# Caring for leather.



## gafftapegreenia (Dec 10, 2007)

As I look at my pair of black leather CAT boots, I can't help but wonder what I can do to help the leather last longer. Especially as the finish wears away on the toe area, I'm curious about effective ways to care for leather boots.

I've seen the leather kit SetWear sells for their gloves. Is this effective for boots, or is there another product that would be a better use of my money?


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## Van (Dec 10, 2007)

Good Ol' Kiwi Black Leather shoe polish. A little spit, and lots of rubbing. Lexol, is a brand of leather care products designed for caring for upholstery and saddles. it's good stuff too.


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## gafftapegreenia (Dec 10, 2007)

Thanks Van. That's simple enough, I like simple.


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## gafftaper (Dec 11, 2007)

Head down to your local shoe store and you'll find lot's of products for taking good care of leather.


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## avkid (Dec 11, 2007)

gafftaper said:


> Head down to your local shoe store and you'll find lot's of products for taking good care of leather.


This happens to be my favorite place:
http://www.hanksclothing.com/boot_care_products.html


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## wolf825 (Dec 11, 2007)

gafftapegreenia said:


> As I look at my pair of black leather CAT boots, I can't help but wonder what I can do to help the leather last longer. Especially as the finish wears away on the toe area, I'm curious about effective ways to care for leather boots.
> I've seen the leather kit SetWear sells for their gloves. Is this effective for boots, or is there another product that would be a better use of my money?




Mink oil, neats foot oil...kiwi...snoseal...all good products you can easily find. Leather (not suede leather) needs natural oils to keep it supple, soft, water resistant and lasting. When leather dries out is when it cracks and develops holes, lets water thru or gets subject to wear... 

My grandfather used to do a couple of cheap but very effective things for his gloves and boots... Handcream, molten candle wax, and cow brains... He would rub leather in warm water mixed with cow brains--the oils and fats in the brains keep the leather soft and treated..but it smells like vomit when you do it...and if you get any of the brain mixture on your hands you can kiss your callouses or rough dry skin good bye--its the best skin treatment out there for getting rid of rough dry skin and callouses--it really is....just smells really bad when you use it. He would also treat dry leather with hand cream--anything with a good lanolin oil works.. He would also drip hot wax onto seams and it seals well along with the oils to make water resistant... 

Don't expect you to run out to the grocer and get a bag of brains to mash up or start melting candles or parafin wax...but its tested old tips that work so i post it in this general tips section FWIW...

-w


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## Van (Dec 11, 2007)

Old Adage time! Have you ever heard the saying, "That boy don't have enough brains to tan his own hide!"? Well, it's a way of calling people stupid, or more to the point, brainless. That's right, every animal alive actually has enough brains to rub into the backside of it's skin to tan the leather. Brain tanning leaves a very supple, feel to a hide, in most consumer leathers you'll see it most often as Brain Tanned Elk, Deer, Antelope, etc. it seems to be used mostly on those types of mammals. 

A great trick I learned, in the old days, for waterproofing boots. When you get them home turn on the oven at it's lowest possible setting, hopefully around 150 - 200 degrees F < Not Celsius> set your boots in the oven to "bake" for about 15-20 minutes. Tak them out and rub them down with Bees wax, Neets foot oil, or any other wax based waterproofing formula. Set them back in the oven for another 10 minutes, and repeat. The second coat should'nt really soak in much at all. This is a trick more for the Tan boots or hiking boots, it will work on traditional "black" boots as well, but may leave tehm discolored.


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## Grog12 (Dec 12, 2007)

Lexol 4tw...great product does wonders with leather


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