Question on a Leather 117 Brahama Loose Pommel and Leather Conditioning

A lot of those products especially mink oil seem to cause heavy verdigris on the brass rivets and snaps too.

Ive been using bag balm on my leather goods.
 
Good discussion. Looks like I have a little more reading to do.

The glove oil I have is very thin and says it has mink oil in it. I figured it would be good because it is so thin, it would penetrate better. I followed up with a leather conditioner by Pecard; it says it is for smooth, oil-tanned leather.

Edit: I changed the thread title to reflect the leather conditioning discussion.
 
My family had a leather shop back in the 1970s where we built saddles, boots, harness, all kinds of tack. We learned back then that neatsfoot oil is harmful to leather goods. For some reason it becomes a magnet for mold, mildew and all kinds of microbes. It then destroys the leather fibers. There are several other leather products that help prevent mold and other microbes from colonizing but you still need to keep it clean and dry because water moisture helps microbes grow. Mink oil is a good leather conditioner and beeswax. Just give it time to absorb in a warm room.
 
Mink oil actually isn't good, it has alkaly's in it. When I soak my leather in Neatsfoot oil I wrap it up in several layers of paper towels and leave it for a couple of weeks until the paper towels are dry. The original OP needs the penetration to all of the leather, not just the surface. Lesknife, I would imagine if the excess oil wasn't drawn out it would mold under certain conditions like anything can mold under the right conditions even plastic, I have seen it.
 
Makael said:
Says on your link not to over apply. Like I said, use sparingly.

The instructions given by Al Stohlman specifically tell you how to apply NF oil, how not to overapply NF oil and the benefits. Al felt like NF oil pentrated all layers of the leather the best. Which according to my impression of migration would mean it "migrated" the best. He felt like Lexol was more of a surface conditioner. This information is available in Volume I. I am not disagreeing with him on Lexol, but I think that is a factor of application method. Apply enough Lexol with a sheepskin swatch and it will go all the way through. Apply NF oil or Lexol with a flannel and it won't be as obvious
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I agree that's why I said to wrap the leather in paper towels until all the excess is gone...The OP needs the penetration for the leather to expand to the original shape and size to help hold the pommel tight, this method also has worked on the fingerguards as long as the leather isn't too far gone and won't absorb enough to do any good...
 
sassafrassdogs3 said:
Mink oil actually isn't good, it has alkaly's in it. When I soak my leather in Neatsfoot oil I wrap it up in several layers of paper towels and leave it for a couple of weeks until the paper towels are dry. The original OP needs the penetration to all of the leather, not just the surface. Lesknife, I would imagine if the excess oil wasn't drawn out it would mold under certain conditions like anything can mold under the right conditions even plastic, I have seen it.
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If you are soaking your leather in neatfoot oil to swell it to size it will wick back out and then shrink again because it is an oil. It does have petroleum in it and will adversely affect the leather. It’s a well known fact at least in my generation. It will also desolve bees wax which is a natural sealer and anti microbial. Mink oil doesn’t desolve bees wax and if it is a pure natural and not blended with other additives it is definitely not harmful. I suppose there may be some brands that aren’t good but if you research them I’m sure some still make the good stuff. Also besides beeswax a coat of leather sealer that cures will help keep moisture out and keep the natural oils in.
 
Wouldn't using the knife is wet environments (like while fishing) or normal washing after use re-hydrate the leather?
 
BuckShack said:
Wouldn't using the knife is wet environments (like while fishing) or normal washing after use re-hydrate the leather?
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Not if you use a conditioner that is water repellent. Some oils and grease will mix with water while others repell water and don’t mix you can test it before use just take a bit of oil or grease and put a bit of water in and stir if the water beads up and runs off it’s a good moisture barrier, if it mixes and turns to a cream it’s bad. That’s another reason to use handle materials that are impervious to water and chemicals. Metals, resins, and other synthetic types you don’t have to worry about absorbing liquids.
 
Lesknife said:
If you are soaking your leather in neatfoot oil to swell it to size it will wick back out and then shrink again because it is an oil. It does have petroleum in it and will adversely affect the leather. It’s a well known fact at least in my generation. It will also desolve bees wax which is a natural sealer and anti microbial. Mink oil doesn’t desolve bees wax and if it is a pure natural and not blended with other additives it is definitely not harmful. I suppose there may be some brands that aren’t good but if you research them I’m sure some still make the good stuff. Also besides beeswax a coat of leather sealer that cures will help keep moisture out and keep the natural oils in.
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The Paper towels only draw out the excess oil's. So the leather remains at the "full" level. There is no Petroleum oil in Neatsfoot, it's all natural...Mink oil is good for cleaning and mainly waterproofing. Water is a leathers worst enemy.

The OP wasn't looking for a water repellant or conditioner. He was asking about a loose pommel on his leather stacked 117 Brahma. I offered a solution that has worked time and time again without any problems what so ever. There are all kinds of waterproofing for leather, but that's not what he was looking for....
 
All I do with any leather handles is apply Johnson's paste wax liberally several times, forcing it in with a hair dryer until it won't take anymore, then buff it off. Never had a problem.

OP - I have a 117 Brahma as well. That "button" definitely is threaded. Just slip a small Allen wrench through the hole, tighten it up, and you're good to go.

That sheath you got with yours looks much better than what mine came with from the factory. Mine was some nylon/leather combination that was pretty bad. Mike made a few custom sheaths for me that are all exceptional quality. (Thanks again, Mike)

I'll try to post some pics tomorrow. They are beautiful and very functional. :thumbsup:
 
Obenauf’s. Is the one that is supposed to be the best.

https://www.obenaufs.com/Discover-reasons-to-use-Obenaufs-Leather-Care-Products-s/124.htm

This link talks about petrolatum (Petroleum jelly). It says it is different than other petroleum products.
https://pecard.com/is-petrolatum-safe-for-leather/

It’s a hot topic everybody discredits everybody else’s claims. The end result is confusion.

Whatever you use you won’t know if it’s harmful for years. Leather that’s ruined now? Who knows what it was treated with over the years?

I’m doing a long term experiment with Bag Balm. Bag balm is petrolatum with antiseptic and bees wax. For 10 years it’s the only thing I’ve used. So far so good. Time will tell.
 
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Sno-Seal will also degrade some threads on some boots/gloves.. First hand experience here..
I Ren Wax my sheaths/leather handle also..
John
 
Whatever you do, don't let bleach get on your leather, it'll dissolve it...My wife went to the store and when she got home the phone rang, she set her bag on her leather chair, almost new, picked the bag up and the once brown leather chair was now a funky white and by the time she got a rag, there was a hole in the chair. She came and got me, in tears, told me the story. We looked in the bag and there was a bottle of tile cleaner that had leaked, main ingredient, Bleach....
 
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