How to season and break in a new leather sling
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I've used Neatsfoot oil to protect and season the leather. I believe lots of others use it too. I've heard of hanging weights to stretch the sling but have never tried.
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In the military a 20 mile march at 90 degrees F, with weapon slung. Then a week at the range with a little rain and a lot of sweat. ---
Seriously, I think it varies by tanning methods. I see Turner sells their own brand and Pecard's Antique Leather Dressing.
Seriously, I think it varies by tanning methods. I see Turner sells their own brand and Pecard's Antique Leather Dressing.
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High quality or not, would Fieblings work well?
I don't know why it wouldn't work but it's expensive and by the time you pay for shipping I'm not sure it makes economical sense.
I had 3 slings from Les and Ron so it made sense for me.
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soak in some needs foot oil and twist, stretch, bend it. it will loosen up. I have also used glycerin with great results. the key thing is abusing it with twisting and bending...
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Well, the old way - used on gunbelts, holsters, slings, harnesses, saddles, cinches, and reins that have remained pliable and useable for - in some cases - a 100 years, was to 1) use saddle soap - it will clean and make the leather more pliable; then 2) treat with pure Neatsfoot Oil... which is not the same as "Neatsfoot Oil Compound". Pure Neatsfoot oil is an organic animal byproduct and is leather-friendly. Neatsfoot Oil Compound has additives in it (some companies use a petroleum-based product - not good) that are not always the best treatment for leather and stitching. My grandfather lived in the true horse and buggy / mule and wagon days and he taught me well about preserving leather. I pass this on for whatever good it may do. I've used this method for 60 years with success.
First, get the best leather product that you can afford. The cut (what part of the animal the leather came from), the animal type (not all leather comes from cattle or horses), and how it was processed makes a big difference. There is a lot of junk out there.
First, get the best leather product that you can afford. The cut (what part of the animal the leather came from), the animal type (not all leather comes from cattle or horses), and how it was processed makes a big difference. There is a lot of junk out there.
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Ted's 100% right.
Use it. If you treat it, it will stretch...not an optimal characteristic.
Use it. If you treat it, it will stretch...not an optimal characteristic.
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I run it through the dishwasher for one cycle if its one of the repro slings. It gives it a steam bath to add some age to it. Then apply Fiebings leather dye to give it some color (the slings when new are generally too light for my taste). Lastly, some leather conditioner will give it a softer feel and protect it. I have done several. I had one on a Garand on my gunshow table once and a guy was looking as hard as he could to find the date markings. I knew what he was looking for and just said "you aren't going to find it, its a repro". It looked original (that one got a bonus two weeks in the salt marsh to help age it more).
True that Ted, and it has the added bonus of improved accuracy through more shooting.
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I have two Leslie Tam slings, one for the M14 and one for the AR 15 and bought both of them in the mid 90's and through steady use they are broken in just where I want them.
Occasionally will use saddle soap to refresh the finish on them, but no other treatment used for neither have been exposed to rain storms enough to worry about their condition.
When working the pits and obviously away from my rifles, put them in large plastic trash bag to keep the weather off both the rifle and the sling. Also use one over the shooting stool/bag. As mentioned, the original quality of the leather sling is important to long life and no stretching issues.
Occasionally will use saddle soap to refresh the finish on them, but no other treatment used for neither have been exposed to rain storms enough to worry about their condition.
When working the pits and obviously away from my rifles, put them in large plastic trash bag to keep the weather off both the rifle and the sling. Also use one over the shooting stool/bag. As mentioned, the original quality of the leather sling is important to long life and no stretching issues.
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I found out they sell it at walmart
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Nose oil, and plenty of use.....
My experience with leather slings comes from years of competition shooting, slinging up tight in sitting and prone. If all I was doing was using it to carry the rifle, I'd probably oil it, but my slings broke in with use and lasted longer than I did. The biggest problem I ran into was checking my team members to make sure they didn't pass three layers of sling through the keepers which stretches them loose and causes the stitching to fail. Just leave the loose end loose... don't stuff it into the keeper.
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I would avoid oil and suggest you heat it in oven at lowest setting and put small amounts of beeswax, then use it
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Here's what Les Tam has to say about using Neatsfoot Oil (quoted from his website):
"Les on Neatsfoot
I've heard a few times from people who have used Neatsfoot oil on their leather and claim that it had ill effects on their leather. Below are some of my thoughts on their claims.
