Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

On Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:47:21 -0000, "Dave West"
wrote:

Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

Nikwax?

"Dave West" wrote in message
...
Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin will
rot leather

Really ?

It was claimed at one point that amino acids in dubbin can
affect stitching. There has never been a recorded case of
dubbin ever rotting leather.

Dubbin is fairly chaep to produce and has been used in various
formulations without problems on saddlery etc for hundreds
of years.

Which is clearly an unsatisfactory state of affairs, if you'd
rather sell branded gunk to a gullible public at a 500% mark up.

In a Wilkison's near you. They used to sell Dales dubbin at
65p per tin, but maybe Dales got taken over as its now Cherry
Blossom Dubbin at £1 a tin.


michael adams


and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish with its 'spirit'
content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

In message , Dave West
writes
Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

I use Renapur Leather Balsam on both our leather furniture and footware.
They say apply with a sponge but I prefer to use a finger. Smells good
too.

--
Simon

12) The Second Rule of Expectations
An EXPECTATION is a Premeditated resentment.

On 20/01/2013 10:47, Dave West wrote:
Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.


Would really help to know what they are for. Fashion? Motorcycling?
Walking? Horse riding? Do you want waterproof like wellies, or do you
just mean water repellant for urban showers? Will they get soaked day
after day, or is it just occasional use? Different answers for different
cases.

--
For every complex problem, there is a solution which is simple, neat,
and wrong.
H L Menken

On Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:56:26 +0000, Apellation Controlee wrote:

Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that
dubbin will rot leather and can soften it too much, ...

Nikwax?

That's what I use. Clean boots well, have boots nice and warm and apply
with old tooth brush working well into an seams/stiching.

Last pair of boots failed because I didn't treat them often enough, the
leather dried out and split at the toe bend. We are talking not treated
for years though...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:26:48 +0000, usenet2012
wrote:

In message , Dave West
writes
Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

I use Renapur Leather Balsam on both our leather furniture and footware.
They say apply with a sponge but I prefer to use a finger. Smells good
too.

"Brasher" Conditioning Cream for leather walking shoes.

"Storm Waterproofing Ltd" Leather Conditioning Balm for instrument
cases e.g. Avometer case.

--
Frank Erskine

In article ,
Dave West wrote:

Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

Dubbin works fine - shoe polish is just that, and doesn't help much
with waterproofing. I don't find Nikwax any better than dubbin,
and wouldn't use silcone grease.

But it depends on what you mean by "really waterproof" - at most,
you can waterproof them for two days' of use, they will start to
leak on the third day and get worse thereafter. If you can dry
boots out overnight and treat them in the morning, fine, but that's
impossible on multi-day trips. I know of no solution for such use,
based on leather boots or otherwise - and nor do the army!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 20/01/2013 12:15, newshound wrote:
On 20/01/2013 10:47, Dave West wrote:
Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe
polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or
might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.


Would really help to know what they are for. Fashion? Motorcycling?
Walking? Horse riding? Do you want waterproof like wellies, or do you
just mean water repellant for urban showers? Will they get soaked day
after day, or is it just occasional use? Different answers for different
cases.


Most of the formulations are just variations on vaseline, or some
closely related mineral oil/wax. They are all hydrophobic but the softer
ones become tacky in warm weather so that everything sticks to them.
Paraffin/candle wax should perform well but needs to be melted, so not
the easiest to apply

wrote in message ...
In article ,
Dave West wrote:

Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or
might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

Dubbin works fine - shoe polish is just that, and doesn't help much
with waterproofing. I don't find Nikwax any better than dubbin,
and wouldn't use silcone grease.

But it depends on what you mean by "really waterproof" - at most,
you can waterproof them for two days' of use, they will start to
leak on the third day and get worse thereafter. If you can dry
boots out overnight and treat them in the morning, fine, but that's
impossible on multi-day trips. I know of no solution for such use,
based on leather boots or otherwise - and nor do the army!
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
================================================== =======================
I saw a documentary on the falklands conflict the other day and it said the
army had trouble with trench foot (from having wet feet) over that long walk
they had to do there.

