That was actually insanely interesting. Anyone who ever had a mink get into their chicken coop and kill all the hens won't have any ethical concerns about mink oil. I love mink oil.
Been wearing leather boots for 50 or so odd years, and one of my favorite products is Red Wings All Natural Boot Oil - which is a blend of pine pitch and mink oil. It's a near perfect blend for overall conditioning, while also adding a premium layer of water resistance. Not cheap, but it goes a long ways. Also, silicone is perfectly fine, when treating leather that has utilized silicone in the tanning process. (for its water resistance) This is more common than many folks realize. My Redwing 4473 work boots are chrome tanned, with a post tanning process that utilizes silicone, and for those work boots I use RW Naturseal paste, that (gasp) contains silicone. The tanning process will typically dictate what type/form of conditioning should be used to treat the leather and keep it in proper form.
Red Wing's All Natural Boot Oil has beeswax in addition to the mink oil and pine pitch. Not sure if that has alwasy been the case or if the formula changed in the last couple years. I like the pine pitch. I think it will really increase the leather preservation and waterproofing of the leather i use it on.
The only thing controversial about mink oil is the killing of minks. People arguing anything else are selling something or overpaying for special blends of mink oil and pay 3-10 more for the same protection.
I use bickmore bick 4 in my amber harness iron rangers because of stridewise’s video about how dark they became. Bickmore doesn’t last a huge amount of time, but it produces a Lux supple feel to the touch and hasn’t darkened my boots at all.
Lol the cat. Good stuff bois I got the Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP several years ago because Cody from the Wranglerstar channel really talked highly of it and I figured he knew what he was talking about and had a lot of experience with it and leather. I'm not really concerned with water proofness really, moreso preservation. I guess Obenauf's can darken your stuff but I've only used it on my Red Wing black boots. Oh and another pair of dark steel toed work type boots I have.
If you have leather, you never have water proof, just degrees of resistance. If you have a rough leather work boot, hunting, hiking, etc. mink oil works well. I use it on saddle bags, tac, saddles, etc, all things around a horse. The key? Saddle soap to get rid od sweat and salts. Let dry. Mink oil everything up. If I had fancy shoes, boots, the other products might be better. My around the farm boots? I use Bick 4 (Bickmoore sp?). It does keep a lot of water out, but gives the leather a lot more give and flex. Back in my baseball days, used it on my glove regularly. Just my 2 cents.
This is a question on how oil lubricates the fibers in leather. If you oil that horizontal spot on the boot toe where your toes bend as you step, would it actually, or theoretically, prevent creases or wrinkles along that line? Thanks! And totally on-brand, Nick, to start the video with a G’day! 👍👍
Some leather companies use hides from animals killed for the meat industry, in other words, they’re not letting them go to waste. If you’re buying vegan products you probably spend a little more to buy from tanneries that only use byproduct of the meat industry
From what i learnt, neatsfoot oil oxidises over time and becomes/forms hard crystals that act like a saw and chew out the leather from within. I’ll NEVER use it on leather goods, however it’ll probably work better as a timber treatment.
I’ve used a pure mink oil from Track of the Wolf, it’s a grease form that is designed for musketball patches. I used on some black dress boots and was surprised it left an almost beeswaxish residue in the creases and overall gave a dulling effect on that shine. Was able to polish most of it out. Anyone use this product or have similar experiences with other mink oil products?
I sometimes put 100 percent USP lanoline onto leather. Some heat helps it soak in, but it always substantially darkens and softens. I use it on leather handles for archery bows that I make where the saturated, still somewhat sticky surface is desirable; the leather can swell by as much as 50% ! If your leather is REALLY old, dry and cracked it can do wonders, but for boot maintenance....it seems overkill. Boots should not IMHO be as soft as glove leather.
Saphir Medaille d’Or now provides a macadamia based line of products as an alternative to the old banned mink. I have tried these on fine UK dress shoes and find them as satisfying as the previous mink based line. I don’t like using them on RW copper rough and tough because they add a too refined shine that misses the point of this particular oiled nubuck. However I can’t tell on the long term but I doubt they would recommend products that would develop mold on beloved Northampton shoes.
