What do you treat your leather holsters and belts with to keep them happy?

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TargetTerror

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What do you you all put on your leather holsters and belts to protect them and otherwise keep them happy and looking good? Black shoe polish comes to mind as suitable, but I've always found that there is a little bit of polish that comes off on my pants no matter how vigorously I buff and polish. I'd rather not have that black polish come off on my pants and shirts.

A clear shoe polish seems like it might be the ticket. Anyone know of any other special polish/creams?
 
I've use shoe polish and wax based conditioners and avoid the oil based products on the advise of various leather craftsmen.
 
Clear or Natural paste shoe polish to maintain looks without changing the leather or staining your clothes.

Do Not use any oil or grease, like Neatsfoot oil, Mink oil, Sno-Proof, etc. on molded, hand-boned holsters.

Neatsfoot oil makes leather soft.
Might be great for saddles & boots, but you don't want a soft fitted holster!

rcmodel
 
My concealed carry holsters? Just a very damp cloth (if I clean them at all). For my belts and open carry holsters Neets Foot oil...That includes my saddles...I never use saddle soap on any leather product.
 
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Shoe polish is for... wait for it... SHOES!

Yes, the black or whatever will rub off on your clothes, it's shoe polish!

Do not use any sort of oil or soap on a holster, it will weaken and soften the material. For a soft milsurp type holster, sure. But any good modern holster will not require that, and it will damage the holster if you try.

This is why I include a letter explaining these things with every holster I make and sell.
 
Clear or Natural paste shoe polish to maintain looks without changing the leather or staining your clothes.

Do Not use any oil or grease, like Neatsfoot oil, Mink oil, Sno-Proof, etc. on molded, hand-boned holsters.

Neatsfoot oil makes leather soft.
Might be great for saddles & boots, but you don't want a soft fitted holster!
Click to expand...
+1.

Shoe polish is for... wait for it... SHOES!
Yes, the black or whatever will rub off on your clothes, it's shoe polish!
Click to expand...
Any other boot polish other than a clear, natural paste wax will indeed rub off and stain your clothing.

- regards
 
308win...Ya want to explain why a 70 year old saddle is still in service and one of my favorite saddles and it has never seen anything but Neets foot oil...

Or...In your words. Why isn't neets foot oil good for leather products...??
 
My gun, in and out of it, regularly. I find that to be the best conditioner. I use no leather treating products.
 
Nothing. Just a wipedown with a very lightly moistened cloth, and that mostly on the inside to remove any dirt or particles that might get embedded. I don't sweat on or through them and don't store them in adverse conditions.
 
I got some stuff recommended to me for my racing leathers. Motorcycle road racing is done rain or shine and after they get rain soaked a few times, leathers can stiffen up. This stuff turned them back to better than new suppleness and it works well on old, dry holsters, too. It's called Aussie Leather Conditioner. Guess you'll have to google it. Got it from a guy I race with who runs a shoe/leather repair shop in College Station, Texas.

This stuff doesn't soften up my Mitch Rosen IWB in a way to hurt its function, just conditions the outter leather when it gets sweat soaked and dries, keeps it from getting too hard and cracking as leather will do. I don't use it on rough out leather, just smooth finish. I run it on the inside of my Sparks rig occasionally, it if starts getting too dry.
 
Neats softens, darkens, adds weight and can harm leather due to the solvents. If Neats is working for you use it.

One site that advises against Neats goodle neats and leather care to find others.
Why Not Neats Foot Oil?
Neats Foot Oil is an old preparation made by boiling the hooves and shinbones of cattle and horses, yielding a pale yellow oil. Initially used to treat the splitting of hooves, farmers eventually used it to waterproof harness and saddle leather and to increase it's suppleness.

Later, thinning agents were added to Neats Foot Oil. Unfortunately, thinning agents, including kersoene, destroy leather and stiching. Thinning agents other than water (which also adversely affects leather) are always petroleum distillate. These petroleum-based agents "burn" the leather and stiching similar to gasoline on human skin. The effect is not immediatley visible, but the damage is severe and usually irreparable. Over time, effects include blackening of the leather, hardening of the fiber bundle, bleeding onto display surfaces, and hardening and rotting of stiching. Neats Foot Oil also cause the leather to become odourous
Click to expand...
 
Interesting..:)..In all fairness what you say about most Neatsfoot oil is true. No argument here. However...I'm using 100% pure Neatsfoot oil by Fiebing's Leather softener and preserver.

Quoted from the label:

"Fiebing's Pure Neatsfoot Oil is a natural preservative for all leather articles subjected to rugged use. Rubbed in deeply before exposure it repels water and protects against the stiffening of repeated wetting-drying. Used after exposure. Pure Neatsfoot oil is a restorative...makes dried out leather pliable.

recommended for care of saddlery and boots of horsemen...gun cases and boots of hunters-fishermen...shoes and gloves of athletes...and shoes, belts and gloves of construction workers.

Caution!
Oil may permanently darken light colored leathers. Do not use on suade leathers.

Fiebing Company, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI 53204"

Taken directly from the label of my container...

Oh...And I do use it for treating "dry hoof" on my horses too. I, however, don't use it on my CCW holsters, but I do use it on my other belts and holsters that will see and be exposed to bad weather...
 
Milt Sparks also cautions against the use of any leather conditioning product that advertises itself as an aid to help soften leather. I believe Neats and Mink fall into this catagory.

I've got a couple of VM-2s and so far I've used nothing. If I ever feel the urge to wax them, it'll be Renaissance Wax - it's recommended by Sparks and it doesn't hurt that I already use it on some stuff.

But so far I've been real happy with "nothing".
 
That is correct. No one (at least not me) is recommending Neatsfoot oil for carry holsters. Only those leather goods that will be exposed to extreme weather conditions like saddles and utility holsters and belts...
 
Pure virgin Olive oil.

It does soften leather, but I wanted it softened some. It worked out perfect for me in the instance I used it. It also added some slickness to the leather, that has partially remained with time. (Time being a few years.)
 
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