Saddle Soap: Why? What’s in it? 

Christina Shrigley - THANK YOU for the compliment! My kids would disagree though!! LOL. Glad you liked it.

u should see the video of a Japanese guy on a suit showing us how to shine shoes...u will fall in love. name of the video: How to Shine Shoes with Yuya Hasegawa of Brift H

Great video, good instructions. I like that you are a down to earth kind of guy. Evan NZ.

I think this guy is related to Mr. Roger's 👍

Instablaster

The number of cobblers is dwindling because men are buying throw-a-way dress shoes.

There are still a cobblers in Europe in all cities. I'm confident that you could get an apprenticeship in the UK. It may not be a formal one, but you would be informed to an equivalent degree. If it is truly your passion I could think of nothing better than pursuing it. Initially you could contact Timpson, a large chain here in the UK. Best of luck Ginger.

I have one within 30 min. I am about to drop of Boots for Resole and new Heels. $65.00. Which these Boots from the late 70s are quality and couldn't be replaced by a comparable quality anywhere close to sixty dollars. In fact I would be looking 200 plus to Replace the boots. So cobbler is a Valid and I believe growing industry. Tons of room for growth. With the right Marketing - customer Education. I would run a Save the planet Campaign. Or something to that effect. Add a RU-vid channel and a monthly podcast.

The cost is too high. Sole replacement should be like 30 tops.

I only use Saddle Soap on two occaisons: 1. I just thrifted a pair of shoes and they are really dirty 2. I got mud caked on my shoes (like when I wear my dress boots in wet grass/mud). Since doing this video, I did an interview with Andy Vaughn, owner of Pure Polish Products and he introduced me to a Cleaner Conditioner he makes which I use often now. He talks about Saddle Soap having a negative effect on leather because of the Ph. I don't think using it once in a blue moon will hurt anything, but as with anything we learn about, my beliefs have changed over time. I also like that the Cleaner Conditioner is 3 simple ingredients. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-h0DH-AHwKcY.html

Yes, this is so true. I have used skin cream to restore leather shoes. Evan

Leather is indeed animal skin

Bob Ross the painter? THANK YOU!

Tony O 👊🏼

You can use a cloth too! Lots of ways to do it.

You could prob use bicarb of soda and a spray of warm water with washing detergent to help in that regard to def cures a cat peeing in your shoes as I had it happen to me once lol

William findspennies - LOL you’re welcome!

Hi there. I live just outside of Bryan.

lol... action!

The hero we need

Thanks. Mr. Powers LOVES the drone of his own voice.

You're the MVP!

Thank you for that. It saved a lot of time.

Glad you liked it!!

Lee Tanczos you’re welcome!

Thank you. Sorry for missing your comment BTW!

I love how it smells. Light smell . Very creamy. Cleans but doesn’t dry. I’ve only used Kiwi but I assume they all smell similarly.

Haha! Just did the same. I remember seeing it and thinking, “ who the hell around here has a saddle?”

Hahaha, Saphir?

Hahahaha, Saphir?

Haha , i wonder how does saphir compared to products 1/3 of its price ? I used the other french brand shoe wax and it shines much better and smells nicer than kiwi, just like how the folks describe saphir , so I wonder is saphir worth the premium over its actual competitors, what do you think ?

@@chantakzee Simple answer, yes, assuming you're using it on quality leather. Saddle soap should be used to clean and it does do some conditioning; but if you want to properly nourish the leather every so often then using a cream like the Saphir will do a lot more to condition it. Saddle soap doesn't contain the same kinds of oils and there's a reason why proper creams are used by all the best leather shops all over the world - with Saphir almost universally being regarded as the best. Kiwi saddle soap is a decent product, but their conditioners and waxes are very much a "you get what you pay for" thing - better than not using anything, certainly. Just like with your face or body, soap and moisturising agents should be used together for best effect, rather than just picking one or the other. There are certainly lower priced conditioning agents than Saphir that will still do a good job. Renapur, Woly, Williams, Chamberlain etc. A good leather conditioner will smell and feel like a good face cream or moisturiser.

saphir isn't necessary. all you need is leather grease from natural ingredients. everything else is price hiking.

