Ultimate Leather Conditioner Comparison (on Reddit)

[handymike]

Of the two, I think Tenderly is the better option so far. Problem is- How do you remove the resin finish left from the Urad? Do you need to wipe it down with turpentine or some other solvent? Maybe it will eventually wear off with use.
Good news is that any spilled Hurricane cocktails will roll right off without a mark.

 

[alish]

Sounds like if the leather needs conditioning, then using something that will truly hydrate the fibers / interior of the leather would be best before using Urad. I have to say I've been quite impressed with Skidmore's leather cream, either by itself or mixed approx. 1:1 with petroleum jelly for conditioning. I had read someone on here that Skidmore's was recommended by someone with a long history of leather restoration work. Decided to use it on this 30s horsehide half-belt I've posted elsewhere on TFL. Straight Skidmore's was used all over, then a second application a day later on spots that needed it. Then I decided to mix it with some petroleum jelly (approx. 1:1) and apply this a few days later to the few trouble areas that were still needing more hydration. About ten days after that I touched up a couple of spots with a little bit more of the 1:1 mix. Now the whole jacket looks and feels great! But giving plenty of time between the later applications was key as the leather continued to improve for a number of days after each application. Without giving enough time I could easily have over-conditioned some areas. Oh, and I did not follow the Skidmore's instructions to wipe the conditioner off after 30 minutes. I'm sure with newer, finished leathers this is probably necessary; but with old leather that hasn't been conditioned in a while, and / or has been recently cleaned, I think it is probably better to just leave it to soak in for a few days. You can always wipe over it with your application rag and then buff with a clean cloth if there is a residue left on the surface days later.

Pics below show 1) before any work, which included using a cloth and a mild soap, water and vinegar to wash the entire jacket;2) 24 hours after the first application of the 1:1 mix; and 3) about 2-3 weeks after the last touch up. Different lighting in each, so kind of hard to tell, but the leather was significantly darkened initially (although this was partly due to the leather being dry on the surface, especially in areas where there has been some surface wear and peeling; after a few weeks the leather is less shiny and has lightened a touch. I guess it has what might be called a satin sheen. Something with a higher wax content could be used as finish coat for more shine, but I think this is a good look for such an old jacket. It doesn't quite have the depth that it had in the 24 hours after picture, and I guess that's where Urad might be good. But for rejuvenating / conditioning 80+ year-old leather, I think Skidmore's plus petroleum jelly is a great way to go.

 

[handymike]

I will order some Skidmores next!
Your jacket looks great!

 

[ton312]

Of the two, I think Tenderly is the better option so far. Problem is- How do you remove the resin finish left from the Urad? Do you need to wipe it down with turpentine or some other solvent? Maybe it will eventually wear off with use.
Good news is that any spilled Hurricane cocktails will roll right off without a mark.

It will dull and absorb into the jacket over time (within a week or two). The key with URAD creme is using a very small amount. You can’t use too little and it goes a really long way.

 

[Marc mndt]

Maybe Urad is good for sealing leather with compromised finishes?

I think you're right. The finish on one of the sleeves of my 50's Hercules halfbelt was completely worn off. I tried a number of beeswax based products but nothing helped to bring back the color or shine. It stayed completely matte and pale while the rest of the jacket had a nice deep brown color with a somewhat shiny finish. Buffing it after the beeswax had dried didn't help one bit. Yet the Urad brought the sleeve back to life within minutes.

 

[Marc mndt]

Sounds like if the leather needs conditioning, then using something that will truly hydrate the fibers / interior of the leather would be best before using Urad. I have to say I've been quite impressed with Skidmore's leather cream, either by itself or mixed approx. 1:1 with petroleum jelly for conditioning. I had read someone on here that Skidmore's was recommended by someone with a long history of leather restoration work. Decided to use it on this 30s horsehide half-belt I've posted elsewhere on TFL. Straight Skidmore's was used all over, then a second application a day later on spots that needed it. Then I decided to mix it with some petroleum jelly (approx. 1:1) and apply this a few days later to the few trouble areas that were still needing more hydration. About ten days after that I touched up a couple of spots with a little bit more of the 1:1 mix. Now the whole jacket looks and feels great! But giving plenty of time between the later applications was key as the leather continued to improve for a number of days after each application. Without giving enough time I could easily have over-conditioned some areas. Oh, and I did not follow the Skidmore's instructions to wipe the conditioner off after 30 minutes. I'm sure with newer, finished leathers this is probably necessary; but with old leather that hasn't been conditioned in a while, and / or has been recently cleaned, I think it is probably better to just leave it to soak in for a few days. You can always wipe over it with your application rag and then buff with a clean cloth if there is a residue left on the surface days later.

