Leather care question
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thunderquack
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Leather care question
I was talking to my leather maker today and asked him in his professional opinion, whats the best preservative and conditioner for leather? He told me food grade mineral oil is the best. Anyone else ever hear of this?
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Texas Raider
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I'm stickin' with Pecards and Letaps!
Yes, heard of using just about anything for leather. Oils like corn, tung, mineral, bee, etc.... Do a google on leather manufacturing and find out what the makers of leather use for the initial oiling. (see the last link I posted at the bottom)
Looks like mineral oil is used in the tanning process, but frowned upon thereafter.
Here is a problem with mineral oil:
1. "Avoid products that contain petroleum or mineral oils, as they cause leather fibers to rot prematurely."
2. "The fastest way to ruin a leather garment is to use the wrong product in its care. Baby oil is not healthy for your leather. It is an oil based dirt collector that will eventually saturate the garment. Most of it is mineral oil, which is an enemy of leather fiber."
3. "Moisture: This is the most important point in leather care. All changes in leather are due to moisture differences. If too much moisture is lost leather becomes very hard and brittle. Water is the best lubricant; but it can be lost so some oil must be used in order to maintain a soft supple grain surface. When the leather was originally tanned the tanners oiled (cod) as a medium-term lube and (tallow) as a long term lube. Moisture can play another role if the climate is moist then mold can form on the leather surface.
Oils: Catch 22. It seems logical to lubricate the leather with oil to make it soft when in fact adding oil can cause damage. Oil is necessary in leather. Oil acts as a lubricator in the leather fibers. The oil in the fibers allows them to side over each other without causing damage to the fibers. The problem is when too much oil is used this stops the leather from being able to breathe. As humidity goes up and the leather adsorbs moisture if too much oil has been used the excess moisture will not be allowed to escape and this will start the leather to rot. Remember when it comes to leather a little oil is good but a lot is very bad. Oil used in a large quantity weakens the tensile strength of the leather fibers. This can occur with as little as 21% oil content in the leather. Leather coming from the tannery has an oil content of only 16 to 19%. The best guess I have is to keep the oil content under 30% overall.
Oxidation: How oil penetrates is through oxidation. All oils will oxidize over time. It just depends on the type of oil and conditions to how long this process takes.
Oil softens the leather by changing the shape and placement of the fibers. Oil penetrates the fibers causing them to distend and swell. Some of the fibers will move out of the tightly packed order into a looser order. This is what makes the leather soft. These physical changes in the leather cause it to become weaker and weaker. This process is irreparable. I have seen this in shoes that have been oiled to the extent that the leather began to crack and tear. Over oiling is one of the worst things you can do to leather. Remember, a little oil goes a long way.
Please do not use any oils that contain mineral oils or listed as petroleum distillates. This type of oil over time breaks down into a solvent, and since solvent can de-tan, you get double damage."
Here is another post covering some info:
viewtopic.php?t=11914&highlight=
and some interesting points of view outside of COW using other oils:
http://iilg.org/lkb/articles/faq227.html
Seems Bee oil is preferred (for boots in this case, but I think most leather in general)
Check out this excerpt from the web:
"So we prefer products like the Wesco Bee Oil and the Wesco Bee Oil Plus which is a heavier boot grease. You can order these using the accessory order form which comes with your boots. We also like the Obenaufs boot grease and boot oil which are similar to the Wesco products but available in larger, more economical containers (how about a gallon).
Visit the Obenaufs web site to read about the excellent properties of their boot grease and boot oil... they call these products "LP - Leather Preservative". These not only have oils and beeswax, like the Wesco Bee Oil, but also contain bee propolis which acts as a preservative. Propolis is tree resins with anti-bacterial properties, gathered by honeybees to waterproof & preserve their hives. Propolis resists bacteria and mildew, and is a barrier against manure acid, salt, caustic chemicals, and petroleum. Combined with beeswax it repels water better and longer.
If you don't have any leather care products handy you can always use hand lotion if it contains more oils than glycerin. (check the label). Dry skin and leather are the same thing and need the same kind of care. We often oil our boots using a good hand cream such as Lubriderm. At discount stores such as Costco this would be available at about $0.25 per ounce. You should use a hand lotion which has more oil than glycerin... just look at the ingredient list. You may want to avoid scented lotions.
These work well when you don't have access to purpose-made leather care products like Wesco bee oil and Obenaufs LP. "
OR THIS:
" All cow hides are naturally oily. Unfortunately, these natural oils are stripped away in the tanning process (Tanning is the process that renders the hide invulnerable to decay.) and some equivalent oils must be re-introduced after tanning. This last tanning step, the replacement of oils, is called "fatliquoring." Over the centuries, a number of oils have been found that have a natural affinity for leather fibers. Every leather tanner has his own, unique, blend of tanning oils. These formulas are closely held secrets, passed down through the generations. This is one reason why one company's leather can have a totally different feel, fragrance, texture and softness from another company's product. Tanning oils can contain a variety of oils including Neatsfoot oil, Sperm Whale Oil, pressed lard and Lanolin.
Today, Neatsfoot Oil is any oil, regardless of where it comes from, that meets this US Government Mil Spec. Neatsfoot Oil now is mostly derived from pigs. Lard is pressed and the resulting liquid, which can be supplemented with mineral oil and/or reclaimed motor oil, is sold as "Neatsfoot Oil". Neatsfoot oil is widely used in the equestrian industry (saddles and tack) but has a tendency to be quite greasy making it unsuitable for leather upholstery."
