Mink Oil vs Neatsfoot Oil - Leather Conditioner Challenge!

Discover the ultimate leather conditioner showdown: Mink Oil vs. Neatsfoot Oil! Dive deep into their compositions, applications, and effects on leather. Find out which one best suits your project as we compare their performance side by side.
#leathercraft #leathercrafting #leatherworking #leatheroil #leatherconditioner
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00:00 - Intro
00:38 - What is Mink Oil
01:55 - Mink Oil Appearance
02:32 - Applying Mink Oil
04:54 - Comparing Mink Oil Samples
05:50 - What is Neatsfoot Oil
06:28 - Neatsfoot Oil Appearance
07:12 - Applying Neatfoot Oil
08:46 - Comparing Neatsfoot Oils Samples
09:35 - Mink Oil vs Neatfoot Oil
10:35 - Summary
ITEMS MENTIONED:
Fiebing’s Mink Oil Liquid - amzn.to/3Tiq2AN
Fiebing's 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil - amzn.to/3RhxyJt
MORE DETAILS:
View more about mink oil and neatsfoot oil for leather working at the ILC here:
www.internationalleatherclub....
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[@jamesw.3491]

Neatsfoot oil is usually put on with the oil heated or by heating the surface with a heat gun after it's applied. Putting it on cold take a lot longer to soak in. Mink oil looks lighter, because it's mainly artificial ingredients, and not a natural product.
Tanneries "hot stuff" hides with oils and fats. Hot stuffing, hence the heat, distribute the oils and fats more evenly through a hide. It's not just the surface on leather you want to protect, it's all the way through, you want to protect fibers. Most veg tanned leather has very little oils/fats unless it's a type specifically made with them. Oiling is a determining factor on how long a leather produce will last.
IMO, the issue is more complicated then "which do you prefer".

[@internationalleatherclub]

Hello, GREAT elements to mention! There are so many steps of leather production and use and various methods that can be allied at each one.
This is a great addition to the discussion to help folks get a little deeper into understanding the complexities. And yes, it's often more complicated
😃
Often, after some education and experience, people settle into a preferred method, then it gets a little easier. Great stuff, thanks.

[@donrobbins4861]

But which one makes the leather softer? That's what i was hoping to find out in this video

[@internationalleatherclub]

Hello 😃 In general between the two the difference will be subtle though the mink oil blend might be a little softer since it includes a few other elements beyond neatsfoot oil (while common mink oil blends often do include neatsfoot oil, too).
A truly pure mink oil (99-100% pure, not a blend) will likely soften more. They'll be a little tricker to find, though still available.

[@dustang5.O]

Bick 4 is better than both depending on the type of leather you’re trying to soften up and it doesn’t darken any color. Regardless of what you use, make sure none of the products you use contain silicon like the products in this video.

[@internationalleatherclub]

@@dustang5.O Bick 4 in general performs well, though seems too as of 2017, to have neatsfoot oil and silicone in it:
cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0275/0418/1290/files/BICK_4_-_CA_RIGHT_TO_KNOW.pdf?v=1631557742
Many manufactures keep the ingredients vague, and can be tricky to find out more about them.
it's really tough to find all-natural conditioners! I think we've come across maybe only a handful out of hundreds of products.

[@jfrancisut]

Will using Neatsfoot oil with more applications make the leather darker?

[@internationalleatherclub]

In general it likely will. Usually, the more conditioning, or applications of a conditioner, will lead to more moisture and a slightly darker color each time.
Depending on the formula it might be slight, and it usually dries lighter than it looks when initially applied.

[@dustang5.O]

I’m wondering why any company would put silicone in any of these conditioners, with the only reason being as a cheap filler. Silicon is not good for leather or stitching threads. Easy to verify, as all of the better mink oil or neatsfoot oil conditioners from reputable companies specifically state that they do NOT contain silicon.

[@internationalleatherclub]

Definitely agree! 😃

[@BENkneefactor]

Why don’t you show any elements of how they perform per waterproofing and aging and also how they affect textiles threads, etc.

[@internationalleatherclub]

Hello, some great thoughts for an expanded analysis, thanks!