👊🏼

@@CobblerBob : 👊🏼

Damn...never thought of that. Learned something new today! Thx!

A sponge is also effective and frequently recommended.

Add to that, if you can't get enough pressure to clean properly without bending the bristles, you either need a stiffer brush, more patience, or a better cleaning method.

I guess that’s why my toothbrush looks like new when it’s time to get rid of it. They say replace it after 3 months but to be honest my toothbrush lasts me for more than a year. I never apply too mush pressure when brushing.

@@Orlanzepol123 I only throw away mine when the gunk at the base start to become kinda gross. Which takes around half a year or so

Good tip!

Sodium tallowate (or any other Sodium Xxxxate) is the INCI name given to an oil or fat that is the product of saponification of that oil or fat with Sodium Hydroxide (aka Caustic Soda). Saponification is the action of mixing an oil and an alkali to make soap. Tallow is frequently used because it is so cheap - particularly in places like Australia and USA where animals are fattened beyond what is required by the market and the surplus fat is used to make cheap soaps. Glycerin is not a byproduct of saponification of tallow. What are generally known as Saddle Soaps are indeed a form of soap. Depending on their purpose - cleaning, conditioning or a combination, they may include unsaponified oils, fats or waxes.

Alan McDonald No. Glycerin is a byproduct of the saponification of all fats and oils, which are fatty acid triglycerides. Glycerides are triesters. The glycerin is the triol portion of the triesters. The fatty acids are the carboxylate portions. Additional glycerine may be added.

Glad it was helpful!

What they sell? A liquid soap?

If you like Red Wing's shoe care products, they're rebranded Kelly's/Fiebing's products. You can usually find the same thing under the Kelly's label or Fiebing's label for a little cheaper than the Red Wing stuff, because as you know, once that Red Wing label goes on, it magically becomes more premium, lol.

He’s a leftist

LOL, I'm not structued by nature, believe it or not, so I try to create mental systems or I'm all over the place.

Thank you! It's an old one, but a good one. My highest view video in fact.

SORRY for missing your comment. I will give you my honest answer, and let me preface it with the fact that I don't worry much about germs. Odors come from bacteria. Bacteria generally needs a moist environment. The VAST majority of shoes I've ever thrifted are dry. Like BONE dry. I honestly can say that in all the hundreds of shoes I've thrifted, I've never found one that smelled bad. Not one. There were a few that had mold on them and that's a hard pass for me. But to answer your question, I sometimes will jus wipe the interior of with a damp (not wet) cloth, then I'll spray the interior with 70/30 or 80/50 alcohol/water mix in a spray bottle. 2-3 squirts is enough. Then let it air dry. I don't wipe it to let it penetrate, and just to ensure that I don't wipe off any inking/lettering/logos on the lining.

That's what I thought. Would You recommend hosing down your boot after you use saddle soap or would that be too much water? I obviously would let them air dry for some time after.

​@@Princeton_James According to Marie's reasoning, you should wash your hair. Suffice to say, Saddle Soap is not body soap and you don't treat your shoes like you treat your body. Shoe leathers have been treated with chemicals unlike your body -and- they're shoes. This is despite the fact that most people actually rinse soap off with water and don't wipe off at all. But back to Saddle Soap, it revitalizes and conditions and has some protectants that won't hurt from being left on.

@@leathercritic3151 Correct, saddle soap DOES NOT need to be rinsed off or wiped off with a damp towel. If you are not planning to condition and/or polish the shoes after cleaning, you would be better to only wipe off with a dry towel so the leather can absorb the oils, waxes etc. in the saddle soap.

It says right on the can to wipe off excess with a damp cloth. It then says once leather is dry to buff it with a soft cloth to developer luster.

I agree with Marie, but Renee found the final answer. This shoe stuff is science and art 👞

LOL!

video3ish - that’s a good question... according to Phil Kalas, owner of Ashland Leather Co, Saddle Soap (or any Soap) does remove some conditioning oils from the leather, but saddle soap as I stated also puts some back in, so in my opinion I would just use it when it needs it (when they get dirty, etc).

Absolutely. I usually just use a damp (not wet) cloth to wipe them off rather than brushing them off. There are a lot of ways to do it!

LOL, yes, it’s my highest viewed video.

