Which oil should I use on my never been oiled saddle?

[Spot_the_Risk]

I've bought a saddle today (and am very excited about it!) It was made to measure for a friends horse probably three years ago, has had very light use, and I know has never been oiled. It's leather, with a nubuck seat, knee and thigh rolls, and I'm desperate to start feeding it, the leather fees dry and the girth straps are like cardboard. I've used Carr Day and Martin oil before but found it left a yellow film on everything it touched, so any recommends? I was thinking of using CDM Leather Balsam...

 

[TrasaM]

I use Carr Day and Martin Belvoir Leather balsam conditioner. It smells wonderful too

 

[Sealine]

I like the Kieffer beeswax oil. This was recommended to me by the saddler when I bought a new saddle

http://www.elitesaddles.co.uk/kieffer-beeswax-leather-oil/details.html

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Brilliant, thank you both!

 

[cremedemonthe]

Don't use oil on it's own,it won't condition the leather, use a good leather conditioner containing any or all of the following, beeswax, lanolin and tallow, if you want accurate information on cleaning and feeding veg tanned leather as well as some tips of the trade pm me your email address and I will bounce on some info, Oz

 

[TrasaM]

Brilliant, thank you both!

P.S. My share cob had a new saddle recently and we were both very excited about it. It turns out it's a bum numbing instrument of torture cob is happy though

Happy polishing T.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Ah, I lusted after this saddle when my friend ordered it - it's a Nathaniel Underwood WHP style, in brown, with nubuck seat. By God it's wide though, I've been used to a more jumping seat for a few years so the stretch in the groin is rather sharp!

Thank you!

 

[jj_87]

Horsemans one step it's fantastic stuff

 

[Venevidivici]

Effax leather balsam is good (&smells lovely!)

 

[Alec Swan]

Do not use oil on leather. Use glycerine saddle soap. NEVER oil the seat of a saddle, it will stretch the material which will "bag". Oils will also encourage thread to separate, in time.

The thin oils, though cleverly marketed, will never preserve leather. Glycerine saddle soap is the very best leather preservative ever designed.

None of the above will suit the oil manufacturers, we know, but what I tell you, is fact.

Alec.

 

[maccachic]

I love tanners oil but can be hard to find good ones theses days, I have used it on new, old and seriously unloved saddles and it has kept them looking new and / or got them back up to looking their best.

They stand up to scratches much better once throughly oiled.

 

[sbloom]

Sorry Alec, I dont' recommend glycerine either - the soap content of most is the wrong ph for leather, it's not the best cleanser but MUST be rinsed/wiped off, and it's definitely not a good conditioner, simply acting as a humectant. This means it attracts moisture (not that useful in a damp climate!) which is what feels sticky, and eventually attracts dust causing grease jockeys.

It is not a fact that it is the best conditioner - it has been used because of soap's use in the tanning industry, not because it is good for leather. There is a lot of science around now, most of it from people with NO vested interest, about how to care for modern leather which can't stand up to the abuse we used to give old leathers. If you can get over to the ULtimate Dressage bulletin board and look at some posts by c4, who sadly no longer posts, he really knows his leather and what substances are actually beneficial for it.

Clean with elbow grease and warm water (Leather Therapy Cleanser or Effax Ledercombi if needed, again rinse off) and then condition lightly, several times if leather is very dry.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Thank you everyone for your input. It wasn't particularly dirty, a little mould though, so I cleaned it and have now conditioned it twice with CDM Leather Balsam. It's coming back to life - all the leather is now the same mahoghany reddy/brown colour, and the dryness is going. The girth straps are starting to flex too, very pleased with it.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I've always used something like Hydrophane leather dressing when new and 2- 3 times a year on my bridles and undersides of saddle but not seat. After oiling when dry I then use Effax lederbalsam. Regular cleaning I now use with Horsemans Onestep and also use Effax regularly.

I've never had any leather break or stretch noticeably from using oils over 35 years of riding and horse-owning.

