Making tack shine...baby oil??

[Coffee_Bean]

I am about to put a treeless saddle on eBay and I would like to make it shine and possibly blacken it a bit. It has faded over time and even though I have given it a good scrub and it looks lots better, how can I make it shine?? I don't particularly want to buy anything new.
Did I dream this or can you use baby oil on the leather?
And could I use boot polish to blacken the faded bits of would it just come off on your legs and hands?
Thanks

 

[dianchi]

Not baby oil!!! You can buy all sorts of applications that improve tack colour but ive never used them.
The albion balm is good as is the stubben tack oil.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

Haha Yeah thought I was being thick about that

And btw, I have glycerine saddle soap and anti fungi cleaner stuff

 

[PapaFrita]

Actually, a saddler once told me baby oil was good for tack as long as you warm it up a bit first to make sure the leather absorbs it.
Course this WAS an Argie saddler, so who knows???
I've been known to use boot polish on my saddle which is black and fades a bit

. Have to wear dark jods for a few rides afterwards though.
I expect I'll be strung up for admitting that!!

 

[CastleMouse]

Don't use baby oil, it will make the saddle very slippy! What I do before I go to a show to make my tack really shine is I clean it thoroughly with Carr & Day & Martin saddle soap, and then I use Carr & Day & Martin saddle conditioner. I sometimes use Stubben Hammol as well.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't use baby oil, it will make the saddle very slippy!

[/ QUOTE ]
Pah! Its not me that's got to sit on it

;p

 

[CastleMouse]

True

And I have used boot polish on my saddle, just don't over do it and it won't come off

 

[parsley]

Excellent - thanks PF I am off to put boot polish on my boy's bridle as it looks a bit tired

 

[PapaFrita]

[ QUOTE ]
True

And I have used boot polish on my saddle, just don't over do it and it won't come off

[/ QUOTE ]
Yay! Not just me then??!!

 

[PapaFrita]

What you could do (worked a treat on my saddle) is gently rub with the rough, green side of a sponge so that the surface is 'dulled' and THEN apply the boot polish. Leave for a while (overnight is ideal) and THEN apply saddle soap so it doesn't all come off on your jods (it will a bit)

 

[PapaFrita]

[ QUOTE ]
Excellent - thanks PF I am off to put boot polish on my boy's bridle as it looks a bit tired

[/ QUOTE ]
Shhhhh! don't go telling everyone!!

 

[parsley]

LOL! I'm looking a bit tired as well - do you think that I might look better with some boot polish

 

[zigzag]

We used to use babywipes over bridle and bits of saddle that can be seen when showing (just before going in ring) gave a lovely shine!

 

[Partoow]

old showing tip is to melt glycerine saddle soap with adrop of milk. This will condition the saddle and provide the 'feeding' via a natural animal fat that helps the leather and it will shine. I used to do this with the bars of saddle soap when they were all worn out in the middle, if you know what i mean and then make a big tub of this 'mix'.

 

[CastleMouse]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
True

And I have used boot polish on my saddle, just don't over do it and it won't come off

[/ QUOTE ]
Yay! Not just me then??!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I use boot polish on my bridle too, it's brilliant stuff