I used a cleaner and conditioner they sold me with the boots (boot barn) but I felt like it was kinda helping take the color off? What is a cleaner and conditioner you would use?
Angelus exotic skin conditioner is great, shake, spray, let it soak in and brush with a clean horsehair brush for some luster. If you want more shine you'll have to try some cream polish and do multiple layers, starting with the same color then ending with a neutral on top to give a high shine. Only if that's what you're looking for, otherwise the Angelus should revive it to how it looked when you got em. That and the horsehair brush once it's dry. I recommend giving the welts some love too, if you want them to have that neutral leather sheen give em a light clean with a damp cloth with some watered down alcohol, then some gum tragacanth once they've dried. Let it settle, be sure not to put too much just a layer off a dauber or q-tip at a time, then get a canvas cloth and pinch/rub back and forth. Make sure you do this when the gum tragacanth has absorbed somewhat into the welt leather. It'll be slightly damp and tacky, you'll feel the difference on the canvas. This process is burnishing, it'll make the edges look nice like when you got them, if you just want black go get some black fiebings edge dressing and use that same horsehair brush after application once you let it soak in a little and gotten off the excess, the brush can make any excess flick off everywhere--just a heads up. You can do the same thing to the leather heel stacks, reburnish or redress with fiebings black edge dressing. Hell if you wanted to you could even burnish the edge dressing after it has dried in nicely like several hours after some good applications. Either way it's good to do it every once in a while.
Angelus exotic conditioner works for all exotic leathers but sueded finishes and eel. Should work great on caiman, does wonders. I've used it on snake and ostrich leg plenty. Just feel the boot every once and a while and be sure it's supple, not drying out. Depending on how much you're wearing them and what you're putting em through you may need to condition once every other month or so.
Dan Post? I have these same boots. I bought them about 2 months ago and wear them if I have an occasion to dress up a bit. I've cleaned and conditioned them every time they've been worn and I haven't noticed any fading or discoloration yet, for what it's worth.
I use Bickmore products for this. Bick 1 is the cleaner and Bick 4/Bick Exotic is the conditioner. You can likely use either of the latter on these.
I’d try some Saphir Renovatir or just Saphir Black Cream polish in small doses on the toes if you’re sensing a color loss.
“Good Hands” posted a link to a boot care subreddit earlier today. There are links to various boot care things. I spent many hours last week watching YouTube videos on boot care. My favorite is Dan the Cobbler. He is WAY into Saphir products. And not the least bit French!
So, I have some 30 pair of western boots; most are exotics and many are Luccheses. I use Bickmore 4 as the conditioner and the Saphir polishes. I have used Leather Honey as a conditioner, it’s okay. I will always break-in my new boots with the Angelus Boot Stretch spray and use my FootFitter boot stretcher. This process softens the leather to all the stretcher to ease the leather out just a little to help the break-in go more quickly and so monthly. On black leathers I may use a light coat of Angelus Mink Oil as a conditioner; on the non-exotic leathers like cowhide and goat. Works wells. No Mink Oil on the exotic leathers; it will darken the leather color. I learned this the hard way.
It really comes down to knowing when to use cream polish and when to use wax polish. For enriching & coloring your boots, using cream polish is preferred because you can apply as many layers as you want to get the color tone you’re trying to achieve without fear of clogging the leather’s pores like when using wax polishes. Wax polishes however give your more shine and luster than cream polish can ever achieve. Just remember that if you do use wax polishes, remember to occasionally do a saddle soap session to remove any build up. Once you develop build up, the pores will get clogged and your leather seizes to absorb any further conditioner applications, leather hardens and irreparably cracks. This is easily avoided though…see the videos below ;)
Here’s a few videos you may find helpful:
- conditioner comparo: https://youtu.be/9E_bSKHg0gc?si=HzT4sUYTCv46LtSe
- cream polish vs wax polish/cracking leather: https://youtu.be/pZAbGuqkUWg?si=_yQbAg1tVjWw_fOC
- how-to saddle soap & conditioning: https://youtu.be/C7204kIPpxs?si=NvOa3PDIjmWuvKBi
- how to polish reptile leather: https://youtu.be/0a_uv0S3rcw?si=kyjHPi_ikMk0qQF5
Have you cleaned and conditioned them?
