PING !
Jack !!
Out of the depths - big howdy to you , my southern neighbor !
As one who has had my share of leather experience since I could hold a pencil and ride ....Ill offer my 2 amidst these very good comments as well.
As to cleaning.... used to take time and rub the heck out of riding gear that was dirty with whatever saddle soap ....until I palled up with a some gals barrel racing, and met their father who was master in saddlery and maintenance . He it was that gave me the best advice that was efficient, sure to work, and didn't take all my time to get dirt and sweat off leather.
"Take your saddle outside on a warm day, put on a sawhorse, turn on the hose slow run, wet that thing down from top to bottom- underneath too- taking care to not soak the shearling padding. With a rag or soft brush ( for the very dirty parts ) mix some Dawn in water, and simply scrub it all down . If its cold out we do all our gear in the bathtub ! Rinse well , prop up in well ventilated place- outside in the shade if in summer. ...and the best-it only takes a fraction of the time, rather than traditional saddle soaping. ..."
I was dumfounded- all my life I had it in my head to only use soaps for saddles- like waxy shoe polish rubbed in to clean. But for very dirty stuff that never worked like I wanted...and it took lots of time. Seeing my shocked face
he smiled and asked- well think- don't the cows get it wet all the time when they're wearing it ? It will be fine.....just make sure to then treat it with good oil after it is dry....polish if you want- and its good as new....Seeing the family's gear in the show arena I could attest to his advice....
What a revelation for me ! Well I tried that and my whole life in cleaning soiled/sweaty leather changed ... this is for smooth leather, now.
On one hand, as to conditioning, yes theres great saddle oils out there and the above comments have some great thoughts too. I love bees wax for soaking into pores...
On the other hand,
there are home items that will work well.
If you were in the south with lots of bugs to deal with, using any oil that is veggie based will attract bugs that will chew the blazes out of the stitching all along the leather.....they love the veggie based oil .
Since you are not in that habitat , olive , flaxseed, or any of those will suffice fine. I do like flaxseed because it has a thinner base and wants to soak in faster rather than pool up and need more rubbing or wiping off after every coat application.
Coconut oil works fine too but it is really thick- needs to be warm enough to melt then rubbed in well. Only thing about that is it leaves a white film residue on any parts it gets on that is non leather. Doesn't hurt it, just the look.
Petroleum Jelly, Vaseline, also works if you have only that.
What I love, ideally, hands down, after the washed leather is dry and slightly warm, is Fiebing's saddle oil . It comes in one gallon and I think smaller containers. Its a mix of pure lanolin and silicone . Lanolin is among the best oils for everything there is- including dry hands and arms. With a rag I coat the leather well with that, smooth side AND underneath, all the way up into the ties, leather lashing onto the tree, everything but onto the shearling base. Its astounding how fast you see the leather drinking it up right before your eyes. Wipe off any pooling up and let cure for a while- then repeat. Some leather may need three or four coats with wiping before its done.
There are outer coatings, like Saddle Lac that is sprayed on afterward to put a high sheen and is waterproof on top, if one has the mind to do so. Lasts a decent time until it wears off.
Nothing prettier in leathers to me than a saddle all cleaned and soft in sheen, sitting on a stand in the house - for western decor as well as usefulness - like a beauty of a rifle. Smells wonderful, too.
Well there you have it , sir Jack !
Smile as you see your leather come alive right before your eyes......restoring leather to me is like cleaning my guns.....a sort of calm therapy with gorgeous results.
Just tell those longhorn beetles to stay off the turf !
Life is good.
See you on the surface ....
