Waterproofing Leather?

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Manveruon
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Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Manveruon »

I am quickly coming to completion on several essential pieces of my kit, but I need to find a good way to waterproof small leather bags for a couple of them, so I wanted to ask: what are your favorite methods of watherproofing leather? I've heard some people recommend mink oil, but I wanted to hear other opinions. Several people around here have mentioned "greased leather" in one form or another, but I'm not familiar with that process. Would the mink oil alone do the trick, or is there something in this greasing process that works better?

I also found this interesting Instructables page:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Home-ma ... erproofing

It's attractive to me because I have literally all the supplies I would need to do this right in front of me, and I wouldn't have to go buy anything extra. Any thoughts on this method?
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Elleth
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Elleth »

Hunh - I was just looking at this a couple weeks ago for my belt project! :)

The "some kind of oil in melted beeswax" recipe seems fairly standard, and the two major components work in concert: the former lubricating the leather, the latter protecting it. I confess I don't have wide experience here, but I suspect most will perform fairly similarly: I use neatsfoot and beeswax for what it's worth.

My sense is that olive oil goes detectably rancid more easily than many others, but I suspect it still does its job just fine. Personally I try to avoid it for (Northern) Ranger-y leathercrafts on shear authenticity/availability grounds. If neatsfoot isn't to your taste, perhaps experiment with linseed or grapeseed?

Other than that, the recipe looks good!


(FWIW, I believe bear fat was also used on the American frontier, and was quite well thought of)
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Harper
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Harper »

Obenaufs. Created by a Fireman to protect his boots I believe.

Heavy Duty LP or Oil.

http://www.obenaufs.com/

I think you can eat it if you had too.
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Taurinor »

Elleth wrote:The "some kind of oil in melted beeswax" recipe seems fairly standard, and the two major components work in concert: the former lubricating the leather, the latter protecting it. I confess I don't have wide experience here, but I suspect most will perform fairly similarly: I use neatsfoot and beeswax for what it's worth.

My sense is that olive oil goes detectably rancid more easily than many others, but I suspect it still does its job just fine. Personally I try to avoid it for (Northern) Ranger-y leathercrafts on shear authenticity/availability grounds. If neatsfoot isn't to your taste, perhaps experiment with linseed or grapeseed?
I've used neatsfoot oil and beeswax, and I've also used walnut oil and beeswax. That mix is used on wood, since walnut oil is a drying oil. I didn't notice any issues with it going rancid, but I do worry about using it around people with nut sensitivities.
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Elleth »

Oh!

I forgot to say: by "linseed oil" I was referring to the raw stuff, sold as "flax seed oil" by heath food stores.

Same raw product, just hasn't been boiled or treated with chemical drying agents like (I think) most of what you see at the hardware store.

The gentleman who made my harp advised me to use it, so I'm sure it works just fine on rougher wood items as well.
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Udwin »

My personal recipe for leather is 1:1 beeswax and rendered beef tallow. Both well-attested in NW Middle-earth. I would think that using olive oil/beeswax would be more appropriate for a Gondorian persona.
1:1 beeswax and coconut oil makes a great mixture for nourishing wooden spoons and the like; I've never used it on leather but imagine it would work well...although you may be hard-pressed to document coconuts in Tolkien's writing! ; )
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Manveruon »

Thanks all! For my purposes, I will probably try the olive oil recipe, primarily because I have the stuff on hand, but I may try to see about that flax-seed-oil Elleth mentioned.

Is this something I have to worry about going bad if it's on the bag for too long of a period, then?
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Elleth »

Manveruon wrote:Is this something I have to worry about going bad if it's on the bag for too long of a period, then?
I've not noticed neatsfoot or linseed oil treated things smelling off. I rather like the smell of neatsfoot and wax actually.

I don't recall ever treating leather with an olive oil based product, but I know salves made with olive oil (essentially the same oil/wax mix) do start smelling rancid after a few months. It's not terrible, just smells off - rather like that bottle of oil you've had in the back of the pantry for too long.
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Manveruon »

Fair enough.

And how do people feel about mink oil as a waterproofing agent?
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Rysgil »

Waterproofing method is also related to tanning method used.
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Manveruon »

That's a good point, which I had sort of overlooked. The stuff I'm using currently is definitely not veg-tanned. Probably chromium tanned in some way.
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by BrianGrubbs »

I've always used a product called Sno Seal. It's not period correct, but it works really well. I use it on almost all of my leather goods. Here's a link to the product page if you're interested. http://www.amazon.com/Atsko-Sno-Seal-Or ... B00O9OA01W

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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Lyra Huntress »

I live in Taiwan, it's a very wet climate. I have had good luck with something called "Dubbin." I have applied thick coats on a pair of shoes and then once on a sandy shore of Okinawa allowed salt water to wash over them and it just beaded and dropped off. In the forest, I had similar results.