I have not had ill effects by using 100% Neatsfoot oil on the Hermann Oak strap leather that I have used to make slings with for the past 18 years. Then, the question arises as to why it is that those people have problems and I do not have problems. I suspect that those problems arose from other factors, like:
a. Using poor quality leather from a tannery that does not have a quality tanning process. Such is the case if the leather was tanned in Mexico or from some other specific tanneries in the US which I will not mention. I only use "strap leather" from the Hermann Oak Tannery in St. Louis, MO. That tannery has a good reputation for producing quality leather. Although their prices are significantly higher, their quality is hard to beat.
b. Using products to treat the leather which contain petroleum derivatives Those products tend to gradually break down the fibers of the leather and destroy the quality and strength of the leather over time.
c. Using too much Neatsfoot oil on the leather. Too much Neatsfoot oil will cause the leather to rot and will cause excessive stretch. One of the old Army procedures from WWI and WWII was to take new untreated leather slings and soak them in Neatsfoot oil and then hang them up to stretch out by attaching a full ammo can to the sling. That method produced excessive oiling and caused the slings to rot and stretch out excessively. It is important to use only the correct amount of Neatsfoot oil at reasonable intervals (a light coat of oil about once a year application) for proper maintenance of the sling.
d. Using the correct type of leather (the tanning process) for making the sling.
For making my slings I have found that "strap leather" produces the best slings in terms of the correct amount of stiffness and stretch. There is a type of leather called "sling leather", which is advertised for making slings, but is, in my opinion, totally unsatisfactory for making slings because of excessive stretching of the leather caused by the amount of oils and waxes used in the tanning process. A 54 inch long by 1 1/4 inch wide strap of that leather will take a permanent stretch of about 4 inches with the first day's use for a competitive shooter. There are a couple of sling makers who use "bridle leather" and "Latigo leather" to make their slings. Those two types of leather, in my opinion, are not suitable for making top notch slings for the competitive shooter because they stretch too much, even though they are good quality and soft and comfortable with initial use. I suspect that the excessive stretching is caused by the amount of oils and waxes that go into those types of particular tanning processes. For my slings, the tanning process used to produce "strap leather" has the right amount of stretch or "give" and strength for use on a competitive rifle sling. Different tanning processes have been developed to produce different leathers according to desired/intended use. A sling maker of competitive rifle slings needs to select the most appropriate type of tanned leather that will produce not just a good sling, but a great sling.
Hope these above thoughts give you better insight into the area of making not just good slings, but "great slings". Of course, the final proof of the pudding is to shoot with the sling and see how it performs. But before making any judgment on which sling is better than the other, one has to have the experience of having tried slings made by different makers. One can also talk with shooters who have tried various slings and get their opinions/comments on performance and longevity.
Les Tam"
"Les on Neatsfoot
I've heard a few times from people who have used Neatsfoot oil on their leather and claim that it had ill effects on their leather. Below are some of my thoughts on their claims.
I have not had ill effects by using 100% Neatsfoot oil on the Hermann Oak strap leather that I have used to make slings with for the past 18 years. Then, the question arises as to why it is that those people have problems and I do not have problems. I suspect that those problems arose from other factors, like:
a. Using poor quality leather from a tannery that does not have a quality tanning process. Such is the case if the leather was tanned in Mexico or from some other specific tanneries in the US which I will not mention. I only use "strap leather" from the Hermann Oak Tannery in St. Louis, MO. That tannery has a good reputation for producing quality leather. Although their prices are significantly higher, their quality is hard to beat.
b. Using products to treat the leather which contain petroleum derivatives Those products tend to gradually break down the fibers of the leather and destroy the quality and strength of the leather over time.
c. Using too much Neatsfoot oil on the leather. Too much Neatsfoot oil will cause the leather to rot and will cause excessive stretch. One of the old Army procedures from WWI and WWII was to take new untreated leather slings and soak them in Neatsfoot oil and then hang them up to stretch out by attaching a full ammo can to the sling. That method produced excessive oiling and caused the slings to rot and stretch out excessively. It is important to use only the correct amount of Neatsfoot oil at reasonable intervals (a light coat of oil about once a year application) for proper maintenance of the sling.
d. Using the correct type of leather (the tanning process) for making the sling.
For making my slings I have found that "strap leather" produces the best slings in terms of the correct amount of stiffness and stretch. There is a type of leather called "sling leather", which is advertised for making slings, but is, in my opinion, totally unsatisfactory for making slings because of excessive stretching of the leather caused by the amount of oils and waxes used in the tanning process. A 54 inch long by 1 1/4 inch wide strap of that leather will take a permanent stretch of about 4 inches with the first day's use for a competitive shooter. There are a couple of sling makers who use "bridle leather" and "Latigo leather" to make their slings. Those two types of leather, in my opinion, are not suitable for making top notch slings for the competitive shooter because they stretch too much, even though they are good quality and soft and comfortable with initial use. I suspect that the excessive stretching is caused by the amount of oils and waxes that go into those types of particular tanning processes. For my slings, the tanning process used to produce "strap leather" has the right amount of stretch or "give" and strength for use on a competitive rifle sling. Different tanning processes have been developed to produce different leathers according to desired/intended use. A sling maker of competitive rifle slings needs to select the most appropriate type of tanned leather that will produce not just a good sling, but a great sling.
Hope these above thoughts give you better insight into the area of making not just good slings, but "great slings". Of course, the final proof of the pudding is to shoot with the sling and see how it performs. But before making any judgment on which sling is better than the other, one has to have the experience of having tried slings made by different makers. One can also talk with shooters who have tried various slings and get their opinions/comments on performance and longevity.
Les Tam"
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