Techniques for waxing/shining leather wear?

[hatguy1]

I've been shining/waxing my leather footwear for years. And I used to annually apply musk oil to my leather jackets just before the start of the off-season so it would have all summer to soak in.

But, I'm curious; what are my fellow loungers' techniques for caring for leather boots, shoes and jackets? Please share.

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

Absolutely nothing needs to be done to a new leather item such as a fine jacket. For older somewhat dry leather, most folks like Pecard's leather conditioners. http://www.pecard.com/index.html
By all means avoid mink oil, it's a foul concoction that attracts dirt and grit.

 

[hatguy1]

Yeah, that's why I had to give 'em the summer off. That goop took forever to soak in.

Just got my new one so won't do anything to it for awhile yet. Will explore Pecard products for future need. Thanks.

Anyone else have jacket, shoes, boots and/or belt suggestions?

I put a good coat of shoe cream on both pair of boots last night. Here in a night or two will also add a shine job with shoe polish/wax stuff.

 

[Tomasso]

I put a good coat of shoe cream on both pair of boots last night. Here in a night or two will also add a shine job with shoe polish/wax stuff.

That's my method as well; cream to nourish and color, then wax to protect.

 

[RegentSt1965]

Agree, nothing on new jackets; Pecards on aged ones. Mink Oil on the appropriate Redwings; boot oil/conditioner, as indicated, on other redwings: otherwise avoid mink oil. Dress shoes (C+J in my case) cream occasionally, otherwise wax applied sparingly and well brushed out. Natural leathers, like Tanner non-chromexecl/non-veg dyed, age nicely with some neatsfoot oil.
Build up a collection of good creams, waxes, cleaners, saddle soap etc. etc and learn what works for you.

 

[hatguy1]

Agree, nothing on new jackets; Pecards on aged ones. Mink Oil on the appropriate Redwings....

So, the key is the jacket's age and not wear? I was putting the mink oil on annually to avoid it getting that distressed (cracked) leather look so common in leather jackets from WW2.... If I'm understanding you correctly, the mink oil really didn't help?

Also, this may be a silly question, but what are Redwings?

 

[dh66]

Since you guys seem to be in the know, I've got a black leather jacket -schott naked cowhide- that's looking a little dull. It,s about 8 years old, any suggestions on making it shine? Not necessarily g.i. spitshine shiny, but more than it is now.

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[Tomasso]

Armor All?

 

[dh66]

Well.......it works on the car seats and they take a lot more abuse than my jacket does.... Hmmmm

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[Seb Lucas]

So, the key is the jacket's age and not wear? I was putting the mink oil on annually to avoid it getting that distressed (cracked) leather look so common in leather jackets from WW2.... If I'm understanding you correctly, the mink oil really didn't help?

Also, this may be a silly question, but what are Redwings?

A quality leather jacket needs nothing done to it for years. After this, when it starts to feel a little dry, a light coat of Pecards. This product is used by the Smithsonian to maintain their vintage leather items. That said, fading and creasing are meant to happen and are cherished as part of the look of a natural material. If you want an always shiny looking jacket you need to get nylon or vinyl. WW2 jackets that have cracked have generally been stored poorly and never treated. Stored in a ventilated, dry space and treated every 10 years would have kept them good. It's also fine for a jacket to get wet just let it dry naturally, slowly.

Mink oil tends to eat thread and stitching and leather care has moved on from that stuff. Armour All is for synthetic products and teh chemicals will eat into the leather undermining it's surface treatment.

Redwings are a footwear company.

 

[hatguy1]

Good to know re the jackets. If the Smithsonian uses Pecards, then that's testament enough for me.

Came back and added a coat of polish to the boots tonight after the shoe creaming a couple nights ago. I love taking care of leatherwear. Just wish shine stands would become more prolific.

 

[Streetcar Noir]

So which Pecard's product should be used on what? There seem to be a pile of 'em.

The main three seem to be:

Pecard Weatherproof Dressing Neutral

PECARD Antique Leather Dressing Conditioner Restorer Protector

Pecard Original Leather Dressing Cleaner Conditioner

I found an American Hide & Leather A2 over the weekend thrifting that I'd like to clean up a bit, and I have a pair of Red Wing 875's and really don't like the red wing mink oil treatment for those. Anyone care to recommend one of the Pecard's products above?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Absolutely nothing needs to be done to a new leather item such as a fine jacket. For older somewhat dry leather, most folks like Pecard's leather conditioners. http://www.pecard.com/index.html
By all means avoid mink oil, it's a foul concoction that attracts dirt and grit.

There seems to be some issue of debate about the use of Mink oil on leather. Saphir (which makes some of the best yet expensive leather care products) uses Mink oil in most of their leather care and rejuvenation lotions designed for shoes and jackets and even cases made of leather. When a shoe (if being hand made) is being built, several of the procedures the shoe maker will do is the use of Mink oil on the shoe leather to help it be able to soften enough to then fit the "last" the shoe is being built on.

I think maybe the leather item anyone may have had an issue in using Mink oil, had some bad Mink oil used or that the leather surface had some sort of contamination that the Mink oil may have trapped?

I am not as expert on the subject of leather care as much as my Husband is, however, I do observe the steps he has taken over the years of shoe and leather jacket care. He does have some shoes and leather jackets that are very very old and in darn good shape today.

