Neatsfoot Oil

[FishDFly]

Seems I remember Snow Seal from some where, but it has been a very long time.

 

[Eutycus]

Seems I remember Snow Seal from some where, but it has been a very long time.

Is Snow Seal the brand name or is that just what it does?

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

When we were growing up, if we got a new baseball glove it always came with a pint of Neatsfoot Oil. We oiled the hell out of the glove, then put a baseball in the pocket, wrapped it up tight and left it for a week or so. I still have my first baseman's mitt from the 1970s, and it still has a ball in the pocket!

ADK Bigfoot

 

[ML48]

I was lucky enough to tote an unopened gallon of pure neatsfoot oil home from work a few months ago. It wasn't on any list of approved substances for our natural gas compressor station, and trying to ship it out or legally dispose of it would've been a paperwork nightmare because we have a whole list of state and federal agencies hanging over our shoulders like vultures. So I solved the problem by disappearing it before it came to official notice, when we found it stashed in a back corner of the machine shop...

Apparently it was used on leather washers in our original mainline valves, and I've read that it's also used as a cutting oil when machining aluminum. I soaked the living heck out of the leather pouch on my trebuchet with some of it, and stuck the rest in my flammables cabinet. Made the leather soft and flexible...

Wellsite mechanic & pumper for Pioneer Natural Resources...2007-2015. Fun....

 

[Notchy Bob]

Is Snow Seal the brand name or is that just what it does?

It is the name of the product:

A lot of people swear by it, but in my experience, it does not penetrate unless you heat it somehow. I have heard of using a hairdryer, but neither my wife nor I use or have such a contraption, so I haven't tried that. I expect a heat gun would get too hot, which is a moot point for me because I don't own one of those, either. I have tried leaving boots in a hot car for a few hours after application of Sno-Seal, which sort of works. A friend years ago would heat a spoon in hot water, wipe it dry, and rub that on the Sno-Seal treated boot to aid penetration. That also "sort of" works.

After you get the boots treated, the surface is sticky and tacky, and an absolute magnet for sand, dust, dog hair, and all sorts of filth and corruption. It also gets on the cuffs of your trousers where they contact the boots, and that gets your cuffs dirty. That greasy, waxy dirt is hard to wash out.

Others may have a different opinion, but that sums up my personal experience with Sno-Seal. I'll stick with pure neatsfoot oil.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Prairieofthedog]

Every nostrum seems to have its’ loyal adherents as well as detractors. When I bought my first baseball glove in circa 1964 ( a Ted Williams no less), the elderly owner of the sporting goods store steered me away from neatsfoot oil and suggested “Snow-proof”, which is more of a grease than an oil. It has served me well ever since, and is arguably more difficult to obtain. Doesn’t seem to harm the stitching nor darken the leather as much.

I have also heard that Snow Seal will rot your boots thread.I have only used it on raw knife sheaths with no problems,gives them a nice dark brown color.I melt mine then apply with rag and toothbrush the seams.Buff off the excess and you are good to go.

 

[Brokennock]

I've just set the oven to its lowest possible setting and warmed my leather to be treated in the oven. I've done this with neatsfoot oil, mink oil, and, sno-seal.