Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Does anyone still Mink Oil their boots?

Which actually is just beeswax mixed with mineral oil so it would work nicely

Snoseal is perfect waterproofer in the desert!

No miracle. But some of us not living in AK find it usefull, and cheaper than the Obenauf's.

I've got boots over 15 years old that I still wear and other than some Kiwi brown polish on them when they were used for work, it's all they've had on them.

Yep, Southeast AK, NW PA, and Humboldt County are deserts. Rightyoh.

On occasion

Yep.

Obensufs - wax and liquid, I’ve had excellent waterproofing on my Kenetreks over five years of moderately hard use. Did a pair last weekend, and another pair to do this weekend.

I used Sno Seal growing up in the NW, but it didn’t seem seal as well for me - could have been user error.

Truth. Killed a lot of deer wearing those wonderful boots sneaking in the forests of East Texas.

Olive oil rots and leaves a smell.

Mink oil rots.

Thats why I kill minks.

Dupont has Iso-paraffin in their chain lube. I have used it on boots after I mixed it with black Kiwi shoe polish. The carrier in the chain lube is a strong solvent but it very quickly evaporates away leaving the paraffin mixed with the Kiwi shoe polish. It's not perfect but the boots shine up nice and repel water.

kwg

I lost a jar of Obenaufs and found it a few years later. It smelled rotten like old spoiled cooking oil. I thought it was supposed to be something like beeswax.

Called them up and no. Told to open lid and heat in a microwave. If it still smelled like rotten veggie oil to chunk it. I did. Ill use beeswax.

My Dad was born in 1900. I remember he bought horse harnesses in 1943 and was told they were 10 years old when purchased. I remember about 1948 Dad told me we were going to oil the harnesses to keep them supple. He warmed and mixed beeswax and Neatsfoot oil. We spent about two days disassembling, applying by hand, flexing the leather, rubbing in that mixture and reassembling the harnesses. I later learned those harnesses were oiled about every year. By 1955 the horses were gone but those harnesses still hung in the barn the last time I was there about ten years ago. Though stiffened the leather was not cracking. That's a 77 year history. I have no way of knowing whether the Neatsfoot oil of then is the same as now but the beeswax sure is.
That same concoction has been mixed and applied to our leather boots over the years. At age 80 I just buy Goretex lined or rubber boots.

Yes.

Nikiwax isl like breathable rain gear Fine as long as it doesn’t get wet. Just did a caribou hunt with both. 3 days of rain

Boots had 3 apps Nikiwax. Soaked thru eve day 1. “Rain gear” laundered and retreated surface lasted another day. 3 caribou not bulletproof

So much for “partly cloudy”

Good on the 'bou. Meat for the winter.

So, the take away is DON'T use Nikwax?

Should have used..................SnoSeal?

A toilet ring? Rendered seal fat?

Yes.

Do you also kill neets for their foot oil?

Yikes!
He might even kill a nauga or two for their hides.