New Possibles Bag

[tx50cal]

Just bought a new bag from Track. It is fine leather. I don't think it will be treated leather. What can I put on the bag to help soften and waterproof the leather? I have been thinking of using mink oil or neetsfoot oil on it. Thanks for the help.
Rob

 

[tom hargrove]

mink oil is good it will soften and waterproof but also cause a change in color ,i like and use kiwe leather conditioner avalable at almost all shoe stores or the spray for new shoes that help break them in or you can simpley flex the leather back and forth in you hands this will help berak the fibers and soften .

 

[laffingman67]

I use mink oil on my gear. Two Bellys is very correct about discoloring the leather though. It will darken up about 2 shades. But that is one of the things I like about the mink oil. Rub it in and warm up with a hair dryer and it will shed water like a duck's butt!!

 

[DNICK]

The last bag I made was of a little to thick of leather and after dying was very stiff so I went to a shoe repair shop and told them I wanted to soften and waterproof the bag they recomended a prodect called Obenauf's leather oil it says it contains natural preserving oils,beeswax,&propolis
don't know what the last ingrediant is but I do know this stuff really works rubbed in two coats worked the leather a little bit and the bag is now soft and waterproof it's not cheep an 8 oz. bottle was $8.95 but it did that bag, several knife sheaths and have about a quarter of it left, bottom line is this stuff works as the bag was dyed dark I cant say it wont darken the leather I think it would a certain amount

 

[50cal.cliff]

Pretty much anything that has an oil base, (Mink Oil, Neatsfoot oil) is going to darken the leather. They will however soften and waterproof the bag. Use of the bag will again lighten the bag, but what is happening is the oil is slowly being worn off.
Used to use neatsfoot oil like religion in the winter in Nebr. would come in after hunting, running my trapline and pull off wet boots. I 'd dry by packing with newpaper, and setting by heater. Then pull out wet newspaper, paint on a coat of neatsfoot oil with paint brush and set back by heater. This went on all winter after a few treatments, boots would begin to get more water proof and require not nearly as frequent coatings. Between treatments leather begins to lighten each time.