Relaxing a Leather Apron

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OT

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Jensen, UT
Would washing a brand new leather apron:

1. Relax the, stiff-as-cardboard, leather?
2. Completely fall apart?
3. Destroy my washing machine with the freaking nasty yellow dye that they color them with?


The only leather I've ever needed to relax was a softball glove, but that was with oil.
 
You could do the same as a baseball glove. Use glove oil, and place it in the oven at very low heat. I did that, it worked out good(for the glove). Or soak it in the tub, with warm water, and then throw it in the drier.

What did OJ do to his leather glove? :dunno:
 
I wash mine occasionally, inside a pillow case. Don't know exactly why, but that's the way a leather tailer told me to wash my motorcycle jacket. It works, so I haven't had the urge to change my methode.
I rub it down with Kiwi Mink oil. Makes it water and stain resistant, softens up the leather. After a few days the Mink oil/wax mix in the Kiwi, dries some and transfers very little.
Dry it away from heat.
You can also try to find an Eskimo lady to chew it until it's soft. I imagine a rawhide mallet and a log might work out, as a second choice.
 
OT said:
Actually, we have an eskimo lady down the street.
If she goes for it, I'll take pictures.:photo:
They make really great boots, pants and coats, much too warm for the lower 48.
Back in 71 a Remington nylon 66 and 1,000 rounds of 22LR would get you a pair of boots.... I spent a month on adak...
 
They got to have some Sadlery places in Oklahoma. The answer is probably just a phone call away.
Saddle soap makes my stuff suck up stains and moisture, Mink oil works better on most any leather. I've got twenty year old boots, that have survived on a diet of Kiwi Mink oil and wax mix. They do sell the straight Mink oil also, but the wax oil mix works better.
I have one of those cardboard aprons, that is reserved for guests (never use it), I have a good one that is nice and soft. My good one cost about four times what the stiff one cost. Worth it's wieght in gold when a disc shatters on the large angle/cutoff grinder, has saved the old cajones on more than one occasion.
 
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Actually, put it in the dryer with little or no heat and throw in a couple of tennis shoes or a heavy boot and let it run for an hour or so.
 
old_man said:
Actually, put it in the dryer with little or no heat and throw in a couple of tennis shoes or a heavy boot and let it run for an hour or so.

X2

Makes sense to me. Put the dryer on tumble dry, no heat and let a machine put some poor old Eskimo lady out of work.
 
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