Hello & natural treatments for leather

Striver · Post by **Striver** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:13 am

Dear new friends,
I have been lurking around this site for a few months and although I must confess I am not (yet?) a big Indy fan you guys lead me into buying a Wested goat (Raider) in October. Thanks guys. I think it is superb (and so is Wested customer relations).

I went out for a walk on our usually wet and windy Welsh hills yesterday and am concerned about the old leather-water interaction. At present I am paranoid about water and last weekend in a hail storm whipped of the goat and put it in a plastic bag. I got soaked - goat did not. I have treated my goat with "Mars" Saddle Soap - a leather care product available in the UK. Westeds have told me it is a good product to use (but I don't know if it gives any water resistance). I saw a Pecards product can be bought on the web in the UK but I think its the one not recomended for goat i.e. the one with wax in it. Any suggestions?

I also read in a book of "British Museum Leather Conditioner" which can be made from bees wax, lanolin (from sheep) and hexane (scarey!). For the technical people I could give you the recipe... (Take 1 hive, a barrel of hexane and a sheep...). No seriously I have the recipe.

But it got me to thinking what would Indy have used? I guess he'd be too busy righting wrongs etc. to bother...

But leather has been used for centuries... - knights in armour, original pursuit of Holy Grail etc. and all that.. Also many cultures - all pre Pecards. So what did/do those use who don't have access to modern unctions? I expect it is/was something like animal fat. A good idea? Car upholstery and social interaction may suffer....

Regards,

Striver

Renderking Fisk · Post by **Renderking Fisk** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 9:27 am

Any chance you can help us with a link?

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 10:49 am

Hi Striver

I always believed that any product containing animal fats was ultimately bad news for leather as the fats break down over time?

Traditionally, animal fats were used as a leather treatment, but then again they were not the proud owners of Westeds in those days...

Perhaps someone can shed more light on this 'animal fat' question?

Regards

Al

Striver · Post by **Striver** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 11:18 am

Dear All,
I don't have a link re. British Museum Treatment (got it from a book) but could note it down tonight and give it tomorrow if anyone's interested. Re. Mars Leather Products (etc.) I found e.g:

http://www.countrysupplies.com/dept.asp?dept_id=391

I really hope I'm not opening up more areas of possible confusion re. various products - just when you all had the Pecards products clarified!

Thanks for comments so far.

Sorry if I didn't address this correctly - I'm not too familiar with discussion boards yet. One day I'll try to use an emoticon!

It'd raining in Wales again... and again and again...

Regards,

Striver

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 12:04 pm

That's probably one of the reasons MY ancestors moved over here from Wales!

Seriously, most all manufacturers of leather jackets state that, though water resistant, leather jackets were NEVER intended to be used as rain gear, unless specifically made and finished FOR that specific use. I understand that Pecards is now available on your side of the big water, so if you're constantly finding yourself in a deluge, you may want to consider using the product you list with the beeswax, as that's one of the main ingredients of Pecards. Do NOT store your jacket in any plastic, wet OR dry, as that will eventually ruin the leather. You may just want to toss a poncho or fold away raincoat for those times you find yourself caught in a downpour and no where to run. A jacket properly treated will get you through ok for a short duration, but if you know you're going to be trogging along for a while in the rain, you best be sure to have a plan B to cover you AND your jacket with. The Mars product sounds just like Pecards in use and ingredients. Pecards was first created and used BY U.S. museums for leather artifact restoration, so if that's what the British Museum uses for THEIR collections, I have to think they're almost one and the same line. Oh, if you run across anyone over there with the last name of 'Cross', it's probably a distant relative of mine.

Regards. Michaelson

Striver · Post by **Striver** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 6:39 am

Thanks for the note Michaelson,
Actually I'm getting less paranoid re. moisture after owning this Wested leather wonder for a few weeks. I suspect it'll take the occassional dash office-car in slight rain (if then suitably allowed to dry naturally and if given the necessary, occassional conditioning with some reputable product or other every few months.

Regards from a drier Wales today,

Striver

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 11:14 am

CORRECTION!!! and a good one for you, my Welsh brethen. I had totally forgotten, but was reminded by our friend Rundquest in a separate post that the reason goatskin replaced horsehide as a military leather was it's natural resistance to water, so your goatskin is NATURALLY water resistant. Anything you put on it will just add to it's resistance, but it's good to go in the weather YOU'RE dealing with day in and out, so enjoy that Wested! High regards. Michaelson

Striver · Post by **Striver** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 11:22 am

Michaelson,
That's very good news!

So I won't need to rub woad into it after all?!

Ancient Brits used to rub woad onto their skin before battles. Made 'em blue. Scared people apparently.

Regards,
Striver

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 11:26 am

Well, heck yes, if that's your plan. Hummm. A blue Wested wearing Welshman wandering around the countryside, terrorizing the livestock and gentry.... I'm sure we'll see something about it on CNN this afternoon.

High regards. Michaelson

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Dec 16, 2003 1:16 pm

We have also had reports of folks who did exactly what you did with THEIR lambskins, and the dyes in the leather leeched out of the leather and soaked through to the clothing underneath, making shirt and undershirt and nice muddy brown, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regards. Michaelson

Plynck · Post by **Plynck** » Tue Dec 16, 2003 3:06 pm

Just curious, Michaelson,

Do you think that that's the difference between a vegetable or a chrome tanned hide? I seem to remember Peter posting here that the test for chrome is whether it will repel water. I know that it isn't a substitute for applying a weatherproofing, but it may be the difference between being colorfast or not. I think that the Authentic Lamb is chrome tanned, but I don't know about earlier lambskins.

Best to all,

plynck