Dubbing

[Reaps72]

Does anyone still use dubbing on their boots?

Or what's your leather boot care regime?

[Silverback]

clean with saddle soap and apply polish for my hi leg boots. For my walking/hiking boots I use nikwax

[rossbird]

Didn't dubbing tend to rot the stitching on boots?

[sam_acw]

Dubbin (no g) is ok for boots. I have heard that it can soften the leather too much but I've never had a problem with that, or boots being too soft. The place I bought my walking boots from basically thought of dubbin as a tool of the devil and pushed nikwax - guess which one they sold!
Various sites mention its effect on stitching - they tend to blame leaving too much dubbin on the stitches and it attracting dirt rather than the wax itself as the damaging agent.

[GwersyllaCnau]

I use nikwax. Applied with my finger not the supplied sponge.

[Dan XF]

I used Parade Gloss on my boots. They are black anyway but parade gloss has a high level of bees wax in it. I've had wet feet in the past when the water has been too deep or the rain so severe that it's traveled down my socks and in to my boots. Never force your boots dry in a hot environment, I put newspaper in mine and leave them to dry at room temp then repolish. G wax is a high wax content that boasts about it's mix of natural oils and is supposed to be good and I used to sell it along with Nikwax products. They both seemed to work but for leather boots like Brasher I used to recommend a good shoe polish. The best polish I have found recently is the stuff sold by the Timpson shops. It seems to have a high wax content and leaves the leather well nourished. I have used olive oil to soften new boots in the past as this seems to work without rotting the leather or making your feet smell later. In America I've seen bear fat applied to boots which smells as bad as you can imagine and really should stay in the bear for more that that reason alone.
So my way of doing things is brush off mud, allow to dry slowly, polish with a good high wax shoe polish.

[Woodwose]

It would be a interesting project to make your own waterproofing leather wax. I've had a google for ingredients and for a natural product, you start off with beeswax and pine resin.
you could probably also use the sticky sap from douglas fir tree blisters.

Other ingredients to use could be any, or a mixture of the following.

Tupentine, Carnauba wax, Hemp oil, Vegetable oil, Linseed oil-(flax oil) Lanolin.
Tallow.
Mink oil,, this is taken from the pelts used in the mink fur trade.
Neats fot oil, taken from the shin bones of cattle.

Basically you heat equal amounts of beeswax and pine resin until they liquidise then add what ever you think will work. In fact create your own recipe.

[jbrown14]

If my boots are muddied after a hike, I wash them with a brush and mostly water. I use a little (very little) dish detergent if necessary. Then I let them dry and apply Red Wing Boot Oil to them with my fingers. I just rub it in like I'm putting lotion on my hands, until it feels like it doesn't need any more. I use the same stuff on my leather sheaths. Works great so far.

The boot oil just lists petroleum and beeswax as the ingredients, so I can't be sure of exactly what's in it. Either way, it works well.

[comanighttrain]

I usually give them a wipe then use meindl's sportwax on it - amazing stuff, boots both breathable and completely waterproof.

[Whistle]

Hi Reaps72 ... Just a wipe or brush clean and when dry Effax Leder-Balsam !!! A cheap but highly effective leather balm , got mine from local equestrian shop been using it on the hooligan pipes for years ... don'seem to do'em any harm and keeps the bag and bellows soft , flexible and air tight Good on the boots too , don'kno 'bout the waterproofing ... both my Hi-Teks and Brashers have Gortex membranes Ha ha ha !!!

Cheers Whistle

[chrome]

Didn't dubbing tend to rot the stitching on boots?

Not heard of that one,it's news to me!.used it for donkeys years with no problems...Sounds like a lot of eye water.

[David_JAFO]

hello,
Nikwax primarily & SnoSeal when I can get it. I have used tins of Dubbin (Doc Martens brand) on my trainers. I bought a few tins from the Doc Martens Glasgow store. Tins are now empty & kept for making/storing Charcloth. I've got spare tins. :wink:
Regards
David

[FishyFolk]

Ifleather boots are left untreated for a long time and it simultaneously has been wet repeatedly, then the leather eventually begin to dry. When leather becomes dry, it tends to pull together. It will sooner or later result in cracking.

Hiking boots and shoes made both of art materials and leather (leather), both in combination or even just one. In addition, there are several different types and qualities of leather:

Nubuck leather - leather where the outside is sanded with sand to a matt appearance
Nubuck leather is sanded / brushed up to give the leather better breathing abilities, and that minor injuries do not seem as good. There are special brushes to ruffling up Nubuck-leather with. Before that uses a liquid impregnation. Greased Nubuck leather with wax will eventually look more like and act like smooth leather.

Smooth leather - leather used with the outside out.
Feel free to use wax to impregnate smooth leather, or of a spray. Also remember to use shoe polish regularly.

Split leather - are produced by the leather being cut away from the back of the smooth leather.
The most affordable leather quallity, but works fine for many kinds of shoes and boots, including trekking / hiking shoes, light hiking boots. Split leather breathes well, is light in weight and softer. Use proofing spray on footwear made of split leather and textile - or a means intended for suede / nubuck. Are boot only in split leather can wax used, but please note that the leather will then lose the good breathing properties and appearance.

Reversed leather (reversed leather) - leather used with meat side out
Use to get the most waterproof boot - regardless of Gore-Tex. Features include on heavy boots intended for use with crampons. Treat as suede, feel free to use silicone-containing waterproofing.

GORE-TEX

All these types of leather or synthetic material can be combined with Gore-Tex. Gore-Tex is not the actual material of the shoe, but a membrane located on the inside of the leather / art material to give the boot extra resistance to moisture. This membrane prevents water to penetrate into the boot while not preventing moisture coming out of the boot. Gore-Tex is thus between the outer fabric and lining.

To relieve Gore-Tex membrane slightly, it must be ensured that the outer material is the most water-resistant and that it stays soft and supple.

For Gore-Tex to function properly and breathable it is important to wash the inside of the shoe in between. This is done by filling the boots with lukewarm water and let it stand for a while. Fill up and shake your boots well with water.

....or just give it a good dose of kiwi sho shine once in a while :-)

[shepherd]

i use renapur leather balsam on all my leather from boots to sheathes etc.. never let me down and its minimum fuss too... my boots take an absolute hammering on a daily basis.. even more so during the shooting season and they look and feel as good as new...