Favourite old boots

[jimbo1962]

My favourite old safety boots lay neglected for a couple of years. What's best to dress and waterproof the leather?

 

[johnik]

i always used meat fat, keeps the soft and waterproof but does attract stray animals

 

[Porkypine]

Neatsfoot oil is always good to feed and preserve the leather.

 

[More Amps]

Dubbin - apply a good thick coating and leave for 24 hours in a warm (not hot) place. Then re-apply and leave for a further 24 hours, then wipe/brush off the excess. you could also try Neatsfoot oil which will restore suppleness but is not so waterproof or long-lasting imo.

 

[Mark 5]

My favourite old safety boots lay neglected for a couple of years. What's best to dress and waterproof the leather.

Huberd's Shoe Grease, good stuff.

 

[Porkypine]

I've tended to daub the neatsfoot on and leave to soak in well, even given it another load if it's soaked in, then after a suitable period applied a more waterproof type stuff like the grease or whatever on top.

I used to have a pair of DM's when I was about 16 that I wore when I worked at some old school engineering place that did production work turned components, whatever lubricants/coolants they used had soaked right into the leather and must've been the perfect leather dressing !..these boots lasted for donkey's years, the leather was still supple when I regrettably had to bin the boots as they were worn right through and totally shagg'd.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

DUBBBBBBIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jaeger_S2k]

We use this Urad Waterproof and conditioning Wax (Jojo) on walking boots and work boots.
I hand apply, with a cloth and 2 figures, and use circular motions, that tends to warm it up and gets it into the creases.
Been using it for years and it last a long time.

 

[oldbikedavey]

Carr's Leather Oil, which is doing a pretty good job of softening up a pair of Dutch army boots that I bought some months back.
Mind you, the boots were about as pliable as granite to start with.....

 

[premmington]

Grangers G wax - beeswax...

Dubbin is good but it rots the stitching...

Beeswax is the foundations to all normal types of shoe polish...

Only negative - is you can't get a shine with pure beeswax - but I don't need that for work boots.

Beeswax does not disolve in water - and won't rot the stitching or leather....

 

[More Amps]

I looked up what's in Dubbin....

Dubbin is traditionally made from a mix of waxes, fats, and oils, such as beeswax or tallow, and neatsfoot oil or lard, to condition and waterproof leather. Modern commercial versions may also include petroleum jelly, paraffin wax, and other natural or synthetic ingredients like glycerine, resins, and vegetable or mineral oils, with some variations being entirely plant-based.

Not sure what's going to rot the stitching...

 

[premmington]

I looked up what's in Dubbin....

Dubbin is traditionally made from a mix of waxes, fats, and oils, such as beeswax or tallow, and neatsfoot oil or lard, to condition and waterproof leather. Modern commercial versions may also include petroleum jelly, paraffin wax, and other natural or synthetic ingredients like glycerine, resins, and vegetable or mineral oils, with some variations being entirely plant-based.

Your quote "Not sure what's going to rot the stitching..."

I just had a read about this - its an "old wives tale"...

"I believe that dubbin got a bad name for rotting stitches from a time when boots were sewn with natural thread - (attracting dirt & grit which had an adverse effect on the cotton, leading to its premature demise) and about the same time, actual polish was not a popular thing. However, with synthetic stitching I've never had an issue."

 

[Turbo]

Used to use dubbin but it leaves a sticky finish that never dries fully. It attracts dirt and you cannot keep the boots clean.

I have switched to leder gris, a mixture of natural oils and beesax. It feeds and softens the leather and leaves a waterproof dirt repellant satin finish

There is a version with more beeswax if you want a shiny finish.

https://www.altberg.co.uk/boots/leder-gris-bootcare-wax

 

[Migmac]

I’ve used lots of different stuff on boots. Some of the treatments ruin goretex. I use leder gris at the moment. Mars oil is good for leather boots, made me feel ill after putting it on my boots so I stopped using it. Mink oil works well but I think it ruins goretex.

 

[premmington]

Used to use dubbin but it leaves a sticky finish that never dries fully. It attracts dirt and you cannot keep the boots clean.

I have switched to leder gris, a mixture of natural oils and beesax. It feeds and softens the leather and leaves a waterproof dirt repellant satin finish

There is a version with more beeswax if you want a shiny finish.

https://www.altberg.co.uk/boots/leder-gris-bootcare-wax

I would agree with that about Dubbin.

I use Beeswax stuff now on the Blundstone boots I always buy for work.


But this comes from the man who has - in the past scraped all the dried up bits from loads of old tins of multicoloured brown/black/neutral shoe polish tins and melted them on gas ring - given it a stir - and used it up on my work boots.

 

[Turbo]

I would agree with that about Dubbin.

I use Beeswax stuff now on the Blundstone boots I always buy for work.


But this comes from the man who has - in the past scraped all the dried up bits from loads of old tins of multicoloured brown/black/neutral shoe polish tins and melted them on gas ring - given it a stir - and used it up on my work boots.

I wear boots or walking shoes 99% of the time but last month I had a wedding to go to.
Wedding shoes were looking scruffy but it could be 10 years since I last wore them.
Decided to polish them but there was no black polish in the house!
I found a tub of clear stuff for leather furniture and used that to get them looking better.
Also put it on my black leather walking shoes and they looked so good that I wore them to the wedding instead! No point in trying to break in my wedding shoes again!