Leather Care -

Leather is exactly like your skin. You can feel when it's dry. You want to condition a leather before it begins to crack. Do this when a leather starts to feel dry.

(The following process takes some time and practice. Plan on 3 to 5 days minimum to treat your scabbard. The oils need time to pass through the finish and saturate the leather. During this time the oil will cause your scabbard to look wet, and also potentially cause color transfer if rubbed.)

There are three products I recommend for conditioning your leather products, two of which are leather conditioners, and a spray on finisher (Fiebings Leather Sheen is my preference). Find a good leather conditioner or mink oil (my preference), and lightly saturate a rag with it. Wipe this on lightly as using too much will over-saturate your leather, and in some cases it will start to remove the finish on the scabbard or belt. If it starts to do this, some scabbard's have some 2-tone / aging coloring techniques that could start to smear. Your leather will darken a tad after applying this, but should return to normal after 24-48 hours. After 2 days from application, take a dry rag and wipe down the scabbard/belts to remove any excess oil. After another 24 hours, take a clean 'white' rag and wipe your scabbard to detect any areas that rub off color and might need some finish applied. A product I have great success with for keeping leather moist, is Fiebing's Mink Oil, though this product can darken a lighter leather over time. What you're trying to do with conditioner is keep a leather from cracking and maintain it's flexibility. A leather mink oil or conditioner will keep a leather moist like your skin, and should prevent cracking. Another option is Fiebings 'Aussie' leather conditioner, which has a beeswax in it which helps with water resistance. It has a longer cure time, but the end result is nice. The problem with 'paste' or 'gel' conditioning on 'tooled' leather is that the paste or gel can get stuck in the crevices and dry white or cream colored. So minimize rubbing any of it into the creviced 'tooled' areas.

For a leather that is 'rubbing' color onto skin or clothing, use a leather finishing spray like "Fiebing's Leather Sheen" after oiling/conditioning as this will help keep the belt from rubbing color after conditioning the leather. One light coat should do it. When applying, if it's building up (looking wet), you're probably spraying too close or too much. Hold the can back 12 to 15 inches and keep the can moving. You essentially want to create a 'mist' like application. It's a good idea to experiment using any product on a test piece to learn it's best usage. Another product type to consider is a leather water resistance spray to help prevent water damage. I like to use "Dr. Jackson's Water Protector".

Essentially, I'd plan on doing this once a year depending on use, maybe less, maybe more. This depends on where you live and how you treat your scabbard. Condition first, seal second. A light coat of both. You can use a hand cloth after the finish has completely dried to give the finished sheen a buffed look so that it isn't too shiny.

Also, some scabbard's are ordered with an 'aged' appearance. Conditioning the leather will make the leather look somewhat new again, changing the look to 'well taken care of'. If aged is still your desire, try only conditioning the areas that bend the most to keep the leather from cracking.