Bickmore Bick 4 Leather Conditioner

May 06, 2018

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Basic leather color unchanged after using Bick 4, except the piece on the right is brighter, cleaner, and in better condition than the untreated piece on the left.

I've kept Bick 4 in my toolkit for years as a conditioner for light oil tack, or items where it's important to preserve the original color. I've used it on everything from light oil silver headstalls, buckstitched items, saddles, handbags, shoes, ostrich boots, and even smoothie chaps, with great results.

I consider Bick 4 a medium-duty conditioner, though with multiple applications I've been able to rehab some pretty dry and neglected pieces of tack while maintaining its original color.

Bick 4 leaves little-to-no residue, making it ideal for tooled saddles and pieces with a lot of detail. Unlike some of the heavier-duty conditioners, it isn't prone to buildup in deeply tooled areas, isn't sticky or waxy, and doesn't attract dust and dirt. Tack treated with Bick 4 tends to stay cleaner, longer. It also helps to prevent water spots on light oil tack. Even light oil curb straps, ear pieces, and areas that tend to get really grimy and dark are better protected and maintain their color much better with regular use of Bick 4.

A little buffing with a heavy cotton T shirt gives the leather a nice, mellow shine afterwards, making it an ideal finish for show tack.

I love this stuff, wouldn't be without it, and have recommended it to my friends for years.

Ingredients:
"a wax and chemical-free product that will not seal pores of leather"

Website:
https://bickmore.com

Buy It:
Amazon

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Oakwood Leather Conditioner

May 06, 2018

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For leather in poor condition or leather in good condition, Oakwood Leather Conditioner (Australia) is the shotgun approach to making it all better, or maintaining status quo. If Passier Lederbalsam is the elite solution, Oakwood Leather Conditioner is its hardworking, blue collar, cousin.

Oakwood does an excellent job softening stiff leather, adding moisture to dead-dry leather, and restoring compromised leather to the best condition possible. If I had only one leather conditioner at my disposal, Oakwood would be it.

I've restored cardboard-dry saddle leather, crispy old leather halters, reins, boots - you name it - using Oakwood. That's not to say another product may not work, it's that I've found Oakwood to be so reliable it's the first product I reach for on abused leather. It penetrates well, it softens, it moisturizes - all the things neglected leather is lacking.

While it can't repair cracks and structural flaws, it does strengthen leather by adding deep-down pliability. I've had amazing results on vintage leather. Supposedly, this "Australian formula" also helps to prevent mold, though I can't attest to its effectiveness. I can say that none of the leather I've conditioned with Oakwood Leather Conditioner has developed mold, but that may be due solely to environment.

Oakwood Leather Conditioner can darken light leather, but I find this more the case with overly-dry leather, as it restores natural colors and oils lost to abuse. If in doubt, patch test first on an inconspicuous area. If maintaining a light color is a priority, I recommend giving Bickmore's Bick 4 a try.

Ingredients:
"contains a careful balance of natural nourishing waxes and oils including lanolin, beeswax, emu oil, tea tree and eucalyptus oil"

Trivia:
Oakwood's website doesn't list Oakwood Leather Conditioner's ingredients, per se, but it does detail which ingredients are in the different products in its equine products lineup, and what they do. In that respect, Oakwood is a lot more forthcoming with information than most.

Website:
https://www.oakwoodproducts.com

Buy It:
Amazon

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Passier Lederbalsam

May 05, 2018

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Over the years, Passier Lederbalsam (Germany) has secured its position as a favorite leather conditioner for saddles, bridlework, boots, handbags - just about anything leather, and with good cause. Its blend of oils and waxes penetrate to strengthen leather, maintain moisture, and offer protection from water and sweat. As an added bonus, it smells scrumptious!

Passier Lederbalsam is textured much like Vaseline, though firmer (waxier?) in moderate temperatures. It does have a low melting point, and absorbs easily at room temperature. The warmer the temperature, the faster it absorbs.

I usually apply Passier Lederbalsam to cleaned leather with my fingers, rubbing in thoroughly. After it's absorbed, you can buff with a soft cloth to a nice sheen. Really, it's simple as it gets, yet it maintains leather beautifully.

