Is there any particular product you stand by for keeping your leathers in good nick?

[Cruisin' Craig]

Or do you reckon one leather treatment is as good as another?

And how often do you normally treat your stuff?

[Romeo]

Elephant Leather Preserver is pretty good. I put a coat on Quasi's old Speedster jacket and it came out like brand new! (or maybe that's just Quasimoto quality for you ;s)

• Waterproofs and protects semi-aniline leather (expensive bags, garments, shoes, boat shoes).
• Very effective in preventing salt damage to leather. (Used by Peter Blake and Team New Zealand).
• Revives faded colours.
• Preserves leather and threads. (Used by museums in conservation and preservation).
• Inhibits mildew growth.

[Blossom]

I use dubbin.. get it from the local shoe maker type shop. Works a treat, helps makes em waterproof again and brings them up to a nice shine.

[325rocket]

I use dubbin.. get it from the local shoe maker type shop. Works a treat, helps makes em waterproof again and brings them up to a nice shine.

i use dubbin as well, but i have heard it can rot stitching. i havent had any problems yet

[Henk]

I use replacement. Wear it until it's shot and then get new stuff. If you buy quality it lasts years with little or no help in my experience.

[Jantar]

I use Effax leather balsm. It conditions and waterproofs the leather without any risk of rotting the stitching. Its main ingredient is Bees Wax.

[MSTRS:Me]

Dubbin will rot (cotton?) stitching. Not recommended. I have used SnoSeal. It stinks when applying, but works well. Lately I have been using beeswax in a vegetable oil-base emulsion. Very easy to use, waterproofs and makes leathers look like new, without the typical wax-squeak.

[Dodger]

I use Dubbin on my boots (just finished applying it) had no problems.

[BiK3RChiK]

I use dubbin.. get it from the local shoe maker type shop. Works a treat, helps makes em waterproof again and brings them up to a nice shine.

One of the guys in our local motorcycle shop recommended Dubbin for waterproofing my boots as well as other leather. I'm going to give it a go... Interestingly, he said SnoSeal would wreck leather boots.

It is interesting to read pro's and con's...

[scumdog]

i use dubbin as well, but i have heard it can rot stitching. i havent had any problems yet

Never had a problem with the stitching rotting - maybe all my gear (over 10yrs old) has nylon threads?

Has anybody actually had first hand experience of stitching rottingout AND it being definitely been as a result of using dubbin?

[MIXONE]

I've used dubbin for over 30 years and my stuff wears out from old age.Never had a problem with stitching yet.

[Trudes]

Mothers leather conditioner.

[WarlockNZ]

Sno Seal. water proofs and protects.

It's good shit

[pritch]

Has anybody actually had first hand experience of stitching rottingout AND it being definitely been as a result of using dubbin?

Not me, but there was an importer of of top end tramping boots used to constantly rail against Kiwis and their habit of drenching everything in Dubbin.

I wouldn't touch the stuff now.

SnoSeal is good but a bit "industrial", it makes yer gear feel greasy.
The Nikwax (?sp) is easy to apply and doesn't make your gear greasy but seems to work well enough, if not quite the same protection level as Sno Seal.

There are other products available from the people that sell ski equipment which should work well, but again would tend industrial.

[HenryDorsetCase]

my partner used to have a horse, and kept all her leather stuff in top condition using Joseph Lyddy products.. they make a soap, and a beeswax based leather conditioner. It smells good, works well and is easy to apply. A tip though, do it on a warm (not hot) day.