Sno-Seal Original Beeswax Waterproofing for Leather

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Hartley

> when you talk about "joggers" in other posts, I assume you mean trail runners.
Jargon, just jargon. What am I doing when trail running – jogging along?

> I would consider the salomons in the photo to be a leather walking shoe with a fairly stiff
> sole. Almost a mid cut boot. As opposed to some of the mesh trail runners that you can
> easily bend in two with your hands.
I am fairly sure they are Salomon Exit Peak shoes or the model preceding that. They are cut fairly low, but they are not mesh shoes by any means. But then, we were handling a bit of mud and snow with them.

But they are certainly NOT a mid-cut boot by any means. The top edge of the shoe comes below the ankle bone, which doesn't happen with mid-cuts (imho). And mid-cuts are heavier.

That said, I know what you mean by 'bendable trail runners'. Something like our classic KT-26s:

These are definitely in that class! They are wonderful here in Oz, but they couldn't handle the mud and snow in Europe. They were just too bendable.

> the organic solvent can't be good to come intact with
I don't think there is any organic solvent on Sno-Seal. I believe it is mainly a beeswax/water micro-fine emulsion. Certainly, I cannot smell any solvent, and neither can my wife (she is a bit sensitive).

Cheers

[F. Thomas Matica]

Interesting that Limmer recommends AGAINST USING HEAT when applying their company boot grease.

[Roger Caffin]

> Limmer recommends AGAINST USING HEAT when applying their company boot grease.
Maybe they don't trust their customers to not melt the soles of the boots? Figures – liability issues.

Cheers

[Mark Behringer]

I was on a hike along the AT in the Smokies in 1974 when the weather turned wet. It was one of those moments we all have during a break where we were sitting in the sun, enjoying the late afternoon breeze and idly watching clouds in the valley below. They must have noticed us, because they swarmed up side of the mountain and enveloped us in cold water, wind and lightning.

We threw on our ponchos and got to a shelter which was already full of people including a couple of 'Winnebago Warriors' who'd hiked up to the trail from a campground and then got caught in the storm.

My well-worn trusty leather boots were soaked. They were just ankle-high work boots but they had a great sole and they were broken in like slippers. I built a small backpacker-type fire in the fireplace and put the boots near it to dry them. Some other people hung stuff to dry as well.

While I was otherwise occupied at the other end of the hut, making food and swapping trail stories with other hikers, the WW and his son trudged out and returned with some huge chunk of a tree and stuffed one end of it into the fireplace. The blaze intensified.

All at one we noticed the cheery crackling BIG fire. I also noticed my boots steaming and shriveling almost under the flames. I got them out of harm's way but the damage was done. The leather shrank to the point where I had to cut the back open on one so I could get my foot into it.

Someone asked the guy how he'd gotten the blaze to get going so quickly. He said he'd used some wood that was there next to the fireplace. Right about then a couple of people started to ask where their walking sticks were. This was back when you would find a nice length of branch and hike with it. Fortunately, mine was on the rack next to my pack.

Nevertheless, we obeyed the code of the trail and fed them and made sure they lived through the night. There were some in the shelter who were in favor of smearing them with peanut butter and honey and pushing them out to meet the bears, but they were voted down. I think it was because peanut butter was a pretty valuable commodity for the through-hikers.

Luckily I had enough line with me to make a "Frankenboot" lacing. We were off the trail the next day, so it ended up OK except for the loss of the boots. If I'd used Sno-Seal or something like it to better waterproof the boots, they may have lasted for several more years. Oh well.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

You mean to say that NikWax shoe treatment is not as good as Sno-Seal?

I used Sno-Seal for three decades before switching to the more effective (IMHO) Nik Wax treatment.

With either product I use a hair drier set on medium to melt the stuff into the elather.

[Ken Thompson]

Anyone know what the solvent used with the beeswax is?

