Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

I finally found a place around me that carried Lexol and love it, but I still have a question.

I have noticed on some sites that when they "re-condition" gloves they get either a darker more true leather color from a faded glove, or often even out the color of a glove. What does that. I have used Lexol, and it really didn't do that. Do they use a different type of Oil, conditioner, Shoe polish?

Just wondering, for my faded gloves.

Fading occurs with UV exposure, wet leather that dries and yes some conditioners seem to darken the leather when used, especially on light color surface. Petrolene based products tend to darken, then lighten up later. The conditioners I've used, Hoofmaker, Hidecare, LCI balm have darkend the faded leathers, but you've got to be careful because the conditioner may just "pop" the dark color into the leather then you're faced with a mess of trying to match or blend the leather all over your glove.
There are leather dyes such as Meltonian (sp?) that Ron Carlson used for years after he stripped the gloves down of their dirt, oil and color. And I've heard of guys mixing in shoe polish (pigment) on their laces wit oil to match existing or antique lacing.
Vaseline, even Afrosheen, gives a nice luster to the cleaned gloves but don't overdo it.