Pics below show 1) before any work, which included using a cloth and a mild soap, water and vinegar to wash the entire jacket;2) 24 hours after the first application of the 1:1 mix; and 3) about 2-3 weeks after the last touch up. Different lighting in each, so kind of hard to tell, but the leather was significantly darkened initially (although this was partly due to the leather being dry on the surface, especially in areas where there has been some surface wear and peeling; after a few weeks the leather is less shiny and has lightened a touch. I guess it has what might be called a satin sheen. Something with a higher wax content could be used as finish coat for more shine, but I think this is a good look for such an old jacket. It doesn't quite have the depth that it had in the 24 hours after picture, and I guess that's where Urad might be good. But for rejuvenating / conditioning 80+ year-old leather, I think Skidmore's plus petroleum jelly is a great way to go.

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Awesome jacket. Lightning Archives 'Leather Jacket' magazine page 33. Yours looks to be in much better condition than the one featured in the magazine.

 

[alish]

Awesome jacket. Lightning Archives 'Leather Jacket' magazine page 33. Yours looks to be in much better condition than the one featured in the magazine.

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Thanks Marc! Yes, very similar jacket. A few minor differences in the number of panels used on the back and on the sleeves, and different side cinch buckles. But same raglan sleeves and same "split" back; similar pockets. I like the steeper pocket angle and the simpler back design on mine; but I like the three panel sleeves plus cuffs on the one in the Lightning archives - gives a better shape and taper compared to the design on mine. And yes, I think mine has the better leather (or at least it has survived the ravages of time in better shape). Definitely wonder which was the "original" design and which one was the "attempt at improving it" (presumably by the competition across town). Terry feels pretty certain that it was made on the West Coast of the U.S., probably California. But so far no one has found anything closer to discovering a maker than the pics from Lightning / Tanaka's book (appears to be the same pic). The one in the Lightning archives shares similarities with the back design, and same side cinches, as a Johnson Bros. jacket (also from the 30s from Lightning archives), but without the raglan sleeves and with a cross zip front design.

Pic of the Johnson Bros back design:

Pics of my jacket we're talking about, which I've posted elsewhere on TFL, but thought I'd include to illustrate some of my above comments:

I've actually been putting some ideas to paper for a possible novel or screenplay that creates a fictional history of the jacket from the 30s California MC scene to WWII in England, the MC scene in England after the war, the jacket forgotten in a closet, and then it eventually makes its way back to the States via ebay nearly 80 years later (which is the true part of the story). Who knows what will come of it, but it's fun to think about. Any writers on this site who might want to collaborate?!?

 

[Salmosalar]

Something that I think folk on here may find is worth a try is Fiebing's Carnauba Creme, which I have used to give some extra protection to my vegtan jackets in particular - it gives a really nice sheen after a good buffing and adds depth to the colour imo - hard to show in photos but well worth a go, and it can be built up progressively like shoe polish, to give a deeper lustre. It also seems to help with toning down the “angry mice” squeaking of my badalassi jackets as they break in…

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

another vote for Skidmores. I've switched exclusively to that. Pecards is nice too, but I think it's more preservative than conditioner. Skidmores sinks in deep and softens. Takes a couple days for most of the color to lighten up back to where it was.

I apply and usually hang in the sun to let it soak in deeper. An old timer told me to stick the jacket in a black hefty bag and then put in the sun for a few days. That does wonders too. Once it's back in the closet, after a couple days it feels like it softens even more. It does feel a little tacky on CXL at first.

obviously different leather types will react differently, so there may not be just ONE solution. But so far Skidmores on anything naked or not to heavy top coat has been great.

 

[handymike]

Done! I ordered some.

 

[JMax]

Dr. Jackson’s Leather Conditioner behaves like TooMany says Skidmores behaves. It’s awesome. Then some Dr.Jackson’s Hide Rejuvenator and you are left with butta.

 

[handymike]

I like DR. Jacksons too! I have found it darkens some hides. I used to use it combination with Pecards...then I discovered Chamberlains...

 

[JurassicUtility]

Of the two, I think Tenderly is the better option so far. Problem is- How do you remove the resin finish left from the Urad? Do you need to wipe it down with turpentine or some other solvent? Maybe it will eventually wear off with use.
Good news is that any spilled Hurricane cocktails will roll right off without a mark.

I bought some Urad for myself since curiosity got the better of me. Tested it on a panel of leather from on an old jacket my dad used to wear. Seems like 70% isopropyl alcohol will work. I was definitely getting color transfer from either the dye or finish on the black jacket I was experimenting on, so be careful. I also tried wiping with a cloth after spraying with bottle of water, and wiping with Saphir Renomat (a product for removing wax buildup on leather shoes). The water mostly just beaded on the surface, and took off a little of the shine after wiping down. The Renomat didn't really do much.

