Hello 😃 Yes, oil choice will primarily depend on goal end-result. For example if something is meant to be kept and used in rough conditions for a few years, or something special that will be cared for for decades or longer. The natural oils are usually lighter and offer little-some water resiatance. The more synthetic ingredients, like silicone, will generally be better at water resistance. Happy to share something more specific if you're interested, thanks for the comment
If leather was stained by olive oil, would the best bet be to apply olive oil to the whole item, or is one of these oils preferable to try and even out the color?
Hello 😃 There can be a few variables like leather type, absorbancy, etc. Though as a simple answer, here are a few thoughts: Olive oil isn't great for heirloom leather or items that will be kept and used for decades. That said, it's often not as bad as some synthetic leather conditioners. Basically, anything that goes into the leather generally stays in there. Options can be: 1 - If it's a very important or long-term heirloom item, maybe try to remove the olive oil stain (possibly by absorbing with corn starch), then clean, and condition the item with a regular conditioner to apply a healty, even tone. 2 - If it's more of a utility item to be used as functional and you're ok with the color of the existing oil, lightly conditioning with olive oil can help even out the tone, and add some conditioning. I rarely recommend olive for this, though some folks truly use it much of the time. So it really becomes a personal preference on leather type and how one wants to maintain/keep it. Testing anything in a tiny area usually helps a lot, then once you know you like the result, can often continue with the rest. Wishing you well with it!
Hello 😀, yes some folks use many different types of oils, and have for years. It really depends on how they intend to use a leather item, and for how long it's planned to use it. In general, the science supporting the substance interactions will result in some degradation of the fibers over time. Though, if the item will be used only for a short time, then it might work for some folks, even if the fiber damage is relatively unnoticeable in the near-term. So where possible and if available, using a gentle conditioner that is made for leather and pH balanced is usually best for long-term care.
Hmm. Don Gonzales is a saddle maker and pretty much uses olive oil exclusively yet doesn't seem to have any problems with his saddles. Most of his work is everyday use, maybe it's because the leather is usually thicker on a saddle.