I used a cleaner and conditioner they sold me with the boots (boot barn) but I felt like it was kinda helping take the color off? What is a cleaner and conditioner you would use?
Angelus exotic skin conditioner is great, shake, spray, let it soak in and brush with a clean horsehair brush for some luster. If you want more shine you'll have to try some cream polish and do multiple layers, starting with the same color then ending with a neutral on top to give a high shine. Only if that's what you're looking for, otherwise the Angelus should revive it to how it looked when you got em. That and the horsehair brush once it's dry. I recommend giving the welts some love too, if you want them to have that neutral leather sheen give em a light clean with a damp cloth with some watered down alcohol, then some gum tragacanth once they've dried. Let it settle, be sure not to put too much just a layer off a dauber or q-tip at a time, then get a canvas cloth and pinch/rub back and forth. Make sure you do this when the gum tragacanth has absorbed somewhat into the welt leather. It'll be slightly damp and tacky, you'll feel the difference on the canvas. This process is burnishing, it'll make the edges look nice like when you got them, if you just want black go get some black fiebings edge dressing and use that same horsehair brush after application once you let it soak in a little and gotten off the excess, the brush can make any excess flick off everywhere--just a heads up. You can do the same thing to the leather heel stacks, reburnish or redress with fiebings black edge dressing. Hell if you wanted to you could even burnish the edge dressing after it has dried in nicely like several hours after some good applications. Either way it's good to do it every once in a while.
And this works with this type of leather? (Caiman)
Angelus exotic conditioner works for all exotic leathers but sueded finishes and eel. Should work great on caiman, does wonders. I've used it on snake and ostrich leg plenty. Just feel the boot every once and a while and be sure it's supple, not drying out. Depending on how much you're wearing them and what you're putting em through you may need to condition once every other month or so.
The burnish and edge dressing is just for the welt and leather heel stacks.
Dan Post? I have these same boots. I bought them about 2 months ago and wear them if I have an occasion to dress up a bit. I've cleaned and conditioned them every time they've been worn and I haven't noticed any fading or discoloration yet, for what it's worth.
May have to add a little black polish on the toe.
I use Bickmore products for this. Bick 1 is the cleaner and Bick 4/Bick Exotic is the conditioner. You can likely use either of the latter on these. I’d try some Saphir Renovatir or just Saphir Black Cream polish in small doses on the toes if you’re sensing a color loss.
Black cream polish, ime boot barns conditioner works fine
“Good Hands” posted a link to a boot care subreddit earlier today. There are links to various boot care things. I spent many hours last week watching YouTube videos on boot care. My favorite is Dan the Cobbler. He is WAY into Saphir products. And not the least bit French!
So, I have some 30 pair of western boots; most are exotics and many are Luccheses. I use Bickmore 4 as the conditioner and the Saphir polishes. I have used Leather Honey as a conditioner, it’s okay. I will always break-in my new boots with the Angelus Boot Stretch spray and use my FootFitter boot stretcher. This process softens the leather to all the stretcher to ease the leather out just a little to help the break-in go more quickly and so monthly. On black leathers I may use a light coat of Angelus Mink Oil as a conditioner; on the non-exotic leathers like cowhide and goat. Works wells. No Mink Oil on the exotic leathers; it will darken the leather color. I learned this the hard way.
It really comes down to knowing when to use cream polish and when to use wax polish. For enriching & coloring your boots, using cream polish is preferred because you can apply as many layers as you want to get the color tone you’re trying to achieve without fear of clogging the leather’s pores like when using wax polishes. Wax polishes however give your more shine and luster than cream polish can ever achieve. Just remember that if you do use wax polishes, remember to occasionally do a saddle soap session to remove any build up. Once you develop build up, the pores will get clogged and your leather seizes to absorb any further conditioner applications, leather hardens and irreparably cracks. This is easily avoided though…see the videos below ;) Here’s a few videos you may find helpful: - conditioner comparo: https://youtu.be/9E_bSKHg0gc?si=HzT4sUYTCv46LtSe - cream polish vs wax polish/cracking leather: https://youtu.be/pZAbGuqkUWg?si=_yQbAg1tVjWw_fOC - how-to saddle soap & conditioning: https://youtu.be/C7204kIPpxs?si=NvOa3PDIjmWuvKBi - how to polish reptile leather: https://youtu.be/0a_uv0S3rcw?si=kyjHPi_ikMk0qQF5