Most brands only contain less than 15% mink fat/oil (even the “premium” and expensive brands). It is actually mostly Vaseline (Petrolatum / Petroleum Jelly ) as well as some chemicals and sometimes silicone and lanolin. Avoid the mink oil pastes from Fiebing’s and get their liquid mink oil. It’s still low in mink oil and cut with other stuff but it has a higher percentage of it compared to the pastes. Other companies sometimes have no mink oil at all and call synthetic materials “mink oil”: as there is no real law against that (sort of like when people call split leather “genuine leather”. That being said. You will never find Pure mink oil being sold. The only way to get pure mink oil is if you make it yourself.
Or you could google it and find out that there are in fact vendors which sell pure mink oil, specifically for use in skin care where there are laws against misrepresentation.
@@ravenshrike there are very few pure mink oil products out there and they are very expensive. Mink oil itself is not unique in anyway and there are plenty of other fats that have very similar properties or that are similar at a molecular level.
@@AlexanderMason1 Mink oil is pretty unique when it comes to animal and vegetable fats. It lasts much longer without going rancid and waterproofs better. The only non-silicone material better at waterproofing is beeswax which is a wax, not an oil, and much more of a pain in the ass to apply. That being said it is not a miracle material and it does have its issues. Never use it on cotton stitching which isn't an issue for the vast majority of boots since they've almost universally switched to nylon, it darkens without giving a shine so it sucks for fancy dress boots, if used without a leather conditioner it will stiffen the leather over time, and if the boots are left in a warm moist environment for long periods it will start to go rancid and get really smelly.
tallow is one of the ingredients of the dubbin, which is traditionally used for leather conditioning (at least in europe). also, tallow is pretty well rot-resisting. shame you didn't mention it
hello to France!! In France is a big farm ok mink, but they all kill because covid transmition!! thank's you for your vidéo!! Vive Saphir!!! God bless American people!
growing up on a ranch, working in cow and horse manure especially during the wet season we would destroy out cowboy boots in a few months, we tried kiwi mink oil and applied it 1 to 2 times a week along with washing the boots at the end of the day. No boot will last in the environment we were in however my father and I noticed the kiwi mink oil boots seemed to fail faster. Maybe we were locking the moisture in? maybe it was the silicone?
I'm a British Army vetran I polish my boots every day, the only weather proofing I used was neats oil an maybe dubbin but I always end up polishing them , if you use mink oil can you polish them when oil soaks in
so do you use it in addition to conditioner or instead of conditioner? and what of other products like leather balm where does that fit in this process?
Hi! I need help: I have a leather backpack that i would like to treat with mink oil, but i am not sure whether after drying it would stain my t-shirts or not. Anyone has any experience with that?
I hope you can answer my question. Did the mink oil paste darken the stitching? Did you try to avoid the stitching? I have the exact boots and wanted to darken them a little
You def wanna oil the stitching too, otherwise it can get dry and crack prematurely. then the boot starts to separate. it can darken it a little, but not nearly as much as the leather
Moisten it first with damp rag. Then use neatsfoot oil. After a few days follow up with lanolin. After a few days coconut/beeswax 50/50 melt. After a few days wipe down with damp cloth to remove any residues. After that you can use any combination of the 4 I mentioned to recondition in the future. Always use beeswax with the coconut oil as the beeswax is antibacterial. Warm the leather with a hairdryer or sunshine before treatment. Don't put too much on. Just a decent thin coat and let it set in with some mild heat. 4 thin treatment should be just fine for extremely dry leather. Damp warm water rag treatment really helps to loosen the fibers of the leather.
Can lotion and oil make the leather to soft so the boot loose it form and stability? What I know wool fat and wax is best. There is leather products out there with a mix of fat and bee wax. Maybe oil and lotion is better for fine leather that u see on bags and gloves
I have an ancient bottle of a product called 'Kelly's Cobbler Shoe Cream'. It's the only product I am currently using. It seems to do a nice job of cleaning, shining, & oiling my boots without changing their color, all on its own. Have you ever heard of this product?
Can natural lanolin be used on nubuck leather? Or even mink oil? I have some brown nubuck leather boots, they used to be dark brown, they re naturally tanned but they lost their color in time, now they're a lighter brown than before. I just wanted to hidrate them and maybe put some of the color back. Any advice on what I could use? P.S.: I never treated them with anything before cause they were my first pair of real leather boots and I had no idea how you should treat leather before finding these channels.
