Boot care

[Redman86]

Wondering what everyone uses for boot care on leather boots? I have new pair of hanwags that came with “hanwag” wax but was wondering if there is better options out there or what others use

[Treed]

I’ve tried a lot of different boot care products. By the the best is Obenaufs. Compared to Nixwax I find it lasts longer and keeps the leather in better condition.

[digger dogger]

X2 Obenaufs
Cabelas sells it now.

[geologist]

SnoSeal and a hairdryer or heatgun.

[Brno22F]

Also have Hanwag boots and have used up a can of the Hanwag wax. I read the label on the Hanwag wax product and it is largely bees wax. So is SnoSeal. A big can of SnoSeal is way less pricey than a small can of Hanwag product.
I have been using the method described by Geologist for a few years now. Works just fine.

[Greenthumbed]

Another vote for snoseal and the heat gun. It’s the best way to get the wax and oils to penetrate. Otherwise the treatment doesn’t last anywhere near as long. I’ve been using Snoseal since I can remember. It is a very good product and you can find it just about everywhere.

[landphil]

And here I thought that I came up with the idea of using a heat gun to soak in the SnoSeal. Ha! Great minds think alike. And small minds seldom differ. I’ve been doing that for years to my boots and leather work gloves, etc. My hands sure are soft for a while after too. :D

Now, how many of you fellow geniuses (or is it genieii??) wax their snow shovels so snow doesn’t stick in them?

[wlbc]

Over the years I've tried about everything. I just use plain old bees wax - not paraffin wax. Heated up and rubbed in, works great.

[TARCHER]

Tried most but Obenaufs is seriously good. That said on my lowa boots I use the lowa products which work great too.

[swampthing]

I find more importantly than the quality of the grease is the amount you use it. I probably grease my boots 8-14 times a year. I grease them before a hunt, after a hunt, anytime after walking in wet conditions and before storing them. One trick that really adds life to boots is to apply seam grip seem sealer to all the seams and around the rand. Do this when they are new and about once a year after that. This rubberized coating protects the thread in the seams and keeps that weak link from abrading and failing.

[jimzuk]

Another vote for sno seal. It works great and lasts a long time. I do mine in the hot Kamloops sun and let it warm up the leather and melt the sno seal

[twoSevenO]

i prefer as little as possible to maintain the most breathability out of them that i can.
i also find that the boots made today with the nubuck leather are too porous for the stuff generally made for top grain leather to work right. You'd have to slather on a pound of that stuff for it to "stop absorbing".

With the nubuck, which most boots are nowdays, you are really mostly relying on the gore-tex liner to keep you dry rather than the leather.

[Greenthumbed]

The other very important part of leather boot care is cleaning them. The life of a pair of boots will be greatly extended by giving them a once over before applying the snoseal. I use saddle soap. I get this from the tack shop in town. This on its own goes a long way to making the boots waterproof.

[HarryToolips]

Neatsfoot oil....

[tigrr]

Just don't use anything that will desolve the glue holding the boot together. ie acetone based silicon products.
Vote for snow seal here too! Wood stove heat and re-apply.

[Squamch]

Obernaufs. Smells great too.

[Grizzlydick]

i did the snow seal/hair dryer years ago on brand new boots, worked great keeping the water out, but my feet sweated something awful. too much snow seal i guess making them non breathable.

[lovemywinchester]

I have been using the same tin of arctic dubbin from Capo for 3? years now. It uses mink oil. It's been great. My Irish Setters are on their last legs and the arctic dubbin really waterproofs them, for snow walking anyways. I give the boots a good scrub with a brush then slather it on with surgical gloves. I just put them on my boot dryer for 1.5 hour then rub the excess off. Works well.

[jac]

I use huberds boot grease has done a really great job for me.

[mod7rem]

I clean boots with water and a scrub brush, then Obenaufs with a hair dryer for heat.

[Goodlife61]

Niwax takes good care of my Boot .