AND LASTLY- A nice reference for leather manufacturers :
http://www.siegelofca.com/view_reference.asp?id=15
Looks like mineral oil is used in the tanning process, but frowned upon thereafter.
Here is a problem with mineral oil:
1. "Avoid products that contain petroleum or mineral oils, as they cause leather fibers to rot prematurely."
2. "The fastest way to ruin a leather garment is to use the wrong product in its care. Baby oil is not healthy for your leather. It is an oil based dirt collector that will eventually saturate the garment. Most of it is mineral oil, which is an enemy of leather fiber."
3. "Moisture: This is the most important point in leather care. All changes in leather are due to moisture differences. If too much moisture is lost leather becomes very hard and brittle. Water is the best lubricant; but it can be lost so some oil must be used in order to maintain a soft supple grain surface. When the leather was originally tanned the tanners oiled (cod) as a medium-term lube and (tallow) as a long term lube. Moisture can play another role if the climate is moist then mold can form on the leather surface.
Oils: Catch 22. It seems logical to lubricate the leather with oil to make it soft when in fact adding oil can cause damage. Oil is necessary in leather. Oil acts as a lubricator in the leather fibers. The oil in the fibers allows them to side over each other without causing damage to the fibers. The problem is when too much oil is used this stops the leather from being able to breathe. As humidity goes up and the leather adsorbs moisture if too much oil has been used the excess moisture will not be allowed to escape and this will start the leather to rot. Remember when it comes to leather a little oil is good but a lot is very bad. Oil used in a large quantity weakens the tensile strength of the leather fibers. This can occur with as little as 21% oil content in the leather. Leather coming from the tannery has an oil content of only 16 to 19%. The best guess I have is to keep the oil content under 30% overall.
Oxidation: How oil penetrates is through oxidation. All oils will oxidize over time. It just depends on the type of oil and conditions to how long this process takes.
Oil softens the leather by changing the shape and placement of the fibers. Oil penetrates the fibers causing them to distend and swell. Some of the fibers will move out of the tightly packed order into a looser order. This is what makes the leather soft. These physical changes in the leather cause it to become weaker and weaker. This process is irreparable. I have seen this in shoes that have been oiled to the extent that the leather began to crack and tear. Over oiling is one of the worst things you can do to leather. Remember, a little oil goes a long way.
Please do not use any oils that contain mineral oils or listed as petroleum distillates. This type of oil over time breaks down into a solvent, and since solvent can de-tan, you get double damage."
Here is another post covering some info:
viewtopic.php?t=11914&highlight=
and some interesting points of view outside of COW using other oils:
http://iilg.org/lkb/articles/faq227.html
Seems Bee oil is preferred (for boots in this case, but I think most leather in general)
Check out this excerpt from the web:
"So we prefer products like the Wesco Bee Oil and the Wesco Bee Oil Plus which is a heavier boot grease. You can order these using the accessory order form which comes with your boots. We also like the Obenaufs boot grease and boot oil which are similar to the Wesco products but available in larger, more economical containers (how about a gallon).
Visit the Obenaufs web site to read about the excellent properties of their boot grease and boot oil... they call these products "LP - Leather Preservative". These not only have oils and beeswax, like the Wesco Bee Oil, but also contain bee propolis which acts as a preservative. Propolis is tree resins with anti-bacterial properties, gathered by honeybees to waterproof & preserve their hives. Propolis resists bacteria and mildew, and is a barrier against manure acid, salt, caustic chemicals, and petroleum. Combined with beeswax it repels water better and longer.
If you don't have any leather care products handy you can always use hand lotion if it contains more oils than glycerin. (check the label). Dry skin and leather are the same thing and need the same kind of care. We often oil our boots using a good hand cream such as Lubriderm. At discount stores such as Costco this would be available at about $0.25 per ounce. You should use a hand lotion which has more oil than glycerin... just look at the ingredient list. You may want to avoid scented lotions.
These work well when you don't have access to purpose-made leather care products like Wesco bee oil and Obenaufs LP. "
OR THIS:
" All cow hides are naturally oily. Unfortunately, these natural oils are stripped away in the tanning process (Tanning is the process that renders the hide invulnerable to decay.) and some equivalent oils must be re-introduced after tanning. This last tanning step, the replacement of oils, is called "fatliquoring." Over the centuries, a number of oils have been found that have a natural affinity for leather fibers. Every leather tanner has his own, unique, blend of tanning oils. These formulas are closely held secrets, passed down through the generations. This is one reason why one company's leather can have a totally different feel, fragrance, texture and softness from another company's product. Tanning oils can contain a variety of oils including Neatsfoot oil, Sperm Whale Oil, pressed lard and Lanolin.
Today, Neatsfoot Oil is any oil, regardless of where it comes from, that meets this US Government Mil Spec. Neatsfoot Oil now is mostly derived from pigs. Lard is pressed and the resulting liquid, which can be supplemented with mineral oil and/or reclaimed motor oil, is sold as "Neatsfoot Oil". Neatsfoot oil is widely used in the equestrian industry (saddles and tack) but has a tendency to be quite greasy making it unsuitable for leather upholstery."
AND LASTLY- A nice reference for leather manufacturers :
http://www.siegelofca.com/view_reference.asp?id=15