Quick question, figured I'd just throw it here. The leather stuff that came in the saddlebags with the heritage sure looks to me like basic saddle soap. Is this correct? Curious because while I've got my bags treated, but I just put on a corbin seat and was wondering if I should let Corbin bend me over for their "Corbin saddle cream" or if regular old saddle soap is good enough.
On a side note, I had to explain to one of the city boys that saddle soap isn't soap. :P We used to use it on the saddles back home all the time.
Need to snag some cleaning stuff tho, thanks for the products.
Saddle soap is made to clean and polish leather, but it can cause drying. It is reccomended that you use some sort of conditioner after the saddle soap. I use Dr. Jackson's or Lexol. Fiebings makes one as well.
i recently purchased a corbin seat. The seat came with a fancy bottle of leather cleaner/conditioner with "corbin" on it. The corbin salesman told me that mothers makes their stuff for them.
1. Lexol. For my leather jacket & good boots and seat because I think (don't know) its better than neatsfoot oil. I got a liter of Lexol Equine Leather Conditioner at a farm supply on sale $20 but expect $8 for 8 ounces. Worth a trip to farm country for a quart or two, undoubtedly a nice country ride. Buy from a real farm supply / co-op, not the internet because those folks are having a hard time staying in business with Home Depot and Lowes trying to run them out. Every puchase at a real physical store counts, including the jobs.
2. Neatsfoot Oil. I use for bigger leather like Heritage saddlebags just because it is cheaper than Lexol. I got a gallon for $20 at a farm supply, expect much higher prices in the little retail bottles. I use it on old boots and on those cheap leather work gloves.
3. Mink oil. The best but expensive so I use it only on my elkskin gloves.
4. Anything is much better than nothing. Leather is animal skin. It dries out.
5. After cleaning leather you do need to put some kind of leather oil on it so it doesnt dry out.
6. I've heard of olive oil working fine on leather jackets, havent done it myself. Delboy's garage on youtube has an episode, olive oil on white leather. Maybe other plant oils, too.
7. NOT motor oil !
8. SHAKE WELL. Neatsfoot oil separates & you won't notice because you can't see thru the bottle. Negative reports on neatsfoot oil might be due to this? Shake Lexol, too, anything liquid.
9. Use a modified paint brush or toothbrush for inside seams and hard to get at places. Take a basic 1" paint brush, cut the bristles to about an inch long. Don't overload. Rags, cut up old T-shirts, great for wider spaces. Old cotton towels to buff. Lint-free. If its not all groty save that expensive soaked rag for next time.
10. I forgot.
Oh. Light color leather? I don't know a dang thang. I dont worry about color much, I want it to work. Pretty leather won't make me pretty.
My 10 cents.
Last edited by Kayakeur; 08-13-2015 at 02:28 AM.
Reason: add SHAKE WELL
,. . . most important [on importedds;not over oil or condition. . . . Adding oil is like putting suntan lotion on and can cause the leather to burn.
Rocky
Huh? So does Lexol have different SPF numbers?
I could see that with mink oil because minks are native to high latitudes thus not genetically acclimated to large amounts of sun exposure.
SASOB
Saddle soap is used for cleaning and conditioning leather. It was originally used for any item of horse tacks, such as saddles or bridles. However, now, it’s applicable for other leather items, including boots, bags, or leather jackets.
Old thread, I’m surprised nobody recommended Doc Bailey’s Leather Black. It waterproofs and conditions leather and makes it look new. I love it on jackets and saddlebags.
05-03-2007, 12:54 PM
RE: Leather care