Because Passier Lederbalsam has been around for decades, longtime users swear to its ability to keep their equipment looking and feeling great year after year. I feel it's unsurpassed to keep work tack and vintage saddles supple, strong, and looking classy.

Ingredients:
Petrolatum, Parafinum Liquidum, Destillates (Peroleum) Hydrotreated Light Paraffinic, Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Wax, Lanolin, Cera Alba, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Paraffin, Parfum, CI12700

Trivia:
Passier Lederbalsam is one of the few tack conditioners on the market that reveals its active ingredients (via Amazon). It shares some similar ingredients to Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.

Website:
http://www.passier.com/en/

Buy It:
Amazon

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Fiebing's Leather Deglazer

May 03, 2018

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I use Fiebing's Deglazer on smooth leathers to remove old finishes, lacquers, oils, grease, excess dye and miscellaneous undesirables as a prep before dyeing or refinishing.

Make no mistake, deglazer is hardcore stuff. It's highly flammable, probably causes cancer in lab animals, and will damage synthetic fibers. Think: super strength nail polish remover, like acetone. You need to follow directions, use in a well-ventilated area, and treat deglazer with the same respect as dynamite.

Compressed leather fibers under stirrup leathers tend to become slick, hard, and absorb dye poorly. Deglazer applied to bottom half of flap has stripped away old oils, coatings, and color so leather dye can penetrate.

I recommend you always test deglazer on an inconspicuous area, first. Some mystery finishes on vintage leather goods may react unfavorably, even violently, to being stripped.

I use a lot of deglazer. By that, I mean I use it, then use it some more. I apply deglazer with pure cotton rags, then give everything a thorough rubdown with a nappy microfiber cloth in between deglazer applications to eliminate any hidden buildup of deglazer residue. That said, microfiber cloths are synthetic, and should not be used anywhere deglazer is still wet and active, or they may literally melt.

Ingredients:
unknown, smells like acetone

Trivia:
Due to VOC regulations this item cannot be shipped to a California address. Several leatherworkers claim to substitute deglazer with strong rubbing alcohol or regular acetone/nail polish remover with good results.

Website:
Fiebing's

But It:
Amazon

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Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich

May 02, 2018

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Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich is one of several "secret recipe" tack conditioner formulas on the market, touted as "as a proven alternative to soaps, oils, water repellents, and other conditioners." While not anything as greasy as something like Oakwood Leather Conditioner, it's definitely sticky, presumably from some type of wax, possibly beeswax.

I don't consider Blackrock a "cleaner" in any sense of the word, unless your cleaning regimen consists of adding a sticky coating over dirty leather, with no concern where the dirt went. No, I only apply Blackrock to leather that's already been cleaned, as a conditioner.

Because of the stickiness, you need to be careful applying around decorative stitching or deep tooling, as any residue will attract dirt and dust. If you like your stitching to remain bright white or don't want to clean out your tooling with a toothbrush, Blackrock may not be the product for you, particularly if you like to slather things on, give it a quick wipedown, and call it done (you might prefer the simplicity of Oakwood Leather Conditioner or Passier Lederbalsam). There's a lot more rubbing and buffing involved with Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich.

I tend to use Blackrock as a final sealer over already-conditioned leather, or a standalone conditioner on lighter-duty items like fine bridlework, for a finer finish than most conditioners alone. I love the smell, the texture, and how easy it is to apply just with fingertips. It's much easier to control than some of the heavier, oilier conditioners. A little bit really does go a long way.

Blackrock Leather'N' Rich applied over leather conditioned with Passier Lederbalsam (top) takes on a higher sheen and adds richness to the natural leather colors. Passier Lederbalsam alone (bottom) doesn't have quite the sheen or color enhancing characteristics, though it's a superb conditioner in its own right.

The presumed mystery waxes in Blackrock's secret formula will impart a luster when buffed, but only if applied in very light coats and allowed to dry completely between. Heavy coats of Blackrock turn to a gooey mess that attract lint and dirt like a magnet, and your polishing rag will drag through that Scheisse like hot tar on a summer's day, making for a miserable experience.

Depending on the original leather color, Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich may darken significantly, but in my experience it darkens dry and distressed leather the most. In such case, the darkening effect may actually be from restoring the leather's original color, which appears much lighter in its parched state.

Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich applied to dry, neglected leather deepens the color significantly. Once the Blackrock has been rubbed in, absorbed, and buffed - it seems to restore lost color more than it actually darkens.

As Blackrock is absorbed after rubbing in with just fingertips, the original color is restored, making the piece appear deeper and darker.

Overall, if I have a nice piece of leather I'd like to have a fancier finish on, and understand I'll be spending some time rubbing in and buffing off, Blackrock is my choice for that final step.

Ingredients:
Not Available

Website:
https://blackrock-leather.com

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Amazon

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Pears Soap

May 02, 2018

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I use Pears soap as a deep cleanser on leather because it's mild enough to clean human skin, but rinses clean without leaving a residue, unlike traditional bar saddle soaps. While it has minor humectant properties because of its moisturizing ingredients, in my experience it does not leave leather soft, supple, or sufficiently moisturized. It's only to clean, like shampoo for hair, and leather definitely requires conditioning afterwards.

Pears soap, water, a soft toothbrush, microfiber rag and your fingers can remove sweat and grime from dirty leather. Care must be taken when leather is wet to avoid scratching or stretching.

Before (top): Dry, neglected leather covered in sweat and horse dander. After (bottom): Pears soap, water, a soft toothbrush and microfiber rag removes virtually all the filth. After drying, the leather is clean and ready for conditioning.

Using Pears soap on leather would be considered an off-label use, but I've had good results with it.

Ingredients:
Water, Sorbitol, Sodium Palm Kernalate, Sodium Rosinate, Glycerin, Sodium Palmate, Sodium Slearate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfae, PEG-4, Sodium Laurate, Alcohol Denat, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Metabisulfile, Fragrance, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, D&C Red No. 33 (CI 17200), F&D Yellow 10 (CI 47005)

Trivia:
Pears soap has undergone several formula changes since its introduction in 1807. The original formula had only 8 ingredients, including Sodium Palmitate, Natural Rosin, Glycerine, Water, Sodium Cocoate, Rosemary Extract, Thyme Extract, Pears Fragrance Essence. After manufacturing moved to Unilever India, the formula changed significantly, prompting an online campaign to bring back the original formula. While the current formula is not the original, it is purportedly closer to the original formula per the manufacturer.

I've used Pears soap on myself since the late 70s, and I don't find the current formula nearly as good as the original. As a leather cleaner for $1 per bar from Dollar Tree? Works fine. For people? Meh. I like Neutrogena better.

Website:
https://www.pearspuresince1807.com

Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pears_(soap)

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Dawn Dish Soap

May 02, 2018

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Sometimes, when things are so filthy you have nothing to lose, Dawn dishwashing detergent saves the day.

Cutting through tough grease and food stains on dinnerware.

Spot-treating carpet stains.

Cleaning wildlife after environmentally disastrous oil spills.

Pre-treating laundry stains.

Cleaning leather covered in stains, oil, and mystery filth.

I've successfully removed all kinds of undesirable things from everyday life with Dawn. I realize it's manufactured by some enormous conglomerate probably guilty of all kinds of evil, but it works really well and is readily available. Sometimes, you have to pick your battles.

When I have a piece of tack that's really on the bottom side of hopeless, I'll wash the entire thing in Dawn to try to attain as close to clean slate status as possible. It helps dissolve old grease and sweat, years of dirt-impregnated oil, dander and sludge. I've even used it to pre-treat stains on suede chaps before washing and dyeing, though I strongly recommend a spot test beforehand.

This old Maycraft (Japan) halter had layer upon layer of old dirt, plus oil stains, and the stitching was filthy. Dawn, lots of water, a soft toothbrush and a microfiber rag got it deep-down clean.

Once I've cleaned leather with Dawn and water, I let it dry, assess my options, and always follow up with a conditioner as the final treatment step.

This would be considered an off-label use,  though I suspect if it's safe for contact with humans and wildlife, it's safe for filthy leather.

Ingredients:
Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauramine Oxide, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Chloride, PPG-26, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance, Red 33, Blue 1, Yellow 5.

Website:
https://dawn-dish.com/

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