Lexol NF

[elkshot]

Just about any Equine Store or Saddle Shop will carry Lexol and Feibing products, as well as leather lace in bulk. I have found that the leather lace from a saddle shop is tyically stronger than Wilson's or Rawlings.

[Bubdoggy]

Awarsoca,
Don't know if you guys have a Lebo's in your neck of the woods. Its a western wear store (also buy my daughter's Rainbows there). They carry the Lexol products as well. They MAY be a dollar or two less. They have the spray and the larger jug as well.

A general question to the forum on the Lexol NF. If it has neats foot, I thought that wasn't good to put on gloves. Nokona recommends against it, I believe, as it clogs the pores?

Scott

[docglov]

don't want to say this to loud as we have our own stuff but lexol has keep me stocked since the early 80's.

[awarsoca]

/makes mental not to go to Horse and Garden store today...and no Lebo's bubdoggy


So doc, whould that be the regular or the NF that you are stocked in?

[wjr953]

Scott,
The Lexol NF is a special "blend" of a combination of ingredients which includes Neats Foot Oil. Like you, I had heard the exact same things re: Neats Foot Oil, so I stayed away from using it, as I stay away from all other so-called glove oils. My feeling is that oils make the glove leather very heavy. I have found that oils do in fact block the pores of the leather and they darken the leather, in some cases taking away from the natural beauty of the glove. Based on comments that I've read on this forum, I recently started to experiment with the Lexol NF, with excellent results. I use the Lexol PH (orange) to clean. I use Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (very light applications rubbed vigorously into the leather) to soften and condition, then another cleaning with Lexol PH. After drying the glove thoroughly, I apply a light coating of Lexol NF. After that dries completely, I buff the glove with a shoe shine brush and then it's good to go. So far this process seems to be working out very well for me, I'm very happy with the results. There are many, many other methods and lots of other different ingredients and combinations of ingredients used by others on this forum, and they swear by them. However, the products and processes that I use are what work best for me. Hope this helped to answer your question. In the end, the processes and ingredients used by each of us are based largely on trial and error and individual preference.

br

[Bubdoggy]

Thanks, gentlemen.

I need to print this out so I don't continue to ask these questions.

Also, Doc - as for awarsoca's question: do you keep the regular Lexol or NF? is it to clean or condition? Don't want to meddle in the trade secrets but I would be curious how you professionals use it.

I may go get some Lexol Ph. I've been using fastorange which does do a good job of cleaning and has lanoline but sometimes that orange smell is a little much.

[Mike_2007]

I have found I really don't need to use the leather cleaner. I use the Lexol NF and a white washcloth. Put some Lexol NF on the washcloth and use it to rub the dirt off the glove. I use a little bit at a time on different sections of the washcloth and pretty soon all the dirt is off the glove and on the washcloth. Hang the glove up to dry for 2-3 days or until you are ready to use it. It will probably have a slight haze to it. Buff the glove out ( Lexol says to use a piece of shearling) and depending on the glove it will have a nice patina/shine. You can do this as often as you want and the glove won't get heavy or ever be greasy.

[Musashi]

Despite what Lexol might say, I've found that Lexol NF does in fact change the color of leather, though slightly. Last night, I put on a light coat of NF on a new A2000 (thanks John!). The glove was the typical Wilson flesh-colored leather. Now it's more of a light caramel / tan. Don't get me wrong, I love how it "mellowed" the color (which is exactly what it says it'd do on the back of the bottle).

On the other hand, I also used it on that old Ted Williams 400 that I picked up over the weekend, which was very dry, and a VERY light colored glove - bordering on light grey. Though the NF did very slightly darken the glove, it wasn't nearly as dramatic as the results I got with the A2000 - the lighting is different in the pics, but trust me, there's a noticeable difference.

Keep in mind that I wanted these changes, and that all of the darker gloves I've used it on, there was absolutely no change. I guess my point is - be really careful before you use it on light gloves (unless you want a slight change in color).

[docglov]

I have all 3 The cleaner which I use on a very nasty glove with hot water and a shoe buffing brush but you must be careful as it will eat up the old leather if you use a brush 2 long, and of course you will have to re oil. I also have the conditioner which I used before the NF, it worked fine but had to be re applied often as it dissapeared a little to soon to suit me. The Nf works pretty good. I also get a bottle from Horween of the oil/fat that is actually used to make the glove leather. I had send a sample to Tanners to copy but they didn't hit it at all I believe they have to much water trying to avoid staining. But if you really oil a glove then you will darken it. So buck up and make a decision to stain or not stain.
Doc

[wjr953]

Mike,
In your post you said that you use only the Lexol NF. Are you referring to newer gloves or older gloves? Alot of the gloves that I work on are usually so dry and brittle when I get them, that they really need the Lexol Orange because it helps to both soften the glove and restore the proper PH balance to the old dried out leather. I really like the way it foams up and lifts the dirt out of the pores. This is really amazing stuff. I usually do a quick clean of my glove after every use with a clean sponge using the PH/warm water mix and after drying, I put a light coating of NF on and let that dry overnight. Next day I buff with a (clean) horsehair shoe brush and the glove is almost like brand new again. Also, another aid to preserving good quality gloves, I now recommend to all of my (re-lacing) customers that they consider using a batting glove every time that they use their glove. Sweat is a major killer of good quality leather. How many of us have seen really nice looking A2000's, only to find out that the inner palm has completely rotted away. Buying a couple of batting gloves to use each season, plus being careful to clean the inner palm at least once or twice a month to remove residual sweat, almost guarantees the extended life of the leather palm area. Let's face it, batting gloves are a heck of a lot cheaper and so much easier to replace.

br

[Mike_2007]

br- mainly newer gloves. I agree with your comments on older gloves.

Musashi- If a glove, even a new one, is on the dry side, then the Lexol NF will darken it quite a bit when you "wet" the glove. But some days or even weeks later, the glove will return to a lighter color as it fully dries. If the original leather was never treated and was a light tanned color, I don't think it will return to the same exact color now that the leather is conditioned. But according to Lexol, the Lexol NF will have less of an effect darkening the leather than the regular Lexol.

Aside from conditioning gloves so you can use them to play baseball, I have also been interested for years on how to best help create a leather patina on gloves. I remember searching the net and reading a website on ladies handbags http://www.hisremnant.org/Vuitton/patina.html describing how to help create the patina. I think this applies to gloves like Horween leather ones - I'm working on new USA PRO-2MTC right now to break it in and also to try and develop a nice patina on it. Certainly Wilson A2000 are also great gloves to try and get a nice patina on. Any expert advice on leather patina is appreciated!

[Mike_2007]

One more thought on glove color/darkening. If you buy a new, old stock classic glove and just plan on displaying it or collecting it for possible future sale/trade - your best bet may be to just leave it alone and to not put anything on it at all. It will most likely look the best that way. Put it away in storage out of the sunlight.

But if you want to use the glove, even just to play catch, the untreated leather will quickly get dirty/stained. So you need to condition the glove, with whatever product you prefer, to uniformally treat the leather. Then if you use it and it gets dirty, you can clean it up using a cloth and the conditioner. It is sort of a "all or nothing" proposition.