Wondering if anyone uses a product on leather sheaths for preservation? I have a number of old sheaths that are looking pretty dry and deteriorated so I would like to find something that won't harm the sheath or the knife blade. I store my sheaths and knives together but I don't store the blade in the sheath.
Recently I saw this product on Kennesaw but know nothing about how well it would work or if it would cause problems down the road- https://huberds.com/product/huberds-nea ... sing-8-oz/ Since I have not used any product so far, what would be a reasonable expectation in using a leather conditioner on sheaths?
Feel free to move this topic if necessary, any suggestions are appreciated!
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!
You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
Huberd's is great boot grease, but it has neets foot oil in which can soften the leather and make it more pliable. This is good for a pair of boots but not necessarily good for a fitted leather sheath. I use Huberd's on my hunting boots and have since I was a kid. It was made in McMinnville OR until a few years ago when it moved to AZ.
I don't like to use neets foot on sheaths because it can soften them too much and if it is a fitted sheath the leather can become so soft that the knife gets loose in the sheath and falls out. I only use neets foot oil on leather that is very dried out, and then I use it sparingly.
The best product I have found for leather sheaths is a product made for leather saddles. The name of the product is Leather Therapy. It restores and conditions the leather, and it inhibits mold and mildew.
I bought a 16 ounce bottle of Leather Therapy about 5 years ago and still have about half the bottle left. It works great and it doesn't take a lot of the product to bring life back into the sheath. The downside is it's not cheap. I think I paid $20 or $25 for the bottle five years ago. It's been the best product I have found and considering as often as I have used it, it really is a bargain for what it does for the leather sheath.
Here is a picture of my bottle of Leather Therapy.
Here is the website address: http://absorbine.com/products/leather-c ... nditioner/
They have a local store locator you can use. I found several feed stores/farm stores and Western wear stores in my area that carry it.
It also has a link to buy online.
I notice now there are a number of products with the Leather Therapy brand name, the restorer & conditioner which is what I use, but there's also a Leather Therapy wash, a Leather Therapy water repellent, a Leather Therapy Finish, so I would be careful to read the labels of what I'm buying to make sure it's the correct product.
Based on my experience I highly recommend the Leather Therapy Restorer & Conditioner.
Good info Dale. I just placed an order for LT. Many leather treatments caution that they may darken the color. LT states that it will simply enhance or bring out the color.
I've been using this on my leather wears. It's a well known product in furniture and upholstery circles. I've used it on my son's baseball gloves too and it works wonders.
Montana Pitch Blend Dresssing - Pine pitch blended with pure Mink oil plus natural Beeswax... product is a conditioner mixed with water repellency - all natural... Terryl308 gave me the tip on this leather product...
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Lee
I have used Lexol as well, but on newer leather it will change the color. It darkens them substantially, which didn't make me very happy because it was a brand-new sheath.
That leather cleaner/conditioner I posted a link to above, will not darken or change the color of your leather goods. Best I can tell, it doesn't alter the appearance of leather in any way. But it sure will help keep your leathers soft and supple.
orvet wrote:I don't like to use neets foot on sheaths because it can soften them too much and if it is a fitted sheath the leather can become so soft that the knife gets loose in the sheath and falls out. I only use neets foot oil on leather that is very dried out, and then I use it sparingly.
I use Dr. Jackson's leather conditioner. I liked the way it darkened the leather to match the knife handle better (I'm weird in that way) so, the next day I put some more on the same sheath. Bad idea. It's as Dale says, the sheath went loose and the knife no longer fits snug.
I have never used Bag Balm on leather, but I have used it on cow teats (I guess that is living leather).
I also use Bag Balm on my hands when they get dry and cracked. Best stuff ever for that!
I have heard of folks using it on babies for diaper rash too.
I will have to try it.
Does it work best for softening hard leather or cleaning dirty leather?
Bickmore makes the best leather care products I've used. http://www.bickmore.com/products/index.html I haven't tried it on a sheath, but I've used it on belts, saddles, shoes, and boots. Bick 1 is an excellent leather cleaner and stain remover. Bick 4 is their conditioner for smooth leather. I've used it on many types of boot leather and other items, and it has never darkened or changed the color. If you go to any saddle shop or boot store, you'll likely find Bickmore sold there.
Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.
If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
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I am guessing that all of these products work fine for the application, except the neats foot oil. I have seen it swell and weaken some leathers. I think they probably all darken the leather a little or a lot. I am a big fan of bag balm for my OWN parts.
I use the Montana Pitch blend myself, works really good on old stack leather handles. also use the Bag balm and have since my milking days but on cows teats. I haven't tried Leather Therapy that Dale suggested but plan to in the near future. Not a big fan of Neetsfoot oil, it softens too much. Terry
I've gone through this thread, and am surprised that no one has mentioned my old favorite leather conditioner, KIWI -outdoor Mink Oil. It conditions & waterproofs smooth leather. I have used it to restore, and condition my Gun, holsters, and Knife sheaths, for many years. It does the best job of anything I've ever tried, it is reasonably priced, You don't need to order it, it is in stock on the shelves in large grocery stores like Kroger every where. BTW I don't have stock in the company, I just found it to be the best, and the easiest to use.
Sut Tatersaul
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It's Mind Over Matter, If You Don't Mind, It Don't Matter
Well, I guess I'v inserted my foot in my mouth again! I happened to notice that my can of Mink oil, which, by the way, is a type of wax, not oil, was getting low, so, while at Kroger's I stopped by the shoe care dept., to pick up a new can, and they no longer stock it. I don't know what other stores have omitted it from their stock. That situation seems to reflect today's American marketing methods. for an example, I went into a LOWE'S Home Center LLC, yesterday, looking for small hardware. Thumb screws to be exact, and their bins that were supposed to contain a large variety of them were nearly empty. You could tell that they had been for a long time. A clerk, when asked if they had more of them in stock, didn't even know what they were, nor did he even give a rat's ankle. On proceeding to look for them, and several other common items, on my own, I happened to notice that in this large Home Center, covering around ten acres. That there were no more than six customers, and no more than, ten workers in the whole store! This is a sad, and frightening situation! What's happening to our Stores, and their "So called Workers"? My observations would be, if they don't restock sold out items, they don't have to fool around, and waste their precious time selling things! Sorry about my Sad Rant.
Sut Tatersaul
It's Mind Over Matter, If You Don't Mind, It Don't Matter
Terry