However, the natural breathability of leather is then reduced, which means that for hot-weather or jungle hiking you might not want as much as I caked on that pair of shoes. However, if it's not going to be on your body as clothing, this would be less of an issue.

It's made from natural ingredients, I think. It's almost certainly "Some oils and some wax" in some kind of permutation or another.

"Mon's Dubbin" was the name on the Tin.

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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Kortoso »

Lyra Huntress wrote:I live in Taiwan, it's a very wet climate. I have had good luck with something called "Dubbin." I have applied thick coats on a pair of shoes and then once on a sandy shore of Okinawa allowed salt water to wash over them and it just beaded and dropped off. In the forest, I had similar results.

However, the natural breathability of leather is then reduced, which means that for hot-weather or jungle hiking you might not want as much as I caked on that pair of shoes. However, if it's not going to be on your body as clothing, this would be less of an issue.

It's made from natural ingredients, I think. It's almost certainly "Some oils and some wax" in some kind of permutation or another.

"Mon's Dubbin" was the name on the Tin.

Lyra
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Re: Waterproofing Leather?

Post by Le-Loup »

Manveruon wrote:I am quickly coming to completion on several essential pieces of my kit, but I need to find a good way to waterproof small leather bags for a couple of them, so I wanted to ask: what are your favorite methods of watherproofing leather? I've heard some people recommend mink oil, but I wanted to hear other opinions. Several people around here have mentioned "greased leather" in one form or another, but I'm not familiar with that process. Would the mink oil alone do the trick, or is there something in this greasing process that works better?

I also found this interesting Instructables page:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Home-ma ... erproofing

It's attractive to me because I have literally all the supplies I would need to do this right in front of me, and I wouldn't have to go buy anything extra. Any thoughts on this method?
I do have some period recipes for waterproofing leather, but mostly I tend to use Neetsfoot Oil (NOT compound!). I have also made a mix of Neetsfoot oil, beeswax & tallow which works quite well. Here is what I have on period recipes:
Waterproofing boots, 1659 style
Leatherworking Reverend | February 13, 2011 at 1:55 pm | Categories: Big Book of Leather Chapters, Early Modern, Footwear | URL: http://wp.me/pyUAz-fL

I was recently seventeenth century researching fishing and found this instruction for making a waterproof boot polish.
I have a willing mind with Gods help to preserve all those that love this recreation, to goe dry in their boots and shooes, to preserve their healths, which one receit is worth much more than this book will cost.1
First, they must take a pint of Linseed oyle, with half a pound of mutton suet, six or eight ounces of bees wax, and half a pinniworth2 of rosin, boyle all this in a pipkin together, so let it coole untill it be milk warm, then take a little hair brush and lay it on your new boots; but its best that this stuff be laid on before the boot-maker makes the boots, then brush them once over after they come from him; as for old boots you must lay it on when your boots be dry.
It comes from BARKER'S DELIGHT: OR, THE ART OF ANGLING. Wherein are discovered many rare Secrets very necessary to be known by all that delight in that Recreation, both for catching the Fish, and dressing thereof by Thomas Barker, second edition 1659. If anyone gives it a try, let me know how it works.
1 Twelve pence, according to one of the introductory poems at the front of the book.
2 Possibly a pennyweight, a unit of weight equal to 24 grains, or roughly 1.6g. There are 20 to the Troy ounce.
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Here is a period quote for using Neetsfoot oil:
At Valley Forge, PA, on 12 January 1778, General Orders read: "...The Brigade Commissaries are to apply forthwith to their Brigadiers or Officers Commanding Brigades and with their approbation fix upon a place for Collecting all the dirty Tallow and saving the Ashes for the purpose of making soft soap for the use of the Army, also for imploying proper persons to boile the Oyle out of the Cattles feet (Neetsfoot oil) and preserve it for the use of the Army. This Oile is to be put in Casks and delivered to the Qr Mr Genl."2
Valley Forge Orderly Book of General George Weedon, New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1902; reprint ed. New York: The New York Times and Arno Press, 1971, p. 190.
Keith.
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I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
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