Homemade Saddle Conditioner

The job of a saddle conditioner is to clean away dirt and grit, the things that can dull the saddle's luster. A good conditioner will also refresh the leather with the oils and waxes that are essential in retaining the saddle's suppleness and protection. Making your own saddle conditioner is much more economical than the store-bought variety. It can also be a more eco-friendly option, granted that you're using all-natural products to make it.

  1. What You'll Need

    • To make saddle conditioner you'll need two pots, a heat-resistant glass pot, a stainless steel spoon, shallow glass jars or empty saddle soap containers, beeswax, pure flake lye, shaved castile soap, water and pure gum turpentine. You can obtain beeswax and pure flake lye at most hardware stores, candle shops, or some grocery stores.

    How to Make Saddle Conditioner

    • This recipe is given in "parts." If you prepare it so that one part equals 1 tbsp., you will be left with 34 oz., enough to fill four 8 oz. jars. In the glass pot, mix six parts beeswax, 10 parts pure flake lyre and 10 parts water. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and stir it constantly with a stainless steel spoon for five minutes. In the second pot, melt two parts castile soap shavings and 10 parts water. Mix them well with the spoon. When the mixture becomes liquid and the ingredients combine, add it spoonful by spoonful to the lye and beeswax mixture. Blend everything slowly with the metal spoon. Add 15 parts pure gum turpentine.

    Alternative Ingredients

    • You may add lavender or tea tree oil to your recipe. Not only does it add a pleasant scent to your saddle conditioner, it also protects the leather from mildew, which can occur on saddles kept in damp or humid conditions. Castile soaps are suggested because they contain olive oil, which acts as a solvent and adds shine to the leather. Without compromising that effect, you can replace castile soap in the recipe with a glycerin or goat's milk-based soap, as long as they are mild.

    Warnings

    • Pure flake lye can burn and corrode skin, clothing and other materials. Always be careful when you're handling pure flake lye. Pure gum turpentine is highly flammable, so it's wise to mix it in far away from your stove top if it uses an open flame.