Best waterproof treatment for leather boots? - Page 5

before you do that ensure the midsole/ insole is not of a fibre composite
material that is quite common on cheaper boots and is likely to be damaged
by soaking in oil. Most modern outdoors type  boots have a waterproof
interlayer Gortex Sympatex TPU etc which requires no treatment and having
spent years out on the moors ( not all at once ;-) ) I am glad they
have -coatings and treatments do work but constant abrasion compromises them
quite quickly.
Derek

If they are not dress shoes of any form, use Waxoyl. Apply when your
shoes are warm (i.e. immediately after use) and rub in with your
fingers. Works a treat - use the rest of the can on the car!


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

Why wait - warm them up with a hairdryer!
--
Bill Grey

Grangers G-wax from any mountain equipment shop

Tony

Try reading which groups you are posting to!
Dip the boots in hot tar and allow to cool.

No outdoors DIY there then?

Hydrobloc is way better than any aerosol.
www.zamberlan.com/catalog/index.php?lang=en&pg=prod&idprodc

This is the kindest thing you can give your boots!

aerosol.www.zamberlan.com/catalog/index.php?lang=en&pg=prod&idprodc

I've used Hydroblock for years now, or the Scarpa equivalent, HS12 I
think, and never had leaking boots, even walking in long wet grass,
untill the leather finaly split that is.

Ted

Thompson's Water Seal, or indeed any silicone based equivalent eg
Wickes own brand.

Read the info on the tin - it does indeed state (at least on the
Thompson's tin) that it's for fabric and leather. And as it's sold as
a building product, while it's not cheap, it is *very considerably*
cheaper than proofing products found in camping and outdoor shops.

Hope this helps

--
Richard Perkin
To email me, change the <AT> in the address below
richard.perkin<AT>myrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is.  If you don't, it's its.  Then too, it's hers.  It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either.  It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

This is excellent on shoes & boots.

http://tinyurl.com/2j9vt7

Apply vaseline to boots while warming them with a hairdryer.  It soaks
right in, is waterproof, and preserves the leather (mineral oil).

Robert

RobertL wrote:

Mineral oil> vaseline> candle wax are all basically the same stuff but
with variation in viscosity and melting point. If you don't want the
boots getting sticky in hot weather, the wax end of the scale would be
best. Easily dissolved in white spirit by sealing it in a jar and
placing in hot water for 30 mins or so. This is probably what most of
the fancy products are based on.

Ideally clean them with saddle soap (horsey shop, a few quid) as this
helps to lubricate the leather. it also gets it clean.

Then apply a water-resistant dressing. Nikwax or G-wax soft paste
waxes (any outdoor shop) are about the best overall for performance,
accessibility and cleanliness when applied. They're sticky at first,
but wait a minute and just buff lightly with a duster.

Neatsfoot oil or dubbin are not a good idea. Neatsfoot doesn't work
well and goes off in long-term storage. Dubbin is (as you note) filthy
stuff.

Andy Dingley wrote:

Is beeswax any good?

Regards

newman wrote:

Great for furniture...  But darkens over time, which is why so much
ancient oak furniture (rather than dark stained 19thC and later stuff)
goes black.  Not so sure about boots!

--
Kate  XXXXXX  R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Not on its own, and making up potions with it is tricky, as is its
application.

Firstly you don't just need a wax (to seal the leather), you also need a
lubricant (to keep it supple). You might use wax-only recipes for
display pieces, but we're talking about boots here.  Also in dry
conditions, using wax alone can actually make leather dry out and become
brittle.

As a dressing for leather that isn't going to be wetted (i.e. not boots)
then lanolin is a better starting point than either oils or waxes. It's
the main ingredient for British Museum dressing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum_leather_dressing

If you do want to use beeswax, then you're going to need a solvent. It's
not applicable as is.  For furniture polishes (posts passim) I use
genuine turpentine, but for use on leather you need something like
hexane.  This is much too flammable to handle lightly!  Really, not a
good idea to have around the place, unless you absolutely need it.

So if you're a beekeeper, or Mary, then do your research and make a
sophisticated beeswax-based dressing that's more than just beeswax.
Otheriwse, if you're just trying to look after your boots, then just buy
some.

wrote:

So what's wrong with good old 'Dubbin' . Used in the army for years to
keep boots waterproof and supple. I did my workboots with some only
last week - my tin came from Anchor Supplies in Nottingham

http://www.dubbin.co.uk /

AWEM

Andrew Mawson wrote:

It stinks, it remains sticky so everything glues to your boots, it comes
off all over the rest of your kit, and it needs renewing far to often.

Castor oil needs doing once every decade, doesn't smell nasty, and
leaves the boots with a smooth soft finish that sticks to almost
nothing: muck can be rinsed off without further treatments being required.

--
Kate  XXXXXX  R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

very interesting - as an ex-commando Royal engineer, ex Royal Green Jacket,
ex Mountaineer, and ex Country Sports enthusiast, it's the FIRST time in
(say) 40 years) I have EVER heard this. is this a crab thing? 'Cos I have
never heard of anyone else using it....

Gordon wrote:

Alan blames Mr Poucher: it's mentioned in 'The Lakeland Peaks'.  Nowt to
do with the fly-boys: their boots were usually replaced after a dip in
the North Sea as 'no longer fit for flying' or sunk without trace!

--
Kate  XXXXXX  R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!