It did make me wonder why they dont go for those all rubber lace up boots,
which are fine for the colder locations. (i did have a pair once, came from
malaysia).

On Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:47:21 -0000, "Dave West"
wrote:

Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.

As others have asked: what boots? And what do you want to use them
for?

As t'other Nick has just said, nothing maintains constant
waterproofness without constant maintenance. I have a six-year-old
pair of leather military boots from Argentina which were built in the
traditional way and which are still waterproof. They get used mainly
on the pavement but are always my first choice for snow and ice like
our current conditions. Often they will be walked across footpaths and
fells and sometimes get very muddy - but I always wipe them clean
afterwards. I keep them shiny, supple and waterproof with good old
spit and polish: ordinary boot polish and spit mixed into an emulsion
by the action of brush on leather.

Nick

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article , lid
says...

Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much,

We've used dubbin on leather boots for decades and have had no
problems you mention. Our boots are that smooth-finish hide, not
the finish like suede (can't understand why anybody chooses that finish
for walking or walking boots). IMO dubbin keeps leather flexible and
waterproof which is what I want.
I usually leave an application of dubbin on the boots overnight or
even longer to let the leather absorb it, before brushing off any
excess.

Janet.

I once had a pair of Nu-buck" boots my Hi-Tec, they were the suede like
finish you seem to dislike. After many wearings and the finish became less
than pristine, the firry finish had long since gone, I polished them with
ordinary boot polish eventually they shone like Parade Square standard.

They were probably the most comfortable boots I've ever bought.

Bill

In article ,
Dave West wrote:

But it depends on what you mean by "really waterproof" - at most,
you can waterproof them for two days' of use, they will start to
leak on the third day and get worse thereafter. If you can dry
boots out overnight and treat them in the morning, fine, but that's
impossible on multi-day trips. I know of no solution for such use,
based on leather boots or otherwise - and nor do the army!

I saw a documentary on the falklands conflict the other day and it said the
army had trouble with trench foot (from having wet feet) over that long walk
they had to do there.

The British army had a little trouble, but not much, because the
conditions were the same as the ones they had trained in (in the
Highlands). The Argentine conscripts were in really bad shape.
Trench foot is caused by extended periods of cold, wet feet (not
just wet); extended periods of hot, wet feet causes other problems,
and is a major problem in tropical jungles.

It did make me wonder why they dont go for those all rubber lace up boots,
which are fine for the colder locations. (i did have a pair once, came from
malaysia).

Not really, because they don't breathe, so sweat accumulates. I tried
a pair once, and they fitted so badly that I gave them away; that is
soluble by redesign, but the unbreathability isn't.

But, like you, I am surprised that they aren't more used.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 20/01/2013 13:20, stuart noble wrote:
On 20/01/2013 12:15, newshound wrote:
On 20/01/2013 10:47, Dave West wrote:
Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe
polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or
might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.


Would really help to know what they are for. Fashion? Motorcycling?
Walking? Horse riding? Do you want waterproof like wellies, or do you
just mean water repellant for urban showers? Will they get soaked day
after day, or is it just occasional use? Different answers for different
cases.


Most of the formulations are just variations on vaseline, or some
closely related mineral oil/wax. They are all hydrophobic but the softer
ones become tacky in warm weather so that everything sticks to them.
Paraffin/candle wax should perform well but needs to be melted, so not
the easiest to apply

Neats foot oil

Dave West wrote ...


Want to really waterproof my new leather boots. I have heard that dubbin
will rot leather and can soften it too much, and even ordinary shoe polish
with its 'spirit' content will dry out leather and do it no favours.

I do have a tube of silicon grease would. Would that be a good idea or might
it also damage the leather? Grateful for suggestions.


This is what you want

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ne/9786346.stm