Chelsea Leather Food???????

[Lol-x]

I just wondered if anyone has used this stuff before on any leather???????

The sales pitch says that Sir Edmond Hillary used it on all his Everest expeditions.

Seems like it has been around for over 100 years, but I've never heard of it before

Evidently it works a treat on leather watch straps

[dman]

I've used mink oil, but it tends to darken the leather a bit. I would say get a "beater" type strap, even if it is a good one like a crazy horse and wear it for rougher activities

I actually put a Kevin AMMO strap on my 217 and plan on wearing it through the spring and summer to see how vintage and patina'd I can make it. And if you look on risti those straps are not real cheap. .

[Incurable]

Boils down to what its primary ingredient is. There's lots of choices, oil, beeswax, silicone, etc. Also depends on if you're trying to waterproof or just soften and preserve. Some have a tendency to give a milky appearance to the leather with time, not good. This product seems to be a combination of natural oils and waxes. Says it will waterproof, preserve and is safe for stitching. Seems highly regarded, give it a shot.

[Lol-x]

I have heard that animal fat in leather conditioners results in the decay of cotton stitching. Some products contain tallow that is an animal fat.
Evidently "Chelsea Leather Food" contains no animal fats, just natural oils and waxes.
The manufacturer claims that unlike 'mink oil' the leather can be polished to a shine, and it will not cause the leather or the stitching to stretch.
So it sounds like a great product, I just wondered if anyone had any personal experience.
I think Padi has tried it and he seemed to give it the thumbsup so that is a pretty good reference, just wondered what others thought.
The manufacturer informed me that they have a pair of Sir Edmond Hillary's hiking boots and that he was an avid user of the product.
Greg Stevens seems to be a big fan too. So I've got an itch that needs to be scratched