I probably am one of those guys that has more brushes, products and tinctures then I should have! Lots and lots of experience though! It depends on the leather and what it is. For Chrome Excel I found nothing better than Venetian Shoe Cream. For oil tanned leathers or veg tanned infused ones like W&C oil tanned leather. Saphir's Medaille D'or Oiled Leather Cream is the best, very similar to Red Wing's Shoe Cream, little to no leather color change. Veg tanned boots like Horween's Dublin with a higher wax content I use Smith's leather balm. Note I have 3 pairs of Red Wings that all used Oro Legacy Leather. I tried Smith's Leather Balm, Red Wing's Leather Cream, and Saphir's Medaille D'or Oiled Leather Cream. Saphir has a bit of water proofing but absorbs the fastest and seemed to lighten up faster but you need to buff it while wet so it took more time. Probably less of a shine than the other options which I liked and it smelled amazing and more liquid viscosity than the other two options(must be how they emulsify the beeswax in it). Red Wing's smells like Elmer's glue and absorbs slower and is more of a paste with the beeswax and neatsfoot oil. Smith's you work in with your hands and it doesn't leave a tacky residue, it darkens the most but lightens up to normal in 3 days, gives a bit of waterproofing, think of the all natural leather conditioner but without the tackiness and degree of darkening. Honestly it just depends what you prefer and hard to go wrong with any of them. I would go Smith's if I cared less about the patina and darkening and wanted an all-in-one product(protection being the priority and safe to apply by hand). Red Wing's own product is nice and made for their leathers, I find you need to only let it soak for a maximum of a half an hour then buff to spread and get rid of the excess pooling in cracks and creases. Saphir's is one cut above but twice the price of Redwing's too. Mind you that little bottle lasts for years on a pair of boots when used sparingly and as intended. Saphir's product needs buffed the fastest (within 5 minutes or it can leave a mark where it didn't absorb although that will buff out overtime with future brushing after wears). Otherwise I use Obenauf's with my boots I intend to put through hell and back. I use the oil, then the heavy duty LP, and finish by going a step further and melt beeswax in. Note I would only do this with a black pair of boots and not for the inexperienced nor faint of heart. Shinable leathers are instead Saphir's Renovateur, Pommadier Cream Polish, and Pate De Luxe Wax Shoe Polish are bar none the best! Tried Kiwi, Lincoln, Angelus, and many many more but nothing is better than Saphir in that regard! I have tried pretty much all types of leathers except for the exotics like Kudu, Elephant, Snake Skin, Shark Skin, Buffalo, Moose, etc. Overall my bucket list boot is to have a pair of boots made in Shell Cordovan. Sort of considering a boot from India to get it below the $1000 mark. Just have a lot of trepidation with the process of getting the sizing right or last. There is the one company very akin to Nick's I might spring for due to knowing my sizing and being able to play off of that.
It’s only the 10th of January but I’m dubbing this the best comment of 2022! Let’s see how the year goes but this would be hard to top. I’m tracking with everything you are saying and honestly feel like we have drawn so many similar conclusions. The applications for the Saphir products is on point and I totally agree with running Obenauf’s on work boots, can't go wrong. I have so many conditioner videos coming out, but I’ll have to pick up some Smith’s as I haven’t tried that yet. I am certainly trying to get the average gentleman into a care routine that works for him and that he will actually use. That said, I get wild with this stuff too and really love how you have it down to which type of leather you are working with. Of course, these companies claim their product crosses all types, and for the average gentleman they do, but to get the best desired outcome a guy ought to try a bit for himself and hone it in some. I always say to give a product a try, watch my videos and others and then decide for himself what he should do after gaining what I call “a relationship with leather”. Mate you’ve got that and then some!! I truly hope that people take time to read your comment. Blessings on ya and hope you get a killer deal on some Shell Cordovan!!