Absolutely.

Neatsfoot oil. Don’t forget the Neatsfoot oil. Once in the spring and once in the fall.

Saddle soap is a surfacant that brings dirt to the top of the lather. At that point it can be wiped up like coffee grounds on a countertop. Rinsing it off is likely to wash off the oils and conditioners.

@@OldGriz708 Which is why you recondition it after you rinse the soap scum off. Just think about it; would you build the lather in a shower on your body, and then step out and start towel drying without rinsing it off? That's disgusting, and it has not cleaned your skin in any meaningful way. Same principle applies to saddle soap.

I can certainly see how between the translation and my "crutch words" it would be amusing, or possibly annoying. Thanks for watchig and taking the time to comment though! I made this video over 3 years ago before I worked on getting rid of most of those crutch words like "Okay?" and "you know". Привет from the US!

@@CobblerBob, the words are ok, translation way of Yandex's video translator is funny..

Randy LOL most of the stains on the table are paint and dye. It’s an old kitchen table that now is the kids’ art table and my cobbling table.

Peter V you’re welcome! 🙏🏼

I sure I will!

Old man yells at cloud! Just kidding. Thank you for sharing your story.

99 cents in 1950 is equivalent to 10.63 in 2020 money. If anything the price of saddle soap has gone down if they're only charging 8 for it.

Just paid $3 in 2023 for this.

Importantly, after drying and before polishing, you should restore all the moisture lost in the saddle soaping process with some type of nourishing oil or cream. The lanolin and glycerine in saddle soap is not nearly enough to recondition what is lost in soaping.

Azdave from my experience, no. You’ll have to use elbow grease, heat, or solvents to get it off. If they are nice shoes I prefer to use elbow grease and Saphir Renomat to strip off old wax.

Not really. It will take some polish off.

Check out The Elegant Oxford RU-vid channel. He uses acetone to remove old waxes and finishes.

Ted Hart That takes you down to bare, stained leather. Not needed or desirable for routine light cleaning and maintenance. I have problems with mildew on leather jackets stored during the off season. I use saddle soap, brush it to dislodge anything embedded in the seams, then rinse that section. Then I apply it a second time with a sponge and dry it with a towel. I’ll use Lexol after everything is clean and dry.

@@FrankGutowski-ls8jt Right, but he was asking about removing old waxes and polish. For light, routine maintenance that's another matter. 👍

Just let them sit out until any visibly wet spots are gone. It usually only takes 10-15 mins at most for me. You really don’t need much water with saddle soap. Some use a rag rather than a brush and use even less water than me.

I found it for just under $5 at Menards. It was in the section at the front where they sell work clothes and steel-toed boots. They're nice, big cans.

Amazon has it for $3.99

@don cherry because I was already at Menards to buy lumber, and $1 isn't enough of a reason to push more revenue toward Amazon.

@don cherry except the deflation of wages, consolidation of the market, elimination of local businesses, and the extraction of wealth (while also paying zero corporate taxes). You know, "nothing."

@don cherry fucking normie mouth breather

John Goad 👊🏼

Jeff U i’m sorry to hear that, are they real snake? Or leather embossed to look like snake? Saddlesoap should to do the opposite and hydrate it, that’s always been my experience at least on calf leather. I’d let them sit for a full day and try shining again?

Go for kiwi in Amazon...is on offer

Over conditioned? I assume that means they’ve had too much conditioner applied and the leather feels kind of greasy? I can’t say that I have specifically used it in that scenario, but I imagine it would definitely help. If it were me, I would try Saddlesoap first, if that didn’t work I think I would try Saphir Renomat. If that didn’t work then I think I’d go to alcohol (not acetone) on a rag.

Ghost Hunter - GREAT question. I have noticed that on shoe polish too... I never touch the sticker. I leave it on. Here’s an article theorizing why its there: www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1768/why-is-there-a-hole-in-the-lid-of-some-kiwi-shoe-polish-cans/

Are you using warm water? Try less water?

jreese46 Sorry sometimes comments get missed. I use Saphir Renovateur which is primerily mink oil.

