Restoring old leather saddlebags?

[Finn]

The HD saddlebags on my Springer are very dry - not yet brittle but dry. They are old, I think they were put on back in 1997 as an accessory.

What product should I use first to make them elastic again? I 'think' that I should keep putting on some sort of product as long as the leather absorbs it and only then use some leather conditioner or such.

Suggestions?

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[Finn]

Perhaps this might be suitable. Should be easy to apply. 

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[tdrglide]

I picked up a pair of old fxr leather saddlebags that had probably sat in someone's garage for 30 years. Very stiff and dried out. I first used some Lexol leather conditioner and then finished with Fiebings Aussie leather conditioner. Came out very nice.
Check out the horse saddle and tack forums. Like oil threads 

[thunderrat]

On dried out bags like yours I prefer Obenauf's leather Oil (made in Idaho) applied til they don't take any more   followed up by Doc Bailey's Black Again............ted

[jmorton10]

Lexol leather conditioner.

That is what the horse people I know use on tack/saddles etc. & that stuff is really expensive so you know they will use the best stuff available to protect it.

I've used it for years on my Corbin leather seats et.

~John

[a_disalvo]

Crisco, cheap and it works! Frank

[Barrett]

This worked for me. 

[phillyfan]

The absolute best for leather is the Leatherique system. It is a system that is different then all others for sure. I have used it multiple times on vehicle seats that are uncoated leather.
First, put a couple drops of water on a bag. If the water drop soaks in then it is uncoated.

Follow the directions, it takes a while, but the results will be fantastic. Oil first, then the clean

https://www.detailedimage.com/Leatherique-M8/Rejuvenator-Oil-P65/32-oz-S2/

https://www.detailedimage.com/Leatherique-M8/Prestine-Clean-P64/16-oz-S1/

[jmorton10]

Leatherique looks like a great product, but how is it better than something like Lexol that is kind of the industry standard for leather care ??

~John

[PoorUB]

Crisco, cheap and it works! Frank

Plus your bike smells like fried food when the bags get hot from the pipes!

Seriously, I would avoid any vegetable oil or animal fat. They can go rancid and rotten.

Use products designed for the purpose.

[jty]

https://www.prisma.fi/fi/prisma/horse-power-valjasrasva-08l
in case you want to source the product closer to home.

[Dan89flstc]

On dried out bags like yours I prefer Obenauf's leather Oil (made in Idaho) applied til they don't take any more   followed up by Doc Bailey's Black Again............ted

I`ve been using it on my boots for years, never tried it on leather bags,  I have an old original set that came on my Softail, (they look worse than the OP`s saddlebags).

Another project to ward off cabin fever

[Finn]

https://www.prisma.fi/fi/prisma/horse-power-valjasrasva-08l
in case you want to source the product closer to home.

Yep, noticed that today. 

That Carr's Leather Oil appears to be available at Puuilo.

https://www.puuilo.fi/CarrDayMartin-valjasoeljy-leather-oil-300ml

[nibroc]

I use neatsfoot oil

[tdrglide]

After you oil/condition the leather, stuff the bags with packing paper to help stretch them back into shape. Let sit for a week. I then used the Fiebings Aussie conditioner to finish off cause it also has beeswax to help waterproof.

[jmorton10]

Seriously, I would avoid any vegetable oil or animal fat. They can go rancid and rotten.

Use products designed for the purpose.

Neatsfoot oil falls into that category.......

~John

[MikeL]

This is what my shoemaker friend uses and recommends

https://www.urad.com/welcome.cfm?lang=en&gclid=CjwKCAjwvOHzBRBoEiwA48i6AltThLQj15tZhdoWMGbRHKm_bk03hSGztKEjt9wlVnEp6biZq3TgcBoC6Q4QAvD_BwE


                                                                                                    MIKE

[sharkoilfield]

Seriously, I would avoid any vegetable oil or animal fat. They can go rancid and rotten.

Use products designed for the purpose.

Neatsfoot oil falls into that category.......

~John

Yet Neatsfoot oil is what real cowboys (and cowgirls) in the country use. I asked them; applied with a paint brush and let soak in.  Looks gross if the bottle gets too cool; warm it up and shake it.  It may seem strange that a natural animal product would be used on a natural animal product...but it's worked for me for years.