What would you suggest for the leather on ll bean bean boots? I use obenaufs myself. I oil them then once dry I go over the stitching with the heavy duty lp and in winter I give the entire upper a thin coat of the heavy duty lp
Great video as usual! I too, have used Bic 4; great product. I find it somewhat expensive so here is a little food for thought. Jay Leno's Garage makes a leather conditioning product that I have switched to. Its sold at Walmart in the auto section. This, like Bick 4, does not change the color of the leather but does an equally good job of hydrating the boot. I use this on all my boots and am very pleased with the results. This comes in a 16 oz. bottle and is applied same as other conditioners. For those leery of saddle soap Leo's Garage also makes a cleaner; again it mild but does the job. The conditioner costs approximately $11.00 for a 16 ounce bottle and the cleaner runs about 9 bucks. Now I only need a pair of Red Wing 8111s to apply it to. Those are just beyond my price range right now but maybe someday!!!
Thanks for that awesome insight. I love a lot of the stuff that comes from Jay, I'll have to check it out. I like thinking outside the box and that's what this channel is all about. Check out the video I did that just came out today, it's a gift guide for boot guys. I give 5 gift ideas and the bonus #6 is the Iron Rangers. Send that video over to someone who is shopping for you and maybe it'll happen sooner than later!! :)
I’ve used both Bick4 and Cadillac. Thanks for the connection between the two. Good news is I have some black leather boots so I don’t have to worry about color change. For those boots I use Leather Honey or Obenaufs.
How often can/should this be used on boots? I don’t want to over condition, but since this is fairly superficial ….. I’m trying to break-in a couple pairs of RW’s, and looking for the balance.
Often boots can go 4-6 months but feel free to go once a month in casual use or go ahead and weekly put a dab on the area that you feel is not breaking in easy. If you are getting them dirty then use the Cobbler's Choice Leather Cleaner or Red Wing Foam Leather Cleaner first, then condition them again afterwards. It is certainly possible to over condition them.
I have a pair of dark brown work boots that became distressed light brown over about 6 months of use. Washed then used mink oil paste. It brought them back to their original dark color. With that in mind i use the mink oil on my black and dark brown. I have a few pairs of naturally light brown boots i did not want to darken so i got the Bicks. Thanks for the vid. I feel more comfortable that it is not going to change them.
Bickmore specifically says on their website regarding Bick No4: "Do not use on suede, rough-out, distressed or napped leathers" ...any idea why this is? Seems to have worked nicely on your 2942's despite them warning not to use it on them
The type of leather has fiber strands more less that are knappy, the conditioner is believed to gum up or clog the leather. Since they make conditioner for that type of leather I say run what they recommend. However, if the boots are like $200 it's hard to imagine that it will do that much "damage". I try not to overcomplicate it. I talked with my cobbler buddy and he was ok with using certain "regular" conditioners with my tobacco Thursday captains.
You made me curious about Cadillac leather cream as Bick 4 is very hard to get in the UK and Cadillac isn't. I wish I could know for sure that it's the same.
I applied this product with my hand, I think it's the best way. After I left it to dry, I applied the water repellent spray. I just need to buy a horse hair brush.
Great Question. The silicone is believed to coat the leather fibers in such a manner that it will not let the leather breathe as it is supposed to and thus any attempt to then hydrate or moisturize the leather is no longer possible. It takes a good leather cleaner to remove the silicone. Cheers mate!
@@GentlemansJourney I used a small amount on some leather straps for some canvas bags I have. I used the Bick 4. Will the silicone eventually degrade, is does that mean that it will ruin the leather preventing it from getting nourishment? Is this permanent?
Bick 4 is useful to condition shoes before applying a wax polish. For rugged outdoor boots, a good mink oil paste melted in with a hairdryer will provide the deep conditioning and water resistance an outdoor boot needs.
It's a trace amount of around 0.02% in older product and 0.01% in newer product based on information from a third party. So basically 100 parts per million.
@GentlemansJourney It's worse than spilling anything gross in your truck and you paid for it. I smell everything in my truck and no way I could ever use this. I told him that I will bring it to you vacuumed and you can apply it! I will never ride in that truck again! You want me to not hold back? Buy Lexol or Griot's all day long, smells like Leather instead of Silicone.
I washed my work boots with Dawn dish soap and they are very dry I used mink oil and they got very Dark .. so I washed them again lol but hopefully bick4 doesn’t darken them 🤞🏽🤞🏽
Bick4 is great for that, should not darken. I always say, if you really want to test it, put a bit of conditioner on a place that you don't mind changing and give that a day before going forward with the whole boot. I go back and forth on if I care or not. It really depends on the boot for me, I also try to test stuff for the videos. Cheers Julio!
