need to waterproof new hd boots ???

[ddyna07]

reading online beeswax is the best??? also lanotin oil is good...
found product called kiwi campdry beeswax anyone use any of these or
another product........

[3OliveMartini]

i like mink oil

[EZE RIDER]

I liked Mink oil until I read this and realized there were better choices (for me that is)

Mink oil is made from the thick fatty layer minks have just under their skins. This fat is removed from the pelt when the mink is skinned and is then rendered into mink oil. Mink oil is a source of palmitoleic acid which possesses physical properties similar to human sebum, therefore mink oil is used in several medical and cosmetic products. Mink oil is also favored for treating and preserving leather.
Botanical alternatives to mink oil as a source of palmitoleic acid include macadamia nut oil (Macadamia integrifolia) and Sea Buckthorn oil (Hippophae rhamnoides), both of which contain a larger percentage of palmitoleic acid (22 and 40% respectively) than does mink oil (17%).

ddyna07,
I have never tried beeswax but I'm sure it would work well too.

[Nathang]

I don't believe beeswax will ever penetrate the leather, unless you could put it under pressure and heat. I think something as thick as beeswax would be best for the seams and stitching, for between the sole and the boot, for filling a gap. Same for mink oil.

I haven't done anything to my HD boots and they are very waterproof, I've stood in water 4" deep for 10 minutes and used my boots to kick debris out of the way so a ditch could drain.

I usually use "heavy" silicone spray, from the auto parts store, and mink oil alternately.

IMHO, Boots aren't really a place where high grade leather preservative is needed, like a 30 year old classic car interior or even good riding leathers.
For one thing boots are going to wear out long before the leather has age problems.

Waterproofing is a much different task, and for that I don't think you can beat silicone. I've used silicone waterproofing as thin as vodka on a section of porous aged mortar and red brick wall, for years the house looked very strange on rainy days, the wet red brick looked dark as ketchup, except for this 10'x10' area I'd treated with silicone, it stayed dry as powder and notably different color thru days of rain.

[3OliveMartini]

well i figure why not use the mink oil since they dont kill the minks for the oil its a by product of the slaughter for their skins.. not trying to be all PETA ..and is more readily availble than the other two alternatives you listed EZE

i use the mink oil and put them in the oven on VERY low heat to help it penetrate the leater.. my boots dont get wet often so this works.. i use it on my ball glove too .. its what my grandpa did .. if its good enough for him .. its good enough for me! LOL

[Nathang]

I don't believe beeswax will ever penetrate the leather, unless you could put it under pressure and heat

I have a way you could put boots under pressure, if you wanted to go to the trouble. A technical problem solving trivial pursuit.

Anything you put into a plastic trash bag, and seal the opening of the bag over a vacuum cleaner nozzle will be crushed. Try it on a bag of leaves or as a trash compactor. (I was a great dad when the kids had science projects.)

You don't want to crush your boots, you just want to crush the mink oil into the leather. If you put a trash bag inside the boot, stuff paper or socks, or fill the boot with cat sand, then grease the boot thickly with mink oil, then put another trash bag over the outside. Stick the vacuum nozzle between the two bags, power on the vacuum and the vacuum will crush the two bags together, crushing the leather and mink oil between them.

[EZE RIDER]

Originally Posted by 3OliveMartini

well i figure why not use the mink oil since they dont kill the minks for the oil its a by product of the slaughter for their skins.. not trying to be all PETA ..and is more readily availble than the other two alternatives you listed EZE

i use the mink oil and put them in the oven on VERY low heat to help it penetrate the leater.. my boots dont get wet often so this works.. i use it on my ball glove too .. its what my grandpa did .. if its good enough for him .. its good enough for me! LOL

Thats a method that I havent thought of. Heating it up first that is. I have been using mink oil since I owned my first baseball glove as a kid. My reason is purely scientific for prefering the other two choices because they contain even more of the good stuff in the oil. I havent tried them yet. I just used a mink oil paste a few months ago on my riding leather.

[3OliveMartini]

i guess for me old habits die hard.. its just what i have always done .. and yeah it started with the glove when i was 8

[GAZOO!]

Originally Posted by ddyna07

reading online beeswax is the best??? also lanotin oil is good...
found product called kiwi campdry beeswax anyone use any of these or
another product........

Modern silicone based product

[Pete]

Originally Posted by ddyna07

reading online beeswax is the best??? also lanotin oil is good...
found product called kiwi campdry beeswax anyone use any of these or
another product........

I have spent a lot of time outdoors and it was always a challenge to keep leather boots and gear in good condition. It was even more difficult to keep them waterproof. Many of the products on the market such as saddle soap, mink oil, and silicone don't do the job very well.

Obenauf's leather care products are the best that I have ever used. Their product line includes a leather oil for leather that has less exposure to the weather and their heavy duty product, which by the way is based on bees wax. Oenauf's also offers a leather cleaner.

The web site has some great information on keeping your leather in top condition. If you check the on-line reviews, you will see nothing but positive reviews of their products.

http://www.obenaufs.com

Pete