Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game hunting boot treatment

What are you guys using to treat your leather hunting boots? I have a new pair of perfekt hunters and want to take care of them right.

I use a product called Nikiwax, not sure about the spelling. You can buy it at Gander or Cabellas.

You may not need the same level of water-proof we do... But there is no beating beeswax melted into the leather.

I detest Sno-Seal and every other boot grease I have tried.

The need to be waterproof is secondary in most boots these days because they have membrane liners. The real issue is keeping the leather from taking up water and stretching. In serious country you end up walking without support.

Like I started with, this might not be a real concern for you and where you hunt.
art

obenaufs (spelling?) is far and away the best thing I have ever used to waterproof boot leather.

I have only seen it at sportsmans warehouse. If you have one close, I highly recommend you give it a try. If not, beeswax works quite well.

Rendered out some coon fat, looked real good, two weeks
later, it ate all the stitching up, and my boots fell apart.
Try anything but.

obenauf's is nowhere near in the same league as straight beeswax...

Right now I'm using Aquaseal. But I do not think it has the ingredients that condition the leather.

Although I'm a huge fan of NikWax wash in products for Gore-Tex, Polarfleece and other types of clothing, I was not impressed with 2 different varities of their boot waterproofing.

For a long time I used Biwell Red or Biwell Green. One has silicone for newer types of boots (can't remember which). It became hard to find for a while--but have just found some new sources. I like Biwell.

The Obernauf stuff is currently the hot ticket--I'm gonna give it a try.

Snoseal is still some of the longest lasting waterproofing out there in my estimation, but it doen't allow breathability. It will seal things up almost like rubber. It's generally is less expensive than other waterproofers. It's all my dad has used for 40 years.

Casey

Sno-Seal fails in less than a day of serious water... Obernauf's will make it into the second day, sometimes...

Sitka,
What's your recommendation?

Casey

I melt beeswax into the leather... about all it will take and the boots will remain waterproof with heavy use for at least a season...

Granger's works very well for me.

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Snoseal is OK for the uppers of Sorels in the winter that are covered for the most part by pant or snow pant legs.

On hiking boots, used in wet (rainy) weather, going through wet brush, a day would be excellent results.

I remember this was posted lastyear in great detail. I of course failed to save it. Duh!!!

Snoseal is mostly beeswax--isn't it?

Casey

Granger's is another one that is supposed to be good.

Casey

MOSTLY... But the solvent they put in it to make the stuff go on easy prevents it from going in deep and ruins boots. Once sno-seal has gone on boots they never take plain beeswax properly. I despise the stuff for that reason.

I found an old can of Sno-Seal (back when they still put the ingredients on the label). It says beeswax and solvent.

I also found an old tube of Biwell Green. It says beeswax, organic solvent and silicone.

So I called my cousin. He is a mountian/trekking guide, does the Tetons in the summer and the Andes in the winter and does some backcountry ski guiding in BC. Got lucky and caught him in Nevada.

He says the Biwell is still the good stuff because the organic solvent does not the mess up the leather, and allows both the wax and the silicone molecules to "rebond" after its been applied.

He also said the Granger is highly thought of--he didn't couldn't remember which particular product though.

He also said straight beeswax a isn't good for boots with breathable membranes like Gore-Tex--plugs things up.

What kind of boots are you applying melted beeswax too?

Casey

I tried the bees wax's this fall and have had on problems.
I used a heat gun and just covered the whole boot and the honey odor is kinda nice.

Where would you buy beeswax from.Any mail-order place you would recommend?.Thanks.

I rub black bear fat twice a year works the best out of everything thus far.Also loggers oil is pretty good.