got a wild hair to try my hand at making a pocketable cigar case to carry my stogies with me on a night out.

This case will be made of leather and I plan on shaping it around two sections of dowel to create the spaces for the cigars. Can I use neatsfoot oil during this process?

I'm assuming the leather will need some kind of conditioning but I don't want to use anything that will affect the flavor or constitution my cigars. Especially considering it's been in the mid 90's and humid here lately.

How would you recommend I go about forming the leather and keeping it conditioned. Any good products that won't bleed off or out of the leather?

Thanks.

 

[Wild Rose]

The proper way to make them is not to use oil but hot water to shape the pieces in a process known as cuir bouilli - it's how the pros do it and the basic method is described here:
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/leather/hl.html

as for finish I would only use one of the harder resin type finishes such as Resolene or Saddle lac - any use of oil will eventually soak into your stogies and trust me you don't want to taste that!~

 

[rayban]

Assuming that the cigar case will be in your pocket most of the time......safe from the elements, I would use Feibings Resoline
It's acrylic based...it will protect the leather, won't bleed off on your clothes, and gives off a natural looking sheen to the leather.
This is one of those, "ask six guys, you get six different answers" topics, so mileage will vary.

 

[smcclown05]

Thanks for the advice guys. As far as the Resoline is concerned, would I treat only the outside of the case? The idea is that the case would be either in a pocket or pack of some sort.

 

[Wild Rose]

Yes you can treat only the outside but it would be better to do both sides since that will again protect you stogies (I'm a fellow stogie smoker and have carried mine in a leather carrier I made a long time ago (40 years) and sealed inside and out with no problems - well the only problem being the price of GOOD stogies these days...

 

[smcclown05]

Yes you can treat only the outside but it would be better to do both sides since that will again protect you stogies (I'm a fellow stogie smoker and have carried mine in a leather carrier I made a long time ago (40 years) and sealed inside and out with no problems - well the only problem being the price of GOOD stogies these days...

Well thats good enough advice for me. If the sticks were a little cheaper I wouldn't be quite as concerned with the treatment process. I'm gonna start gathering supplies and I'll be sure to share the results whenever I get around to finishing this. Wild Rose, I don't suppose you could share a pic of your carrier?