Hello Folks,
I bought a new interior kit for my “S” type 7 years ago and it has been stored inside and kept warm and dry. It is still supple. I am thinking it could use something to keep it that way. I did some poking in the archives and some recommended neats foot as a cheaper alternative to some of the rejuvenation products made for original leather that is dried out. Does anyone know if neats foot could do any harm?
Thanks
Wes Keyes
York, Maine
I get it at a farm supply store. …try it in a folded under portion…never had any problems. .use on leather coat too…use it to keep bristle paint brushes soft when storing them.
Neatsfoot oil was great in the 1960s on baseball gloves to aid flexibility. Mink oil was used for giving flexibility and water resistance to hiking boots in the 1960s and even later. Leather dye methods, surface treatments, coatings, and thread and bonding materials have changed over the decades. It is good in inquire about what to use on specific combination of materials which may be different from what was used many decades ago. How a material cleans, penetrates, rots thread, and so on might be tested on portions of the leather that will not ever see the light of day. A lot of coatings on exposed faces of materials these days are made to be relatively impermeable to a lot of chemical exposure. Leather would not become more flexible if none of the application soaked in.
In the 1950s in my case–I had a little can of it. More recently, I bought neatsfoot oil and mixed it with lanolin, as recommended by Doug Dwyer. Works pretty well. I’ve also heard of problems with thread rotting, though.
Generally, it would seem that the current companies, like Leatherique and others, would know what they’re doing and (cost being no object) be preferred. A key issue is that older Jaguar leathers were dyed with lacquer “paint” which provides a barrier to penetration of leather treatments. IMHO.
If you call ask for Joanne:
LOTS of information here.
Gerard
Hello Folks,
The info you folks sent is appreciated. It is interesting that modern leathers may be coated with something that would inhibit absorption. I will do some testing before applying anything.
Great thoughts.
Wes Keyes
York, Maine
If the leather is off the car… could you not treat it from the back and avoid all the coating issues?
No expert and little experience - just an idea…
Dave
Leatherique is expert with Connolly Leathers. Try Rejuvenator Oil and Pristine Clean. They can also prepare water based analinre dye and can match a swatch you send them. My 59 XK150 has the original leather and it’s soft as a baby’s backside!