Thanks for a very inspirating video,! Do you think mink oil is suitable for a leather watch strap, too? I have read it makes the leather of the strap softer and gives it more glance. That’s why I want to try it. And do you have an idea what brand makes the oil from genuine mink fat? If I spent my money for it, I would not like to have a replacement from a pig fat or sth similar :)
Put mink oil in the microwave and liquify it. Apply the hot mink oil . Pour it on the boots. Work it in with a soft cloth. Your boots will be waterproof 10 years later!!!
The liquid simply requires a bit more application. I actually moved away from mink oil because silicone is actually a stacker poison in the human body and can help create an allergy to it over time. It is still a great product but I have used Obenaufs for years now instead and pure neetsfoot oil for initial conditioning of old boots.
✰ Also, check out my 10 Best Boots On the Market! ua-cam.com/video/9kuHyyefNGE/v-deo.html
I love how Weston is more quiet and doesn't just blab like how guests on other channels do he's very respectful I love his channel
That was actually insanely interesting. Anyone who ever had a mink get into their chicken coop and kill all the hens won't have any ethical concerns about mink oil. I love mink oil.
I had a renter lock 23 cats in my house for a month. Made enough cat oil to oil my Nicks for 3 lifetimes.
@@RRaucinawtf that's ilegal man
I like that you’re using the boot halves. And not just tossing them.
I love how his cat always looks upset even when it's getting affectionately stroked.
Hahaha that cat has seen a lot of boot violence
Been wearing leather boots for 50 or so odd years, and one of my favorite products is Red Wings All Natural Boot Oil - which is a blend of pine pitch and mink oil. It's a near perfect blend for overall conditioning, while also adding a premium layer of water resistance. Not cheap, but it goes a long ways. Also, silicone is perfectly fine, when treating leather that has utilized silicone in the tanning process. (for its water resistance) This is more common than many folks realize. My Redwing 4473 work boots are chrome tanned, with a post tanning process that utilizes silicone, and for those work boots I use RW Naturseal paste, that (gasp) contains silicone. The tanning process will typically dictate what type/form of conditioning should be used to treat the leather and keep it in proper form.
Very interesting insights on silicone in tanning, thanks a lot!
Red Wing's All Natural Boot Oil has beeswax in addition to the mink oil and pine pitch. Not sure if that has alwasy been the case or if the formula changed in the last couple years. I like the pine pitch. I think it will really increase the leather preservation and waterproofing of the leather i use it on.
The only thing controversial about mink oil is the killing of minks. People arguing anything else are selling something or overpaying for special blends of mink oil and pay 3-10 more for the same protection.
Well, and the process of the farming and waste it creates, as well as the environmental impact from the processing. It's a lot more than just 1 thing.
Nick seems very happy to be in the room with Weston
I just like makin friends
Get you a man who looks at you like nick looks at wes
I use bickmore bick 4 in my amber harness iron rangers because of stridewise’s video about how dark they became. Bickmore doesn’t last a huge amount of time, but it produces a Lux supple feel to the touch and hasn’t darkened my boots at all.
Wow Nick, you sure get around! So glad to see that you like cats, that cat was loving the attention. Great video, thank you !
it is a cornish rex.
Used mink oil for years. Love it. Can lasts forever if you use it properly
Mermac mink oil is the best one I've found. Its just pure mink oil & beeswax, which helps with the water resistance and makes it easier to apply
That's what I use, it's great and found easily at boot barn
Lol the cat. Good stuff bois
I got the Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP several years ago because Cody from the Wranglerstar channel really talked highly of it and I figured he knew what he was talking about and had a lot of experience with it and leather. I'm not really concerned with water proofness really, moreso preservation.
I guess Obenauf's can darken your stuff but I've only used it on my Red Wing black boots. Oh and another pair of dark steel toed work type boots I have.
It took Nick to stop ignoring the Cat! Did anyone else see the shock on the cat when he/she wasn't being ignored and actually being patted? 1:14
Cat oil is near as good as Mink oil
Par for the course fellas! Excellent video and informative! Thanks guys!
I trust this man when talking about leather. I need to know if I should use it on an expensive suede jacket.
Boys the combo videos work well. That cat has a new owner.
