Neat's-foot

The old belt dressing contained a good deal of resin, along with cod-liver and neat's-foot oil (I looked up the ingredients in modern spray-on belt dressings and it's a bunch of obscure chemicals that I don't recognize).

hand with pure prime neat's-foot oil (not neat's-foot oil "compound" with contains a substantial amount of petroleum byproducts).

The new boots would then have been filled with neat's-foot oil and hung up in the roof of the shed to season.

Right now the leather is a bit stiff but I'm sure with regular use and sparing applications of neat's-foot oil it will become more comfortable.

7 gallons water 2 pounds (16 cups) bran flakes 16 cups plain or pickling salt (not iodized) 2 large plastic trash cans (30 gallon) and one lid 4-foot wooden stirring stick 3 1/2 cups battery acid (from auto parts store) 2 boxes baking soda wood rack or stretcher neat's-foot oil nails wire bristle brush This recipe makes enough tanning solution to tan four large animal skins; or ten rabbit skins; or about six medium-sized pelts such as groundhog.

Soaking them in neat's-foot oil for two weeks softened them up nicely.

If you don't, sure as the world the leather will break at an awkward time, even if it's been treated with neat's-foot oil.