[vafatboy1]

If you have a tach shop nearby and see what they recommend

[db13]

good old linseed oil

[JW113]

No product will fix the damage already done from not caring for the leather in the first place. But you can keep the leather from further damage and make it look better with just about any "oil" product. Leather is made up of a bunch of fibers, which when dried out tend to rub against each other and break. They also shrink up when dried out. I personally use Lexol on external leather, but don't endorse it over any other leather treatment. I find they all work pretty much the same. For internal leather (like my car seats), I find animal oil based products tend to feel "greasy". Surprise! So instead I use McGuires's leather care.

Just one more voice in the sea of 'experts'!


-JW

[phillyfan]

Leatherique looks like a great product, but how is it better than something like Lexol that is kind of the industry standard for leather care ??

~John

Leatherique works a lot different then anything else. How you use it is to rub the oil all over the leather and let them get hot, not in direct sun. The oil goes down into the pores and pushes all the crap out of the pores of the leather, this takes hours. Sometimes more oil is needed, sometimes not.
Once the oil is done working you use hot water and the clean to remove everything. It is really amazing combo for leather.
I have used Lexol before but on uncoated leather that is dirty, Lexol isn't in the same ballpark with this stuff.

On light colored leather you can see the crud just being pushed out of the leather.

When it gets hot outside, put this stuff on the bags and put them in a shed or inside your car for hours. The more time with the oil, the cleaner they will get.

I put the oil on the seats, start the vehicle and turn the heat on. If it has seat warmers I turn them on too. Get it hot and then turn the car off

[dmrdn]

The old timers always used Neats Foot Oil to keep the harnesses & reins and all the straps they used with the horse's soft and pliable and prevent cracking

[boooby1744]

I use Obenauf's on all my leather.

[screem]

I bought a pair of dryed out , misshaped bags for my fatboy, edges of the lids were curled, the were sunk in and pretty much looked like a taco. I started soaking them with Fieblings liquid saddle soap and conditioner for a few weeks and got the leather more plyable. I stuffed the bags tight with news paper while applying more liquid saddle soap (glyserin Based) and i taped down the curled edges of the lids. Once every thing was pliable and shape had come back into the bags,  i sent them to Leatherlidinserts.com. the company happens to be in my home town, so i was able to just drop them off, the Owner Ray is a pro at getting bags back into shape. I would 100% recommend him to to bring your bags back to life. He was reasonable in price, he installed stiffeners inside the bags and under the lids, i still use the liquid saddle soap on them every few months to keep them supple and looking great

[chaos901]

I don't have leather bags but this has been interesting, especially the different takes and folks coming from different perspectives.  Reads a lot like an oil thread, which I suppose it is in reality.   

[jmorton10]

Leatherique looks like a great product, but how is it better than something like Lexol that is kind of the industry standard for leather care ??

~John

Leatherique works a lot different then anything else. How you use it is to rub the oil all over the leather and let them get hot, not in direct sun. The oil goes down into the pores and pushes all the crap out of the pores of the leather, this takes hours. Sometimes more oil is needed, sometimes not.
Once the oil is done working you use hot water and the clean to remove everything. It is really amazing combo for leather.
I have used Lexol before but on uncoated leather that is dirty, Lexol isn't in the same ballpark with this stuff.

On light colored leather you can see the crud just being pushed out of the leather.

When it gets hot outside, put this stuff on the bags and put them in a shed or inside your car for hours. The more time with the oil, the cleaner they will get.

I put the oil on the seats, start the vehicle and turn the heat on. If it has seat warmers I turn them on too. Get it hot and then turn the car off

Thanks for the info, that is the kind information that is actually helpful :-)

~John

[PoorUB]

Seriously, I would avoid any vegetable oil or animal fat. They can go rancid and rotten.

Use products designed for the purpose.

Neatsfoot oil falls into that category.......

~John

Funny, I thought I responded to this!?

I have no issues with products designed to condition leather, Crisco isn't one of them! Use a product designed to treat leather.

