Split Leather Boots

[Skip_M._Kliphiem]

Any advice or recommendations on treating them with waterproofing? I've heard that SnoSeal breaks down the stitching and Dave Page says that people put way too much treatment on their boots.

[lummox]

'SnoSeal breaks down the stitching': great rumor. untrue though. it will mess with the nappiness but who cares. i like 'biwell' better cause it has an applicator thingy so you dont get grease goo shizzle all over your hands (it still seems to happen though). btw: it really should be called 'water resistance' rather than 'water proofing' cause the abrasiveness of snow and gravel and such will rub it off and your feet will get wet eventually.

[fenderfour]

I use an old toothbrush to apply Sno-Seal to my leathers. It works pretty well and gets all of those hard to reach places. Sno-Seal will seep into the leather if you apply it to a warm boot or warm the boots after you apply (I use the oven on low). It will maintain waterproofness so long as you reapply after every trip.

[catbirdseat]

The rumor I heard was that SnoSeal can break down the glues that hold on the sole and rand. I don't know if it is true. I was told that NikWax is safe, so that is what I use.

[Mark_Husbands]

I've heard that SnoSeal breaks down the stitching and Dave Page says that people put way too much treatment on their boots.

I was actually upbraided by Page for sno sealing a pair of original Trangos. then he gave me shit for wearing a "big wall boot" as he put it in the mountains. "but they're crampon compatible" i say. no mind, Page went on to blame the sole delamination on Sno seal. never mind that the delam occured before i sno sealed them. it was during the sno sealing i noticed the delam starting.

he charged me 20 bucks to stick some glue in there that fell off the next week. i successfully completed the season on Shoe gue. moral: Page is a bad cobbler who provides free, albeit unwanted, editorials on the use of YOUR gear. but i imagine some folks have been well satisfied, and my experience may be unique. but the guy is very grumpy, i'll stand by that.

as for wax/sealants i have used several over the years and can't really tell the difference...and they all make boots waterproof for a while, then you add more.

Edited January 23, 2004 by Mark_Husbands

[David_Parker]

The best leather treatment I ever found came in a can from Nikwax. It was rubbed on like snowseal, but was more waxy and lasted alot longer from snow abraision. I put it on my Asolo Extremes before doing the Houte Route and was very impressed with it. I believe it came from England so I don't know it's availabilty now in the states. It claimed the polar explorers used it very successfully. Their newer stuff that you apply to wet leather and let dry seems to be doing very well on my Solomons after multiple applications.

 

Snowseal or beeswax works ok but multiple applications don't seem to improve the situation and so you just need to keep applying. I have never had a problem with stiching blow out from using it.

[cj001f]

David-

What your talking about sounds like Nikwax paste. I haven't seen it to often in stores (haven't looked hard either). A packet or more come with most new boots nowadays.

[Skip_M._Kliphiem]

Thanks for all the feedback. 'water resistance' would be more accurate...I posted prior to my second cup of coffee, the expanded vocabulary does not kick in until after that.