Leather

[froggyfrenchman]

NO, not a thread about wine bars!

Im just wondering what you guys use for leather care, if anything.
I just slap on tons of boot dubbin, leaves it a bit sticky though

[Huntaway]

A local saddler suggested Bates Leather Creme to me: a fluid sort of beeswax and vegetable oil goo you apply with a rag. Soaks up quickly and drys in a few hours with leather (jacket, trou, gloves) nice and supple.

[sunhuntin]

ive been told to leave them in the sun for a while so all the pores open and then to rub vaseline into them...not the liquid, the one you get in little plastic jars. this helps waterproof them. for general polish and cleaning i use neopol. just make sure you put it into a rag and not right onto the leather as it seems to leave faint spots.

[T.W.R]

Sno-seal bees wax leather treatment is what i use, on my jacket, boots, & gloves. as well as my tramping boots etc.
$16.95 for a 200g jar.
warm the leather up first then apply as per usual.

heaps better than dubbin (dubbin actually rots stitching over time)

[pritch]

I have sno-seal but find that a bit umm industrial(?).
It works but its all a lot of bother and a bit messy.
Sno-seal use is currently restricted to the boot seams.

Nikwax offer a range of clothing care products including an aqueous wax leather conditioner. I have used this for a year or so and will buy another bottle.
It's available at Kathmandu. It doesn't smell *that* great but the smell seems to evaporate with the water.

Nikwax also do a "tent and gear" waterproofing spray. I assume the word "gear" includes my textile touring suit but can't comment yet as to the success or otherwise of this use.

[Gixxer 4 ever]

Beeswax from the honey bee farm in Taupo. As above put the leathers and the wax in the sun for 10 minutes and away you go. In the winter I put them by the fire and crank up the fire. I only oil them 2-3 times a year and try not to do it in the summer cos the wax is not nice on the 30 deg days here in the bay.
Usually one ride to Taupo in the winter is going to be wet and cold and I try and plan the oiling for then. It looks funny when you get to Taupo and the jacket and pants have big white marks all over them from the excess wax coming out of the leather and then going cold. But the leathers look and feel great year on year. Some products from the saddler are not always good for the stitching. When I had horses some of the dubins rotted the thread in the saddle. A real pain but more of a safety issue with m/b riding gear cos that is the very part you do not want opening up.

[Sniper]

Gladwrap.....

[inlinefour]

However I have allways used sno-seal in the past. Used to leave the jacket in frount of the fire/in the hot water cupboard or in the sun. Was quite surpriseing how much it could absorb. Melt the sno-seal and apply with a rag, or like me with a small brush. Hmmmm, maybe time to look for leather.

[Huntaway]

Donned my jacket last night after second application of "Bates Leather Creme" and noticed it has begun squeaking worse than a patent leather shoe!

A bit disconcerting and not such a good "look"!
So maybe Bates Leather Creme is not a good answer...
:slap:

[froggyfrenchman]

got me hands on a tub of sno-seal and then dubbin over the top. tested in the rain today on way back from trackday. Beauty, dry as

[Flyingpony]

Interesting and here's my big question:
So what you use as a waterproof sealant on leather gear?

Besides the obvious macho appearance and crash safety aspect, keeping dry in the rain is a critical point on my check list.