Cleaning Jim Green African Ranger boots

[Bearkat]

What products (available in the US) would you guys recommend for cleaning and oiling a pair of Jim Green boots?

 

[spike.t]

Neutral colour shoe polish.....what use on mine....they no different to any other leather shoes..boots...used same on my ele Courtneys....

 

[HankBuck]

What products (available in the US) would you guys recommend for cleaning and oiling a pair of Jim Green boots?

@Bearkat: Just based on my experience and what I’ve been told by some Leather hunting boot makers: I would NEVER “Oil” any leather boot and not even Neetsfoot oil which has been used for many years. There are Silicone products, similar to oil, for use on leather but I haven’t seen any good results with those either. These products are mostly helpful in maintaining the boots appearance and slightly helpful to resist the leather from absorbing water (None will make a regular leather boot “Waterproof”). I’ve used a product called “Sno Seal” and also more expensive products “Obenauf’s” and “Leather Seal Outback” - All use BEES WAX as the primary ingredient and are as good as anything I’ve found… as long as your leather is NOT Suede. When I had a pair of custom leather hunting boots made by Russell (15 years ago) they recommended Obenauf's (and give you a “Free can” with your $500 boots!). The Bees Wax will not affect the tanning process used in the leather and Not rot the stiching etc.. Follow the instructions that are on the can but it is basically: clean off the boot, wipe on the product, wipe off All excess “or” use a blow dryer to warm & soften the product “after” its applied (it sinks into the leather/seams) then wipe off the excess. I usually use it only once a year (or less) and just keep boots clean of “muck” after that. It will Not make a regular leather boot Water PROOF.
NOTE: if the leather color is very light - any product will darken the color….

 

[Bearkat]

Thank you. I found Jim Green has made a few boot care videos. The pair I have is their crazy horse leather that is similar to suede and is a light tan color. They recommended to clean with saddle soap, then spray with a suede cleaner if you want to retain the original color. If you wanted to add some water resistance to the leather, they recommend using a bees wax based product as you describe. It will definitely darken the boots though.

 

[Rare Breed]

I know sacrilege but I use the Courtney cleaning cream with rag and brush that comes in the courtney bag on my JGs

 

[BeeMaa]

I have two pair of Wesco Jobmaster (12" and 16") boots that are nearly 20 years old and still in good condition by using some Dawn dish liquid and Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP.

Scrub and brush off large debris with a stiff brush. Clean with a little Dawn, a soft brush and warm water. Let dry and condition with Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP. I use an old toothbrush to push it into the cracks and crevices, then wipe it down with a soft cloth.

There are other brands that are good as well. Look for a high content of beeswax. I would not "oil" boots.

 

[mdwest]

I use nikwax products on all of our boots… they make a cleaner, a deodorizer, a water sealer, etc…

Whether my wife’s Courtney’s, my custom James Leddy safari boots, her Crispi’s, or my Schnees, they all get Nikwax…

I talked to a guy in the Schnees store in Bozeman a few months back about preserving boots, he was pretty clear that they recommend paste products for leather and the liquid/spray products for canvas or nylon.. but it was his opinion that nikwax was the best cleaning and preserving products available… and it’s what they sell in the store..

 

[BeeMaa]

I’ve used NikWax products on textile products with excellent results. Our motorcycle gear is all Gore-Tex and the NikWax has always done a great job on them. Not to mention tents, tarps and grill covers.