Toaster accepted him omg
Red wings boot paste- pine pitch mink oil and beeswax
i always used mink oil to soften up my new baseball gloves. it kept the glove soft for years
Bet it looked gorgeous too Steven
I love that cat.....as far as I can see it's his show and you guys just happen to have been there talkin' boots and oil
If you have leather, you never have water proof, just degrees of resistance. If you have a rough leather work boot, hunting, hiking, etc. mink oil works well. I use it on saddle bags, tac, saddles, etc, all things around a horse. The key? Saddle soap to get rid od sweat and salts. Let dry. Mink oil everything up.
If I had fancy shoes, boots, the other products might be better. My around the farm boots? I use Bick 4 (Bickmoore sp?). It does keep a lot of water out, but gives the leather a lot more give and flex. Back in my baseball days, used it on my glove regularly. Just my 2 cents.
Very informative! But answer me this, on a scale of 1-100, how SOFT is toaster’s fur????
What fur?
He’s like petting a newborn lamb. It’s angelic. He also smells really good. 🥺
It’s 100
@@RoseAnvil thanks Weston Toaster looks very soft.
@@rachelhowell4600 Aw ☺️ How do you know?
My grandfather also used mink oil & he used to use bear grease but I believe they quit selling it years ago because that was a long time ago
This is a question on how oil lubricates the fibers in leather. If you oil that horizontal spot on the boot toe where your toes bend as you step, would it actually, or theoretically, prevent creases or wrinkles along that line? Thanks! And totally on-brand, Nick, to start the video with a G’day! 👍👍
Why are we talking vegan products for leather boots?
🤣🤣‼️
Some leather companies use hides from animals killed for the meat industry, in other words, they’re not letting them go to waste. If you’re buying vegan products you probably spend a little more to buy from tanneries that only use byproduct of the meat industry
@@onixtheone vegans would not do this. They will use no animal products. It goes against their code of ethics.
why not? some vegans still buy second hand leather
@@onixtheone do you know what a vegan is?
Great Collaboration Gents....... Nick, you need to up your game and get a Blue Heeler as a review partner... love that Cat....
Hahah excellent idea
Nick couldn't help but pet Toaster...
I'd like to see a comparison of mink oil and neatsfoot oil!
Great suggestion Herb!
From what i learnt, neatsfoot oil oxidises over time and becomes/forms hard crystals that act like a saw and chew out the leather from within. I’ll NEVER use it on leather goods, however it’ll probably work better as a timber treatment.
Toaster just wants to be one of the boys. I think Toaster would be a great wingman to pick up the ladies.
He would! We became good friends
really useful and informational! nice job guys!
Glad you liked it Rene!
comparison test of neatsfoot oil?
I was expecting a before and after, as well as a side by side comparison
we did! ua-cam.com/video/s4PvKupo_QY/v-deo.html
I slather on the paste and then use a hairdryer on low. Soaks right in.
I use and like the Red Wing mink oil paste. Works great.
How long did it take for the oro legacy color to return after the mink oil application ?
I’ve used a pure mink oil from Track of the Wolf, it’s a grease form that is designed for musketball patches. I used on some black dress boots and was surprised it left an almost beeswaxish residue in the creases and overall gave a dulling effect on that shine. Was able to polish most of it out. Anyone use this product or have similar experiences with other mink oil products?
I think mix of mink oil and lanoline is the best.
I sometimes put 100 percent USP lanoline onto leather. Some heat helps it soak in, but it always substantially darkens and softens. I use it on leather handles for archery bows that I make where the saturated, still somewhat sticky surface is desirable; the leather can swell by as much as 50% ! If your leather is REALLY old, dry and cracked it can do wonders, but for boot maintenance....it seems overkill. Boots should not IMHO be as soft as glove leather.
Toaster made a new buddy! :D
WHAT KIND OF CAT IS THAT?? IM NOT A CAT PERSON BUT IM THINKING OF BECOMING ONE!! BEAUTIFUL
omg the cat is soo beautiful..Thank you for great video, subbed☺️
Thank you so much!
Saphir Medaille d’Or now provides a macadamia based line of products as an alternative to the old banned mink.
I have tried these on fine UK dress shoes and find them as satisfying as the previous mink based line.
I don’t like using them on RW copper rough and tough because they add a too refined shine that misses the point of this particular oiled nubuck.