[Hossamania]

My chaps are 25 years old, never oiled, worn often, and they look it. They are probably due for some love, good info in this thread, especially the Leatherique, as they are pretty filthy.
Also, I've not used it, but is Murphy's Soap leather cleaner worth a try?
My original plan was to just Mink Oil them and ride, who cares what they look like. But, I suppose I should do it right for the one and only time I put any effort into them.

[screem]

as i said in a previous post, these bags were totally taco'd .. curled, bent, and dry as a chip

[screem]

Bags with lid inserts , they were 4-5 years ago

[phillyfan]

Leatherique looks like a great product, but how is it better than something like Lexol that is kind of the industry standard for leather care ??

~John

Leatherique works a lot different then anything else. How you use it is to rub the oil all over the leather and let them get hot, not in direct sun. The oil goes down into the pores and pushes all the crap out of the pores of the leather, this takes hours. Sometimes more oil is needed, sometimes not.
Once the oil is done working you use hot water and the clean to remove everything. It is really amazing combo for leather.
I have used Lexol before but on uncoated leather that is dirty, Lexol isn't in the same ballpark with this stuff.

On light colored leather you can see the crud just being pushed out of the leather.

When it gets hot outside, put this stuff on the bags and put them in a shed or inside your car for hours. The more time with the oil, the cleaner they will get.

I put the oil on the seats, start the vehicle and turn the heat on. If it has seat warmers I turn them on too. Get it hot and then turn the car off

Thanks for the info, that is the kind information that is actually helpful :-)

~John

No problem. I detail vehicles as a side gig for the last 10 plus years and have seen some absolute disgusting interiors. Soured milk that spilled a month before they brought the vehicle to me is on. Another good one was a truck that had to hit the brakes pretty hard and a crock pot with a pot roast in it flipped over. Don't worry about cleaning it, just wait a few weeks and then call me. Gross

[bobrk1]

My jacket  faded  I  talked  to  leather  store where  I  bought  it, he  said  that  he  uses  wd 40 I  hung  up  jacket  and  sprayed  it good  came  out  great 

[PoorUB]

WD40??

It might work fine, but you will smell like an oil refinery for a few days!

Most other leather conditioners have very little odor.

[JW113]

Yes it sounds a bit weird, but I'll tell you. If you're riding in the rain, in pinch it works quite well at waterproofing your boots if you don't have access to Camp Dry silicone spray. I don't think I'd use it on a jacket due to the 'aroma', but on saddlebags? Sure, why not?

-JW

[PoorUB]

Leaking boots?
I carry two plastic bags large enough to put my feet in, dry socks, plastic bags and water logged boots and your feet stay nice and toastie!

[JW113]

Leaky only if not treated at the beginning of the riding season. Wesco "Boss" boots. Treat with silicone or other boot oil, especially at the same of the upper and sole, and they are 100% waterproof.

-JW

[Finn]

First coat of Carr's Leather Oil on after cleaning the bags with Autoglym stuff.

Even if it is fairly cool in the garage the first coat seems to get absorbed quite quickly. I think this is something that would be good to do in summer temperatures.

Thick stuff, sort of like honey.

[mkd]

hot sun lets that leather soak it right up! use to do my springer bags in the sun! lexol, is what i used! very thin and soaks up faster.

[JW113]

Honey, I can relate. Upon high praise recommendation I tried some of that Oberauf's TP beeswax conditioner on my Softail bags. Thick like honey, and eventually did soak in. Sort of. But I was wiping the damn stuff off for weeks, always had patches of it weeping back out. Never again, sticking to the tried and true Lexol. YMMV.

-JW

[mkd]

would put the lexol on with a 1" paint brush, let it soak in and reapply! the dryer and more open the grain the faster it soaks in!

[eglideic]

I use neatsfoot oil

Ditto on the neatsfoot oil. I got that tip from an old cobbler.

[CVOThunder]

On dried out bags like yours I prefer Obenauf's leather Oil (made in Idaho) applied til they don't take any more   followed up by Doc Bailey's Black Again............ted

Guess I need to give them a shout someday. Old stompin' grounds back in the late 60's. Lots of good info here, might try the Leatherique as well. Depends on what I'm working on. Bags or car interior.