Mink oil can be purchased in a paste form. I got my neighbor a can of it for all his leathers, & he loves how it shines it up. He just isn't crazy about the smell... 😆

Richard I apooogize for missing your comment... but without seeing the shoes it’s so hard to tell. There was obviously some difference in the leathers. I can say if you need to darken one use black polish on the lighter toe cap. It won’t make it black, it will tint it.

Nigel Elliott-Kinch since making my ShoeTree video I found twin tube Ollieroo brand shoe trees with a brass knob for $21 to $26 a pair on eBay. The seller is Ollieroo.inc: rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F201932367392 The adjustable ones in this video were from a thrift store.

@@CobblerBob Much appreciated. Keep up the good work. 👌🏿

What a super idea... I just might try that....

You’re welcome! Really? No saddle soap? Saphir and Tarrago both appear to have saddle soap. Although I’ve never used either, I don’t think I really matters what brand you use.

@@CobblerBob sorry! Bad english. We have only Saphir and Tarrago! But I listen you

evan markin it does say for any smooth leather...

DS: Dawn is rather harsh and will strip the oils from leather. Use saddle soap instead.

sammi co - Great question, I can’t tell you for sure, but I don’t think it could hurt (no pun intended). The last pair of brand new shoes I broke in did take 5 or 6 wears until they became comfortable, and I did have to put Band-Aids on a couple blisters that developed.

NIGHTMARES 4U2NITE 😆thank you!

Robert Powers Anytime friend!! Anytime at all!!!

American1911 yeah good question I also need to know for my pair of cordovan/bordeaux shoes.

You don't have to use conditioner afterwards, as it actually has conditioners in it. According to Andy Vaughn, owner of Pure Polish Products, he says Saddlesoap negatively affects the Ph of leather. My current belief is that it's perfectly fine to use saddle soap, but only use it as needed, and try to avoid using it repeatedly on expensive footwear you'd like to keep for decades. For example, I'll use it when I first purchase a dirty thrifted shoe. I'll use it on my quarter brogue dress boots after they get muddy because I wore them out in a field, but these boots get saddle soaped probably once a year or so only. I avoid using it on my nice dress shoes, as they never get dirty enough to warrant it's use. For the nice dress shoes, I'll clean them off with a damp cloth, and maybe a toothbrush if dirt gets in the welt, then I'll condition them with Pure Polish Cleaner Conditioner. I have an entire video I recently released on how and when to condition leather BTW: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Dh00wY0qjU8.html

BucsFanInMargaritaville that’s interesting, maybe it’s just the way I’m interpreting the directions, but I don’t think that means to let the soap dry on the leather, I would still wipe it off very soon after applying it, but I think it’s saying to wait until the leather is try to buff it. The Kiwi directions say “... Rub well into leather. Wipe off excess lather with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure as necessary. When the leather is dry buff with soft cloth to develop luster.”

Robert Powers Interesting. It's amazing how two products basically the same can have two different instructions. I've now searched the Internet a bit more and found the instructions printed on the products seem split, 50% seem to say let it dry before wiping off & 50% to wipe off with slightly damp cloth before it dries like you did. Honestly your way of wiping off before drying seems the most logical considering the debate of whether the soap is acidic/ph level. My reason for cleaning is slightly different than your video. I live in a humid state. When I pulled my 1yo smooth dark brown/black leather trimmed UGG wool lined slippers out from the back of my closet about a week ago I found a few tiny spots of white mildew on the top toe area. The internet said to wash with saddle soap after wiping the spores off in an outdoor area. I purchased the Fiebing's Saddle Soap, Golden Mink Oil, a small round brush & long buff brush off the internet because my search didn't come up with a local store that sold the stuff/could give me advice. I haven't applied the Mink Oil yet because I think I need to redo the cleaning step again lol. Thank you for your video and your quick answer. If you have any more hints or tips for my situation it would be very much appreciated!

Wow, mildew... maybe get a shoe rack and store them like I do in the bedroom near a vent?? (So there’s air circulation)

BucsFanInMargaritaville wipe it off when wet

Stan Meyer - i would hate to give advice on something I’m not familiar with. I’d refer you to email Phil Kalas, owner of Ashland Leather company at phil@ashlandleather.com. Also see his video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lm2NcSuxIoY.html

Obenhauf's LP as long as you're not worried about the gloves getting darker.