Homemade leather dressing balm
Jun 21 2017 0 Comments Tags: beeswax.
I've been using a leather dressing that I bought, but I ran out, so time to make my own. Leather dressing is made with neatsfoot oil, which is the fat from the legs of cattle. This has a different melting point to the tallow (fat around their body). Neatsfoot oil is popular for leather dressing and available from produce stores and horse supplies. Its actually liquid at room temperature, so I added beeswax to make it solid and more manageable. And some lavender essential oil for a nice fragrance as well.
For my first attempt, I followed a recipe with 50:50 neatsfoot oil to beeswax by weight, but that came out a bit too solid. Second try is one third beeswax to two thirds neatsfoot oil and and that is a good consistency. I use 10 drops of essential oil per 100g of leather dressing. I melt it in a jar in a pot of simmering water, and then either keep it in the jar or pour it into a smaller tin. Its really very easy and only a little bit messy.
Whenever my leather boots are looking a bit scuffed and dry, I apply the leather dressing with a clean cloth I just keep rubbing it in until they are looking good again. It doesn't take long, and it makes my leather boots look new again. I also did a belt and a bag while I had the cloth out!
one boot done |
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