I am using Neatsfoot oil right now, but wondering what the best oil is to moisturize dry, older saddle? Was in storage for a few years and is lovely but needs to really DRINK 
Right now the Neatsfoot oil dries up pretty quickly. I also have Lexol at home and Fiebings Saddle Soap which worked wonders on my current saddle cleaning up before a show.
Any recommendations and how often should I be doing it to get it soft and supple? Few oilings per day?
I’m a big believer in Ko cho line. Just don’t ride in light colored breeches for the first few rides after treating the saddle.
I’ve had great success with Lexol.
Lexol. The best stuff on earth for older tack
I clean and condition with Lexol but oil with olive oil.
Make sure you have the Lexol conditioner and not just the cleaner.
I also like the Lexol pH conditioner to keep my tack supple in use, but prefer Leather New for cleaning anything, including old moldy tack. Leather New has increased the value of many an old saddle for me- got a great, 50 year old textan saddle once for $200, cleaned and conditioned it and was offered $500 for it the following week. But I liked it so well, I kept it. I dilute the leather new a bit with water to stretch it for everyday use- just spritz it on after riding and wipe clean. I have also found, for cleaning, a good economical substitute for Leather new is Murphy’s Oil soap, 1 part soap diluted with 2 additional parts of water and an ounce of neatsfoot or olive oil in an old windex spray bottle.
Plain old Neatsfoot oil is still a great conditioner for stored tack that needs to drink a bit before being used and I often will apply 3 or 4 coats, a couple of days apart and let it soak in before using.
Hemes saddle milk to remove the decades of old wax (Want to see the white stitching again? Use that stuff - might be hard to find though)
Afterwards use KO CHO LINE.
The gal who does leather work at my barn swears by the Stubben conditioner. She worked miracles on an old bridle I have. I use Effax and love it.
5, I’ve tried the Hermes bar soap and loved it. I’ll have to try the saddle milk, it sounds right up my saddle’s alley.
Clean with Castile soap to get off old gunk, wipe down and then use warm neatsfoot oil. Put oil in a microwave safe dish and heat until warm (more than luke warm but not hot) Apply light coat with paint brush. Let dry, wipe with towal and re-do the warm neatsfoot oil.
Has always worked for me.
Flexalan.
Saddle soap, elbow grease, and then Hydrophane.
[QUOTE=Mozart;5532202]
Clean with Castile soap to get off old gunk, wipe down and then use warm neatsfoot oil. Put oil in a microwave safe dish and heat until warm (more than luke warm but not hot) Apply light coat with paint brush. Let dry, wipe with towal and re-do the warm neatsfoot oil.
Has always worked for me.[/QUOTE]
This has always been my routine!! It works AMAZING!!! I have a 40 yr old Beval that got this treatment a few months ago and I recently sold it for $800!! and no it did not have any knee rolls, but it looked and felt amazing!!!
I bought a saddle on ebay a few years ago that was very dry. Like you said, it just sucked up the neatsfoot oil. I asked at a local saddlery and they suggested leather therapy conditioner. Worked great! Really made it supple and gorgeous.
When I first got my used Crosby three months ago, it was HELLA dry. Started out by doing several light coats of mink oil – about once every 30 minutes for 3 or 4 hours. Then let it sit for a few days. Came back, did it again. Let it sit for a week. Then do a medium conditioning with the mink oil again. (It was probably overkill, but the leather soaked it up and didn’t remain oily at all. I wanted to make sure I had a good base of oil before going to something else.)
Broke out the Lexol leather conditioner and gave it a HEAVY conditioning. I sprayed a little bit under the flaps where the pommel comes together, by the stirrup bars, in all the little crevices. And really worked it in with my hands and an old sock.
That was a month ago, and now I’m going back with the Lexol for another heavy conditioning, and that should do it. I mean, my saddle was VERY dry. The bottom flap felt like it was wood or hard cardboard.
[QUOTE=Mozart;5532202]
Clean with Castile soap to get off old gunk, wipe down and then use warm neatsfoot oil. Put oil in a microwave safe dish and heat until warm (more than luke warm but not hot) Apply light coat with paint brush. Let dry, wipe with towal and re-do the warm neatsfoot oil.
Has always worked for me.[/QUOTE]
This, castile will stripe away the old oil - where many saddle soaps have conditioner in them (usualy glycerin). You need to stripe away- and then add the oil back.
for heavy duty jobs my fave is Passier lederbalsam
for lighter work…olive oil
I trust Bickmore Neatsfoot Very good composition and good quality for a good price. There are also other means, but I do not know whether they will suit you.
https://leather-toolkits.com/reviews/best-oil-for-leather/
Zombie thread.
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Hydrophane oil
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