[Jack]

Surprised there hasn’t been more discussion of Obenauf’s. They don’t use harmful chemicals, mink oil, petroleum, pine tar, or alcohol to soften or waterproof leather. These can break down the leather, stitching, and glues in addition to sealing off the pores (which causes build up of body oils and dry rot).

https://www.obenaufs.com/category-s/153.htm

Obenauf’s is recommended by many, including Russell Moccasin:

http://www.russellmoccasin.com/obenaufs-heavy-duty-lp-leather-preservative/

If you are looking to treat your leather, I would certainly give Obenauf’s HDLP a try.

[Roger Caffin]

Anyone know what the solvent used with the beeswax is?
This was answered in a previous reply, at least for Sno-Seal. NO solvent is used: it’s a micro-fine water/wax emulsion.

Cheers

EDIT: see my reply several steps down. This reply (water) is wrong. There is a solvent.
Roger

[Ken Thompson]

From the Sno Seal application tips page

http://www.atsko.com/sno-seal-application-tips-and-instructions/

“Application is only possible because of a temporary solvent that lowers the melt point to 105F and then evaporates completely. That is why Sno-Seal hardens during storage if you leave the lid off the jar.”

This is why I asked.

 

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Ken

I did ask Atsko about this many years ago. My memory is that their reply was as I said. However, ‘deep research’ on the web shows that there is an MSDS, and it lists mineral spirits CAS 8052-41-3, also known as ‘Stoddard solvent (white spirits)’ as being a component.
So my memory (or what I was told) is wrong.

Finding out exactly what it is has been difficult. One source says it is 6-BROMOHEXANOL ACETATE. I also found this:

Studies with rats show that Stoddard solvent may
also cause kidney damage, but only in males. This
is because of its interaction with a protein that male
rats produce but which is not found in female rats.
Humans do not produce this protein either, so it is
unlikely that people would experience kidney
damage. For the following effects in humans or
animals, either there were no studies or the
available studies did not associate the effect with
exposure to Stoddard solvent: birth defects,
reproductive effects (infertility), and immunological
or lymphoreticular effects.
Very few studies have been located that study the
carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects of Stoddard
solvent in humans and animals. Stoddard solvent
has not been classified by the Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS), EPA, or the
International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) (or by any other national or international
agencies) for carcinogenic effects in any exposure
situation.
…
The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) regulates levels of
hazardous material in the workplace. The
maximum allowable amount of Stoddard solvent in
workroom air during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour
workweek, is 2,900 mg/m³ or 500 ppm. The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends a limit of 350 mg/m³
or 60 ppm for workroom air for an 8-hour exposure.

These levels are quite high, MUCH higher than you would ever get from using Sno-Seal on leather. To my mind, they do not suggest that Sno-Seal presents any hazard under normal use. Perhaps you should not eat it.

Cheers

[Ken Thompson]

Thanks. Someone is suggesting it being OK for use on skin, feet primarily. Think I will pass.

[Roger Caffin]

Using Sno-Seal on skin over large areas might not be such a good idea, but there IS a version designed for use on skin. See Atsko Pro-Tech-Skin:
http://www.atsko.com/skin-protection/

Caution: there are a LOT of products from different companies with similar names on the market, and some of the others do contain possible nasties. So far I have not been able to find an MSDS for Atsko Pro-Tech-Skin.

Cheers

[Elliott Wolin]

RE: different types of leather tanning

Years ago I recall a hot topic was whether your leather boots were oil-tanned or chrome-tanned.  For the former you were supposed to use oil or grease-based treatments, such as Mink oil, Neatsfoot oil, Huberd’s Shoe Oil, and the like.  For the latter you were supposed to use wax-based treatments, such as Sno-Seal.

Later REI started marketing a silicone (?) based treatment they claimed could be used for either, Ultra-Seal or something like that.

For the insides of boots, particularly if they had a second layer of leather inside, you were supposed to use one of the oil-based treatments.

One way to use the oil-based treatment was to mix it with water maybe 1-to-1 and heat it up (not too hot).  Then brush it on the boots with a regular paint brush.  It seemed to penetrate quite well, and you could do this inside and out.

Alas I haven’t treated boots in a decade or more, my old boots just sit in the closet unused, as all my new boots are synthetic with maybe leather (fake?) trim.

[Author]

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