However I can’t tell on the long term but I doubt they would recommend products that would develop mold on beloved Northampton shoes.
Most brands only contain less than 15% mink fat/oil (even the “premium” and expensive brands).
It is actually mostly Vaseline (Petrolatum / Petroleum Jelly ) as well as some chemicals and sometimes silicone and lanolin.
Avoid the mink oil pastes from Fiebing’s and get their liquid mink oil. It’s still low in mink oil and cut with other stuff but it has a higher percentage of it compared to the pastes.
Other companies sometimes have no mink oil at all and call synthetic materials “mink oil”: as there is no real law against that (sort of like when people call split leather “genuine leather”.
That being said. You will never find Pure mink oil being sold. The only way to get pure mink oil is if you make it yourself.
Or you could google it and find out that there are in fact vendors which sell pure mink oil, specifically for use in skin care where there are laws against misrepresentation.
@@ravenshrike there are very few pure mink oil products out there and they are very expensive. Mink oil itself is not unique in anyway and there are plenty of other fats that have very similar properties or that are similar at a molecular level.
@@AlexanderMason1 Mink oil is pretty unique when it comes to animal and vegetable fats. It lasts much longer without going rancid and waterproofs better. The only non-silicone material better at waterproofing is beeswax which is a wax, not an oil, and much more of a pain in the ass to apply. That being said it is not a miracle material and it does have its issues. Never use it on cotton stitching which isn't an issue for the vast majority of boots since they've almost universally switched to nylon, it darkens without giving a shine so it sucks for fancy dress boots, if used without a leather conditioner it will stiffen the leather over time, and if the boots are left in a warm moist environment for long periods it will start to go rancid and get really smelly.
@@ravenshrike i couldnt find any
The look on the cat when you stop pet him
Can you leave the boots by a window and take a time lapse series to see how they perform over a number of weeks
Love you guys
0:15 is my fav boy band
What did you use your cat's fur for?!
Natural mink oil only.
Neats foot typically won’t darken, but does not water proof as much as mink oil.
Nick dropping the "g'day"
I need to do that more often
There's no availability of mink oil in Brazil (or those other products) so I use a mix of castor oil and beeswax
And by the way, what happened to neatsfoot oil? If you ever cook down tallow bones, rub the leftovers on your boots. Amazing!
tallow is one of the ingredients of the dubbin, which is traditionally used for leather conditioning (at least in europe). also, tallow is pretty well rot-resisting.
shame you didn't mention it
As weird as it might sound, i found out a very good boot conditioner is - chicken tallow ( grandpa tecipe). Who'd thunkit?😅
Mermac from boot barn is some legit stuff bees wax and mink oil, love it
Excellent video!
Appreciate it Jacob!
hello to France!! In France is a big farm ok mink, but they all kill because covid transmition!! thank's you for your vidéo!! Vive Saphir!!! God bless American people!
Merci mec
@@Stridewise whaouuuu!! En Français !!! Impeccable !! Thank's you dude!!!! That's why I like to look at you!!
@@jeanmartox3570 ouais j'ai vecu en france il y a longtemps haha. je suis content que tu aimes la chaine!
growing up on a ranch, working in cow and horse manure especially during the wet season we would destroy out cowboy boots in a few months, we tried kiwi mink oil and applied it 1 to 2 times a week along with washing the boots at the end of the day. No boot will last in the environment we were in however my father and I noticed the kiwi mink oil boots seemed to fail faster. Maybe we were locking the moisture in? maybe it was the silicone?
What would you use on suede boots to waterproof them?
the mink oil paste is much better at waterproofing the the liquid mink oil I have found
Solid crossover!
It's interesting Rose Anvil wouldn't know that there is a huge mink farm in Utah. It's not outlawed
I'm a British Army vetran I polish my boots every day, the only weather proofing I used was neats oil an maybe dubbin but I always end up polishing them , if you use mink oil can you polish them when oil soaks in
You should check out Griffin, they have great mink oil & leather conditioner.
I use engine oil, works excellent
I use bick 4 then the sofsole mink oil from amazon... seems to work pretty well
One right after the other? Like condition, dry, then oil?
so do you use it in addition to conditioner or instead of conditioner? and what of other products like leather balm where does that fit in this process?