![[ASMR] Top 3 Boot Conditioners TESTED - Bick 4 vs Mink Oil vs Obenaufs](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UzrULSwrc7c/mqdefault.jpg)
I probably am one of those guys that has more brushes, products and tinctures then I should have! Lots and lots of experience though! It depends on the leather and what it is. For Chrome Excel I found nothing better than Venetian Shoe Cream.
For oil tanned leathers or veg tanned infused ones like W&C oil tanned leather. Saphir's Medaille D'or Oiled Leather Cream is the best, very similar to Red Wing's Shoe Cream, little to no leather color change.
Veg tanned boots like Horween's Dublin with a higher wax content I use Smith's leather balm.
Note I have 3 pairs of Red Wings that all used Oro Legacy Leather. I tried Smith's Leather Balm, Red Wing's Leather Cream, and Saphir's Medaille D'or Oiled Leather Cream. Saphir has a bit of water proofing but absorbs the fastest and seemed to lighten up faster but you need to buff it while wet so it took more time. Probably less of a shine than the other options which I liked and it smelled amazing and more liquid viscosity than the other two options(must be how they emulsify the beeswax in it). Red Wing's smells like Elmer's glue and absorbs slower and is more of a paste with the beeswax and neatsfoot oil. Smith's you work in with your hands and it doesn't leave a tacky residue, it darkens the most but lightens up to normal in 3 days, gives a bit of waterproofing, think of the all natural leather conditioner but without the tackiness and degree of darkening. Honestly it just depends what you prefer and hard to go wrong with any of them.
I would go Smith's if I cared less about the patina and darkening and wanted an all-in-one product(protection being the priority and safe to apply by hand). Red Wing's own product is nice and made for their leathers, I find you need to only let it soak for a maximum of a half an hour then buff to spread and get rid of the excess pooling in cracks and creases. Saphir's is one cut above but twice the price of Redwing's too. Mind you that little bottle lasts for years on a pair of boots when used sparingly and as intended. Saphir's product needs buffed the fastest (within 5 minutes or it can leave a mark where it didn't absorb although that will buff out overtime with future brushing after wears).
Otherwise I use Obenauf's with my boots I intend to put through hell and back. I use the oil, then the heavy duty LP, and finish by going a step further and melt beeswax in. Note I would only do this with a black pair of boots and not for the inexperienced nor faint of heart.
Shinable leathers are instead Saphir's Renovateur, Pommadier Cream Polish, and Pate De Luxe Wax Shoe Polish are bar none the best! Tried Kiwi, Lincoln, Angelus, and many many more but nothing is better than Saphir in that regard!
I have tried pretty much all types of leathers except for the exotics like Kudu, Elephant, Snake Skin, Shark Skin, Buffalo, Moose, etc. Overall my bucket list boot is to have a pair of boots made in Shell Cordovan. Sort of considering a boot from India to get it below the $1000 mark. Just have a lot of trepidation with the process of getting the sizing right or last. There is the one company very akin to Nick's I might spring for due to knowing my sizing and being able to play off of that.
It’s only the 10th of January but I’m dubbing this the best comment of 2022! Let’s see how the year goes but this would be hard to top. I’m tracking with everything you are saying and honestly feel like we have drawn so many similar conclusions. The applications for the Saphir products is on point and I totally agree with running Obenauf’s on work boots, can't go wrong. I have so many conditioner videos coming out, but I’ll have to pick up some Smith’s as I haven’t tried that yet. I am certainly trying to get the average gentleman into a care routine that works for him and that he will actually use. That said, I get wild with this stuff too and really love how you have it down to which type of leather you are working with. Of course, these companies claim their product crosses all types, and for the average gentleman they do, but to get the best desired outcome a guy ought to try a bit for himself and hone it in some. I always say to give a product a try, watch my videos and others and then decide for himself what he should do after gaining what I call “a relationship with leather”. Mate you’ve got that and then some!! I truly hope that people take time to read your comment. Blessings on ya and hope you get a killer deal on some Shell Cordovan!!
