"Natural" Belts

[Crane's]

Originally Posted by DocHunter

I got a little liquid stain on my new raw leather belt I got from Unlucky here on SF. Not sure what kind of liquid it is as I was out at the bar and it could've been anything.

How would I get rid of the ugly brown stain it left on the belt?

You're probably stuck with the stain but a hot damp rag might get some of it out. That's one of the hazards or joys of owning "raw" leather. Consider it your first adventure in getting that well used personal patina that all leather goods eventually acquire. BTW that stain would be less visible if you conditioned it or better yet Sno Sealed it.

 

[schmallo15]

Originally Posted by Crane's

The first thing you do is condition it. I use Lexol products or Filson boot oil for this. Believe it or not most leather is dry thanks to sitting on shelves for ever and a day. If you want to make it so the leather is both conditioned and resistant to water then use Sno Seal. You can expect the color to darken immediately when you condition it. To clean the leather I use the Lexol product exclusively on everything I own that's made of leather.

Another thing to remember is don't ever ever ever try to dye your leather. It won't work and you'll wreck whatever it is you have.

There are other products out there but the three things I use now comes from years of experience dealing with everything from gun belts, coats, boots, luggage and horse tack. I like my leather and use it hard and so far these products have not let me down.

Thanks for the info. I've used Sno Seal before but never the Lexol. Any specific benefit to Lexol versus other conditioners? Also, any comments on mink oil?

 

[Threak]

Originally Posted by Crane's

BTW that stain would be less visible if you conditioned it or better yet Sno Sealed it.

I was wondering about SnoSeal's effect on raw leather. Does this mean SnoSeal won't prevent raw leather from aging?

 

[Crane's]

Originally Posted by Threak

I was wondering about SnoSeal's effect on raw leather. Does this mean SnoSeal won't prevent raw leather from aging?

What do you mean by aging? It's a conditioner and water proofer for leather so it will help keep it from dry rotting and becoming brittle and possibly help it from getting stained. It won't stop the leather from getting a patina over time.

Mink oil is OK to use. I prefer the Lexol stuff because it's made for horse tack which is probably the hardest used leather product around. It keeps my 1800 buck saddle and other tack in pristine condition so my thoughts are if it works that well on this stuff it's good enough for everything else.

 

[xchen]

Originally Posted by Caveat

 

[robertorex]

Originally Posted by DocHunter

I got a little liquid stain on my new raw leather belt I got from Unlucky here on SF. Not sure what kind of liquid it is as I was out at the bar and it could've been anything.

How would I get rid of the ugly brown stain it left on the belt?

When I first got my natural belt from unlucky, I got a water spot on it that really bothered me for a while.

Now that I'm 5+ months in and my belt is well on its way to getting a nice patina, I can't even tell where it was anymore. Give it time and it'll heal.

 

[AntiHero84]

Originally Posted by Crane's

The first thing you do is condition it. I use Lexol products or Filson boot oil for this. Believe it or not most leather is dry thanks to sitting on shelves for ever and a day. If you want to make it so the leather is both conditioned and resistant to water then use Sno Seal. You can expect the color to darken immediately when you condition it. To clean the leather I use the Lexol product exclusively on everything I own that's made of leather.

Another thing to remember is don't ever ever ever try to dye your leather. It won't work and you'll wreck whatever it is you have.

There are other products out there but the three things I use now comes from years of experience dealing with everything from gun belts, coats, boots, luggage and horse tack. I like my leather and use it hard and so far these products have not let me down.

Thanks for all the good information. Question, though... Do you use the Sno Seal after using Lexol or Filson boot oil, or would you use it in place of the other two?

 

[randomkoreandude]

I thought you could just wear natural belts as is right away and let them age on their own? Is that incorrect?

 

[xchen]

Originally Posted by randomkoreandude

I thought you could just wear natural belts as is right away and let them age on their own? Is that incorrect?

Sure. Using some product like Obenauf's will help the leather from drying out, though.

 

[randomkoreandude]

I am getting a horsehide belt from unlucky hat is apparently full of oils so it won't dry out as easily. How often do u guys use products like obenaufs?

 

[converge]

I've been wearing a Tanner natural belt for about 6 months and haven't done anything to it yet. Should I be using a leather cleaner/conditioner?

 

[Tek_]

When you buy a natural belt it has already been treated with oils and other products so there is no reason to do anything to it right away. Just wear it and if you notice it drying out or starting to crack at 6 months or a year then treat it. You don't have to baby it, it's just a belt and the appeal of a natural belt is the darkening and aging process they go through.

 

[Crane's]

If the leather is cracking it's been dry for a while. Cracking is a sign of neglect.

If you're going to use Sno Seal then you can forgo using Lexol or oil. Sno Seal has a conditioner in it.

I said it before, most leather products have sat on shelves for a long time before you get it. Conditioning it before using it won't hurt it at all.

 

[erdawe]

Once you seal the pores of leather with sno seal you shouldn't have to reapply any product for quite some time. If you're compelled to use something down the road I'd just use small amounts of conditioner.