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homestead

Preserving shoe and boot leather

John F Dean

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Location: southern Illinois, USA

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posted 4 years ago

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What approaches are used by the members here to treat leather for foot gear?

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Olga Booker

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Location: South West France

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posted 4 years ago

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Hubby swears by duck fat, he even waterproofs his Barbour with it!

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Anne Miller

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posted 4 years ago

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when we had bees, we used bees wax to restore and waterproof leather shoes and boots.

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John F Dean

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Location: southern Illinois, USA

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posted 4 years ago

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I’m glad I asked. I just got 2 approaches I haven’t used.

I figure if someone from the future hasn’t tried to stop me, I can’t be messing up that bad.

Olga Booker

pollinator

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Location: South West France

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Ha, well! we've got ducks!! Got to use what you've got haven’t you??

Love is the only resource that grows the more you use it.
David Brower

Heather Sharpe

gardener

Posts: 828

Location: Central Indiana, zone 6a, clay loam

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posted 4 years ago

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I've used a similar approach. I made sort of a salve. 1 part beeswax and 1 part deer tallow, if I recall. I set the tin of it on the masonry heater so it would be a little easier to work with and then rubbed it onto clean boots. Has done a great job keeping the leather flexible and waterproof.

“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.” ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer

Matt McSpadden

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Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)

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posted 4 years ago

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I know "Farmer Boy" is not meant to be a history book, but Almanzo rubbed his moccasins with tallow, and that seems to fit in with what other people are saying here.

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Marc Dube

pollinator

Posts: 255

Location: Saskatchewan

posted 4 years ago

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I paint melted deer tallow on my boots and then work it in with a heat gun. The tallow soaks into the leather and seams this way totally water proofing the boots. I have some that I've done like this 3 years ago and the seams and creases are still in excellent shape and still water proof!

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