At 01:25 PM 6/29/06 -0700, Steve Maas wrote:
>I like using a good leather oil: Neetsfoot oil or any kind of baseball
>glove oil.
I was also going to suggest neatsfoot oil, but I've been shot down in the past by the Proofhide crowd, saying that neatsfoot oil breaks down the leather. I've used it to put life back into a dry old Swallow with great success. I've read there are two kinds of neatsfoot oil, water-based and oil-based. My experience is with the water-soluble stuff. Used sparingly, it puts back the moisture that has dried out of the leather. After that you can use any of the oil-based treatments to waterproof the leather.
-john
Since we've been making a lot of leather products at Velo Orange, I've had a chance to talk to several leather experts and wholesalers. Based on this it seems that neetsfoot oil is a good idea for a dry saddle, but it will soften the leather too much if overdone. It is VERY IMPORTANT to use only PURE neetsfoot oil, not the compund mixed with mineral oil; that mixture does break down the leather. Pure neetsfoot oil is basically the same stuff that is in leather from the start; it is extracted from the cow. If you can't find it locally, we have it in the Velo Orange store for $5: http://www.velo-orange.com/
As for Brooks rivets, they are commonly available; we can order them from a local wholesaler. And putting in rivets is easy, you could do it at home or ask the local shoe repair guy to install them.
Chris
http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/
Chris Kulczycki
Velo Orange
109 Colonial Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401