His steps no matter the age of leather are always the same. First clean the leather with saddle soap. When dry then apply a conditioner that will absorb into the leather. Something thin enough that you do not need to heat the leather for absorbing it into the leather. Take your time, rushing something like this is not going to help. Normally it should take a few days to do everything you will need to do in properly taking care of your leather shoe or jacket. You can buy expensive conditioners if that is what you think is going to be the best thing for your leather, but in time if you used the Cadillac brand boot and shoe care, you will find it leaves the leather with a great finish and from that you can use a cream if the leather needs to have some color restored, or a light coat of Mink oil if the leather is going to be in the weather, so to speak. If you use a wax polish on a leather jacket, let it sit for more than a day before you "buff" it back off. That will then give you a shine if you are seeking one.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Absolutely nothing needs to be done to a new leather item such as a fine jacket. For older somewhat dry leather, most folks like Pecard's leather conditioners. http://www.pecard.com/index.html
By all means avoid mink oil, it's a foul concoction that attracts dirt and grit.

If you use conditioner on a brand new pair of shoes or boots, you have allowed the first step of long term care for those boots or shoes to have. I can agree the leather on a "new" item should not yet be really dry, but it will most certainly be dry enough for a good several applications of a leather conditioner. Over time, keeping any leather well conditioned will extend the life of the leather so much more than not using it.

My Husband has a pair of boots purchased new (many years ago) and he did not apply conditioner on the boots, the leather cracked faintly in a few places. I recall him saying he should have applied the conditioner on the boots as soon as he got them home from the store. Conditioned leather is much easier also to keep clean and to keep a polish on the leather.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

So which Pecard's product should be used on what? There seem to be a pile of 'em.

The main three seem to be:

Pecard Weatherproof Dressing Neutral

PECARD Antique Leather Dressing Conditioner Restorer Protector

Pecard Original Leather Dressing Cleaner Conditioner

I found an American Hide & Leather A2 over the weekend thrifting that I'd like to clean up a bit, and I have a pair of Red Wing 875's and really don't like the red wing mink oil treatment for those. Anyone care to recommend one of the Pecard's products above?

Nothing wrong with that brand of conditioner, however, it would not be a "first pick" for restoring anything leather that is really dry or old vintage, it seems to take a bit longer to absorb and does not leave as nice a finished surface as other brands that are out there. I think Pecards is miles ahead of some products such as Lexol, which is sticky and also takes a very long time to absorb into the leather.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I should make mention if you use saddle soap prior to doing anything else to leather, use it the same way you would use soap and water on your skin. Wet wash clothe, lather the leather item up, let it sit for a few minutes, rinse off with warm water, allow to dry by room temp only. Then buff the leather a bit with clean cotton clothe and inspect for any dirt or oil you may have missed, if clean then proceed to next step, conditioner and then cream polish or wax polish depending on what shine you have desired for your leather to have.

 

[Seb Lucas]

So which Pecard's product should be used on what? There seem to be a pile of 'em.

The main three seem to be:

Pecard Weatherproof Dressing Neutral

PECARD Antique Leather Dressing Conditioner Restorer Protector

Pecard Original Leather Dressing Cleaner Conditioner

I found an American Hide & Leather A2 over the weekend thrifting that I'd like to clean up a bit, and I have a pair of Red Wing 875's and really don't like the red wing mink oil treatment for those. Anyone care to recommend one of the Pecard's products above?

They are all virtually the same - the company manager explained it's just marketing. By the way Harley Davidson dressing is also Pecards with a different label.

 

[Harry Morgan]

I use a bit of heat from a heat gun (hair drier will work too) to warm up the heavier grease materials so that they soak in and don't attract dirt. I'm mostly treating boots, so dirt is a problem.

Best material I've found is sheep tallow - a friend of mine sends me some now and then, he's a sheep farmer. Great for leather, but it smells like mutton stew, so not really the thing for jackets

I also like the heavy paste product from Obenauf's for stuff that has to smell a bit better. Not as oily as most "mink" oils.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I use a bit of heat from a heat gun (hair drier will work too) to warm up the heavier grease materials so that they soak in and don't attract dirt. I'm mostly treating boots, so dirt is a problem.

Best material I've found is sheep tallow - a friend of mine sends me some now and then, he's a sheep farmer. Great for leather, but it smells like mutton stew, so not really the thing for jackets

I also like the heavy paste product from Obenauf's for stuff that has to smell a bit better. Not as oily as most "mink" oils.

In the long term tallow tends to go off and actually compromises the leather fibers. Natural products that aren't stabilised are risky to use and can eventually rot the leather you're trying to protect. Yeah, I know - some old timer will say I've used (product x) for decades with no harm. I heard the same from my grandfather about cigarettes. He smoked for 75 years and died peacefully at 90. That won't work for most of us.

 

[Harry Morgan]

In the long term tallow tends to go off and actually compromises the leather fibers. Natural products that aren't stabilised are risky to use and can eventually rot the leather you're trying to protect. Yeah, I know - some old timer will say I've used (product x) for decades with no harm. I heard the same from my grandfather about cigarettes. He smoked for 75 years and died peacefully at 90. That won't work for most of us.

Like I said, it's not for jackets or nice stuff! I use it on work boots which don't last forever when used for their intended purpose, and I also don't mind them smelling like sheep

I probably shouldn't have mentioned the tallow, most of the stuff being discussed here is nothing I would put tallow on in the first place.

The point was the heat - helps a lot when using heavier commercial products that resemble the tallow in viscosity. Warmed leather dressing soaks in nicely and then firms up again, so that it's where you need it - in the leather, not on the surface attracting dust.