Hello Dale
Having been part of this discussion from the outset, can I just add my weight to your point. I do EXACTLY as you have outlined without any issues. I am now perplexed as to what IS the thing to do, with SO many counter arguments for, and against, Neatsfoot.
The one thing that is constant however, is that most (if not all) contributors say the Proofide is the best and WORKS!
Derek Athey Honiton, Devon UK
On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 6:55 AM, Dale B. Phelps <losgatos_dale@yahoo.com>wrote:
> I use 'em both, neetsfoot (real stuff, not the petrol goo) on the underside
> of especially-dry saddles that I don't want to use a baseball bat on to
> soften, and proofide on the top surface to (in essence) waterproof and also
> to seal any cracking etc. You think Proofide soakes up fast into the
> non-finished (rough) leather? I just finished treating a Brooks Pro on a
> 72-ish PX10 that was so dry it soaked up almost 4 ounces of neetsfoot on the
> underside! Thing looks good after three thin coats of proofide applied with
> a full sun-drenched soak-it-in day between each.
>
> Get the real neetsfoot at a tack shop or place like Murdochs. 40 years ago
> I'd get it at the drug store (after they checked to see if it was a
> controlled substance?!?!?!)
>
> I forgot about snoseal. THAT is good stuff too.
>
> One final caveat: I NEVER use proofide (or snoseal) on the UNDERSIDE of a
> saddle unless it is severely severely dry. Think I read nasty talk about
> that here. Neetsfoot works better and can be brushed on evenly and doesn't
> seal the leather (I hear that still allows it to "breathe"...how many other
> dead animal parts you know that need to "breathe"?)
>
> Dale Phelps,
> Montagna lunga scalatore Colorado USA