 

[sbloom]

I know not many people would use a lot of oil on the panel, ie where the flocking is, but I've just reflocked a saddle that, from the use it's had, could be onl a year or two old, but the flocking is REVOLTING as the panel has been oiled, a lot. The leather on the panel is very fine pre-oiled leather, like the seat and knee pads usually, that doesn't need much conditioning even. Any oil, or overapplication of conditioner, goes straight through that thin leather and soaks into the flocking. Greasy flocking will ball up as soon as look at it. Yet another reason not to use it.

 

[camilla4]

Sorry Alec, I dont' recommend glycerine either - the soap content of most is the wrong ph for leather, it's not the best cleanser but MUST be rinsed/wiped off, and it's definitely not a good conditioner, simply acting as a humectant. This means it attracts moisture (not that useful in a damp climate!) which is what feels sticky, and eventually attracts dust causing grease jockeys.

It is not a fact that it is the best conditioner - it has been used because of soap's use in the tanning industry, not because it is good for leather. There is a lot of science around now, most of it from people with NO vested interest, about how to care for modern leather which can't stand up to the abuse we used to give old leathers. If you can get over to the ULtimate Dressage bulletin board and look at some posts by c4, who sadly no longer posts, he really knows his leather and what substances are actually beneficial for it.

Clean with elbow grease and warm water (Leather Therapy Cleanser or Effax Ledercombi if needed, again rinse off) and then condition lightly, several times if leather is very dry.

Sbloom - can I ask your view on the Grand Prix Leather Gloss?

 

[Maesfen]

I've always used something like Hydrophane leather dressing when new and 2- 3 times a year on my bridles and undersides of saddle but not seat. After oiling when dry I then use ..........

I've never had any leather break or stretch noticeably from using oils over 35 years of riding and horse-owning.

This exactly.
Most of my tack is 30 years old or more and had a hard life with hunting and showing but is all in fab condition which will go on for another 30 years I'm sure long after the new age tack will last going by the abysmal quality I see in most stores, even what I would call 'good names'. While the way we look after our tack may not be what you do with the new leather, our regime seems to have worked well for us and many others from long experience.

 

[sbloom]

35 year old leather is different, and better. Old leather survives despite the way we treat it. There is plenty of scientific evidence which trumps anecdote for me, I have customers spending a lot of money on saddles who want good reliable advice.

I have no idea what's in the Grand Prix Gloss, and to be honest, it is not my scientific knowledge (though my understanding of science means that the explanations of why certain treatment of leather is good or bad) that has assessed these products, but someone who does have that knowledge, who works in the business (ie a saddler but in science,engineering before that) so I go on his recommendations of products. He posts as c4 on the Ultimate Dressage BB as I mentioned before.

I like Effax Ledebalsam, Stubben Hamanol, Oakwood Conditioner and Leather Therapy Conditioner, I reckon that's enough for most people to be able to find at least one easily

What you do need to avoid in conditioners are distillates - by products of the oil industry that allow oils and fats to dissolve easily but are very harmful to leather. Trouble is none of them list their ingredients hence I have to trust someone who knows!

 

[cremedemonthe]

35 year old leather is different, and better. Old leather survives despite the way we treat it. There is plenty of scientific evidence which trumps anecdote for me, I have customers spending a lot of money on saddles who want good reliable advice.

I have no idea what's in the Grand Prix Gloss, and to be honest, it is not my scientific knowledge (though my understanding of science means that the explanations of why certain treatment of leather is good or bad) that has assessed these products, but someone who does have that knowledge, who works in the business (ie a saddler but in science,engineering before that) so I go on his recommendations of products. He posts as c4 on the Ultimate Dressage BB as I mentioned before.

I like Effax Ledebalsam, Stubben Hamanol, Oakwood Conditioner and Leather Therapy Conditioner, I reckon that's enough for most people to be able to find at least one easily

What you do need to avoid in conditioners are distillates - by products of the oil industry that allow oils and fats to dissolve easily but are very harmful to leather. Trouble is none of them list their ingredients hence I have to trust someone who knows!

Agree sbloom, old leather is far superior to todays hide.
I don't ever recommend glycerine saddle soap either, it leaves too many grease jockeys and makes the leather feel slimy.
I don't like the fact that you don't know what is in leather conditioners you buy that's why I make my own using natural plant and animal products only.
I have hides left over in my workshop that are at least 25 years old that I have dressed myself using my conditioner, they are in perfect condition.