Fiebing's Leather Softener Preserver Blended Silicone-lanolin Saddle Oil 946 mL

Details

Fiebing's describes this as a blend of natural oils, lanolin and silicone that preserves and lubricates leather items subjected to rugged outdoor use. The lanolin keeps the leather pliant and the silicone repels water. Saddlery, work boots, hunting boots and leather athletic gear are the intended targets. Start with clean, dry leather, because oiling over dirt drives the dirt in. Apply thin coats with a soft cloth and let each one absorb before deciding whether the leather wants more. Test somewhere hidden first — this one can darken leather, and how much depends on the hide and on whatever has been put on it before. Be deliberate with it if the piece might ever be re-dyed or refinished. Silicone in the leather changes how later finishes sit, so treat this as maintenance oil for working gear rather than a step in a restoration. A working saddle here takes sun, wind and sweat all summer, then five months of cold, dry air in a shop. Oil goes on before the leather looks desperate, not after. Once the fibres have cracked at a fold, no oil brings them back.