Ziggy2525
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Just a hobbyist. This is the way I learned it.
Glycerin based soaps are gentle surfactants used to clean the surface of the leather.
Conditioning leather requires two parts. An oil and a sealer/wax.
The oil needs to be a non-oxidizing oil. Pure Neatsfoot, Coconut, Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Lanolin are what I've seen. With holsters and belts, it doesn't take much oil. Wipe a light coat on the grain side and let it soak in over night. If it's still looks rugged the next day, add another light coat of oil. If the leather is too badly damaged, it may not be able to be recovered.
For sealer/wax, I've seen Bee's Wax, Carnuba, and pine tar blends. They have low melting temps. Some products like neutral shoe polish (IIRC - lanolin and carnuba) add a solvent like naptha to keep them from getting hard at room temps. The sealer/wax protects the leather surface similarly to how wax does with a car.
That's how I learned it anyway. YMMV.
Glycerin based soaps are gentle surfactants used to clean the surface of the leather.
Conditioning leather requires two parts. An oil and a sealer/wax.
The oil needs to be a non-oxidizing oil. Pure Neatsfoot, Coconut, Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Lanolin are what I've seen. With holsters and belts, it doesn't take much oil. Wipe a light coat on the grain side and let it soak in over night. If it's still looks rugged the next day, add another light coat of oil. If the leather is too badly damaged, it may not be able to be recovered.
For sealer/wax, I've seen Bee's Wax, Carnuba, and pine tar blends. They have low melting temps. Some products like neutral shoe polish (IIRC - lanolin and carnuba) add a solvent like naptha to keep them from getting hard at room temps. The sealer/wax protects the leather surface similarly to how wax does with a car.
That's how I learned it anyway. YMMV.
