A little dab is all it takes.

[JCourneyaP]

A few weeks ago Me my bike and Mother Nature had a little dance on the road. She called out the gods of rain. I counter moved and dawned my rain gear. Well it took my gloves three days to dry out and my boots two.

I did the usual and stuffed em with News Paper to dry out the insides. Then I pondered. How they get wet? They are water resistant. Yea Right! Maybe 4 years ago or so when I first got em.

Well I ventured to Wally World and picked up a tin of Mink Oil and done em up good. Being former Military and wearing boots most my adult life I forgot the importance of boot maintenance. I danced again with mother nature and once again the gloves are wet but my boots......Socks are nice and dry. Ha!

Now I sit with my feet up on the counter top "Mom would never allow it at Home" and stare at my soft now looking not so dingy Red Wing Engineer boots. I figure I have another good year or so before I have to get em resoled. No sense buying new ones when these are broken in.

Oh and while I was at it. I grease up my Holster that carries my Ruger 44 mag and my other holster that carries my Smith and Wesson 357.

Frisco being a part time smith can appreciate the smoothness of a well oiled precisioned revolver with smooth wooden grips and an easy trigger pull that can't be beat. Oh yea!!

[Scruffy Pup]

I used mink oil (grease) on my boots for years, until I read something a while back that most of the leather products made over the last twenty years actually are compromised by mink oil. Has something to do with the way the new leather is processed. The article said that silicon liquid/spray is better and doesn't degrade the newer leathers. Anyone else read or heard about that? Just curious........

But there is something about the softness and flexibility of old leather after it's been slathered with the mink oil....

[Wrightturn]

Hey Scruffy,

I was in Tandy Leather today and asked one of the leather workers if they had heard anything about mink oil causing problems. Everyone there is still using it but they had heard it could go rancid. I have two containers in the garage that are at least 10 yrs old and are still ok. If it doesn`t go bad in Fla heat and humidity should be fine anywhere. I have also used neatsfoot oil, Doc Baileys, and hand lotion containing lanolin. The all work but I still prefer mink oil on boots. I seldom use anything on holsters because I want to keep the shape of the gun. I do use Lexol on my double shoulder holsters to protect them from sweat (pair of Colt 1911).

Hey Joe,

Redhawk or Blackhawk ?

[Majicbringer]

I use Doc Bailey's on jacket, gloves,etc. , but the boots always get mink oil.

[texan321]

please don't talk about mink oil - the government might start rationing it or it might get on the endangered species list.

[unfknblvbl]

Joe- what branch were you in? I may of missed it somewhere. Not that it matters, just curious.

[JCourneyaP]

Well Gunny.......If I said Semper Fi would that clue you in?

[hotrodsporty]

I love mink oil, still allows the boots to breath. the sillycone dont, and sweaty feat aint no fun. good move JC. My work boots last twice as long when they are regularly maintianed in mink oil.