Hi! I need help: I have a leather backpack that i would like to treat with mink oil, but i am not sure whether after drying it would stain my t-shirts or not. Anyone has any experience with that?
Do you have any experience with Saphir Renovateur with macadamia oil? Curious to know how it stacks up to the original that uses mink oil.
I hope you can answer my question. Did the mink oil paste darken the stitching? Did you try to avoid the stitching? I have the exact boots and wanted to darken them a little
You def wanna oil the stitching too, otherwise it can get dry and crack prematurely. then the boot starts to separate. it can darken it a little, but not nearly as much as the leather
What's better mink oil or leather conditioner?
What's the most effective leather conditioner to restore old dried leather?
Moisten it first with damp rag. Then use neatsfoot oil. After a few days follow up with lanolin. After a few days coconut/beeswax 50/50 melt. After a few days wipe down with damp cloth to remove any residues. After that you can use any combination of the 4 I mentioned to recondition in the future. Always use beeswax with the coconut oil as the beeswax is antibacterial. Warm the leather with a hairdryer or sunshine before treatment. Don't put too much on. Just a decent thin coat and let it set in with some mild heat. 4 thin treatment should be just fine for extremely dry leather. Damp warm water rag treatment really helps to loosen the fibers of the leather.
Both of u look very experienced in oiling ?
Please cover the dr marten's Wonder Balsam 85ml. I use 100% mink oil and the Balsam on my danner, wolverines, and Dr martens
Can lotion and oil make the leather to soft so the boot loose it form and stability? What I know wool fat and wax is best. There is leather products out there with a mix of fat and bee wax. Maybe oil and lotion is better for fine leather that u see on bags and gloves
My brain was like " bruh don't pet the cat and talk about rendering fats out of fur"
Hahaha!
guys what about liquid silicon ? Is it true that it cracks the leather?
really? that would explain a lot
Can you just use mink oil for breaking in boots and then other stuff ?
I'll stick with Bick 4 for conditioning. If I want water proofing I'll go all out with Sno-seal.
Sno-seal ruins the leather
I have an ancient bottle of a product called 'Kelly's Cobbler Shoe Cream'. It's the only product I am currently using. It seems to do a nice job of cleaning, shining, & oiling my boots without changing their color, all on its own.
Have you ever heard of this product?
Most important points: 8:38 & 9:15
regret using mink oil on mine red wing , change the damn color , lol
Is Mink oil safe to use on snake proff leather Boots ?
They extract the mink oil from minks, but what do they do with the flesh, become waste?
The oil is a byproduct, the skin and fur is what they are after.
Been binge watching your videos. But what kind of cat is thatttt lol
Oregon allows mink farming
Beautiful cat.
I actually think the mink oil gave the boots a nice color. 👍🏻
Can natural lanolin be used on nubuck leather? Or even mink oil? I have some brown nubuck leather boots, they used to be dark brown, they re naturally tanned but they lost their color in time, now they're a lighter brown than before. I just wanted to hidrate them and maybe put some of the color back. Any advice on what I could use? P.S.: I never treated them with anything before cause they were my first pair of real leather boots and I had no idea how you should treat leather before finding these channels.
I sense a bromance between the two
Thanks for a very inspirating video,! Do you think mink oil is suitable for a leather watch strap, too? I have read it makes the leather of the strap softer and gives it more glance. That’s why I want to try it. And do you have an idea what brand makes the oil from genuine mink fat? If I spent my money for it, I would not like to have a replacement from a pig fat or sth similar :)
Put mink oil in the microwave and liquify it. Apply the hot mink oil . Pour it on the boots. Work it in with a soft cloth. Your boots will be waterproof 10 years later!!!
Waterproof with zero the characteristics the leather came with.
That isnt pure mink oil though. It has silicone in. Thats ok?
good!!
Fun fact: Fruits and vegetables are also not vegan... because they are pollinated. by. bees.
Hueberds shoe oil?
Clogs the pores and hardens over time?
The liquid simply requires a bit more application. I actually moved away from mink oil because silicone is actually a stacker poison in the human body and can help create an allergy to it over time. It is still a great product but I have used Obenaufs for years now instead and pure neetsfoot oil for initial conditioning of old boots.
Never heard the term stacker poison, can you elaborate..?
I love when the cat walks into the frame.