Before Urad

After Urad

After wiping righthand corner with rubbing alcohol

 

[navetsea]

I like it, it changes old over the hill jacket that otherwise be left as pattern reference or strictly as collectible back into a functional wearable jacket.

 

[Peacoat]

As a reminder, I have put the link to this thread in the Important Threads section at the top of the Outerwear forum. That way you don't have to go searching for it when needed, and you can quickly link to it when a newbie has a question about conditioners (as they always do).

Thanks again to @Monitor for the information.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

I experimented some more with my natural CXL Ridley. It could be the combination of the two, but more likely it's the latter.

I hit it pretty hard with Skidmores yesterday. Kind of felt tacky and sort of wet cardboard. It did ease up some over night but not enough.

Hit it with pecards today and night and day. Shine, pliability, softness.

Again, could have been the 1 to 2 punch. In which case I think the idea above of mixing Skidmore with vaseline is genius. But generally speaking, I'm going to stick to Pecards on CXL. Skidmores on pretty much anything else. But I will try this skidmores/vaseline combo for sure.

 

[handymike]

As a reminder, I have put the link to this thread in the Important Threads section at the top of the Outerwear forum. That way you don't have to go searching for it when needed, and you can quickly link to it when a newbie has a question about conditioners (as they always do).

Thanks again to @Monitor for the information.

While you’re at it, maybe you could alter the title to:
Ultimate Leather Conditioner Comparison (The Uber-lube Thread)
That way, we’ll always remember it.

 

[alish]

I experimented some more with my natural CXL Ridley. It could be the combination of the two, but more likely it's the latter.

I hit it pretty hard with Skidmores yesterday. Kind of felt tacky and sort of wet cardboard. It did ease up some over night but not enough.

Hit it with pecards today and night and day. Shine, pliability, softness.

Again, could have been the 1 to 2 punch. In which case I think the idea above of mixing Skidmore with vaseline is genius. But generally speaking, I'm going to stick to Pecards on CXL. Skidmores on pretty much anything else. But I will try this skidmores/vaseline combo for sure.

My limited experience with Skidmore's + petroleum jelly is that the leather keeps improving even many weeks after application (depending on how dry or damaged the leather was), so going light with it, adding more as needed, and giving it lots of time. I was just looking at my Skidmore's + petroleum jelly treated jacket earlier today and the leather in the thin-feeling areas that had been slow to re-hydrate is even better than it was a week or two ago. In fact, these spots don't even look or feel like problem areas at all - the leather has thickened and firmed so it now feels like normal, healthy leather. It's been 3-4 weeks since the last application of conditioner, and yes, I had hung the jacket in the sun after conditioning to help it absorb better; but time has been a huge part of the story, at least with this jacket. Not sure if Skidmore's alone will behave this way. Based on how Skidmore's smells, my gut feel is that it's heavy on plant-based oils (some of which probably act as solvents / carriers and are quite volatile, meaning they could actually have a drying affect); thus, adding in the vaseline may have increased the rehydrating / conditioning power. Probably a similar benefit from hitting it with Pecards the next day - the oils in the leather from the Skidmore's would have helped carry the Pecards deeper into the leather.

I think Pecards might be better than Skidmore's as a surface protector anyway (I think someone else had suggested this as well). I had been debating about hitting my Skidmore's treated jacket with my home-made version of Pecards (beeswax and vaseline, but with a higher wax content than Pecards). Hearing the results of the 2-step process of Skidmore's and Pecards makes me think I should, especially after Marc's earlier comment that beeswax didn't improve the shine / topcoat look (which in my case is good as I don't want this look because the jacket is so old). Thanks @Marc mndt and @TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead !! Very useful info!!

It'll be interesting to hear what others experience with Skidmore's (either solo or with vaseline, or when followed with Pecards) to start to get a bit more of an experience-base here.

 

[handymike]

There is a Beeswax version of Skidmores on Amazon. They call it Restoration Cream. I almost bought that, but went with the Leather Cream first. I also went for another tub of Tenderly to try on my sofa in combo with Skidmores.

 

[navetsea]

obenauf's oil is also slow in absorbing, it takes weeks to get the full effect of treatment I did to it, so it is very easy to get impatient and over treat, i think 90% of "how to leather conditioning" tutorial on the internet are over did it especially on new leather. since usually they only wait several hours or next morning to give a second coat to finish up the video.

but maybe the slow absorbing is probably lasting longer too inside the leather. but the jacket looks dark and dull for few weeks, nothing can be done to it, cant get any kind of shine with buffing until the oil get fully absorbed and no longer on the surface, I think that's what I dislike about obenauf oil. but also stop me from over treating it since I hate that post treatment wait time