What would you suggest for the leather on ll bean bean boots? I use obenaufs myself. I oil them then once dry I go over the stitching with the heavy duty lp and in winter I give the entire upper a thin coat of the heavy duty lp
Great video as usual! I too, have used Bic 4; great product. I find it somewhat expensive so here is a little food for thought. Jay Leno's Garage makes a leather conditioning product that I have switched to. Its sold at Walmart in the auto section. This, like Bick 4, does not change the color of the leather but does an equally good job of hydrating the boot. I use this on all my boots and am very pleased with the results. This comes in a 16 oz. bottle and is applied same as other conditioners. For those leery of saddle soap Leo's Garage also makes a cleaner; again it mild but does the job. The conditioner costs approximately $11.00 for a 16 ounce bottle and the cleaner runs about 9 bucks. Now I only need a pair of Red Wing 8111s to apply it to. Those are just beyond my price range right now but maybe someday!!!
Thanks for that awesome insight. I love a lot of the stuff that comes from Jay, I'll have to check it out. I like thinking outside the box and that's what this channel is all about. Check out the video I did that just came out today, it's a gift guide for boot guys. I give 5 gift ideas and the bonus #6 is the Iron Rangers. Send that video over to someone who is shopping for you and maybe it'll happen sooner than later!! :)
Yeah but even after what he did to Conan?😂
I’ve used both Bick4 and Cadillac. Thanks for the connection between the two. Good news is I have some black leather boots so I don’t have to worry about color change. For those boots I use Leather Honey or Obenaufs.
Both great options!! 🥾🥾
How often can/should this be used on boots? I don’t want to over condition, but since this is fairly superficial ….. I’m trying to break-in a couple pairs of RW’s, and looking for the balance.
Often boots can go 4-6 months but feel free to go once a month in casual use or go ahead and weekly put a dab on the area that you feel is not breaking in easy. If you are getting them dirty then use the Cobbler's Choice Leather Cleaner or Red Wing Foam Leather Cleaner first, then condition them again afterwards. It is certainly possible to over condition them.
I dont think Bick 4 does anything at all . . . but on a positive note, it wont darken your leather as it does absolutely nothing at all.
fair enough. It's not my go to conditioner that's for sure.
Hi there! Can I use Bick 4 on non treated leather, like on my Louis Vuitton Vachetta that has no patina yet? I don't want the vachetta to get darker
I’m not familiar with that leather. Maybe worth an email to Louis Vuitton to ask. Hopefully someone on here will answer too. Thank you for watching 🥾🥾
I have a pair of dark brown work boots that became distressed light brown over about 6 months of use. Washed then used mink oil paste. It brought them back to their original dark color. With that in mind i use the mink oil on my black and dark brown. I have a few pairs of naturally light brown boots i did not want to darken so i got the Bicks. Thanks for the vid. I feel more comfortable that it is not going to change them.
Sounds like you have a mighty fine collection and looking to do all the right things to care for them 👍 right on 🥾🥾 blessings friend!
Bickmore specifically says on their website regarding Bick No4: "Do not use on suede, rough-out, distressed or napped leathers" ...any idea why this is? Seems to have worked nicely on your 2942's despite them warning not to use it on them
The type of leather has fiber strands more less that are knappy, the conditioner is believed to gum up or clog the leather. Since they make conditioner for that type of leather I say run what they recommend. However, if the boots are like $200 it's hard to imagine that it will do that much "damage". I try not to overcomplicate it. I talked with my cobbler buddy and he was ok with using certain "regular" conditioners with my tobacco Thursday captains.
I love the Bick 4. I use it often on all my Red Wings.
Heck yeah!! 🥾🥾
You made me curious about Cadillac leather cream as Bick 4 is very hard to get in the UK and Cadillac isn't. I wish I could know for sure that it's the same.
I'd have some good confidence that you are getting a great product in the Cadillac conditioner.
I applied this product with my hand, I think it's the best way. After I left it to dry, I applied the water repellent spray. I just need to buy a horse hair brush.
Heck yeah! Sounds like you got it down mate, good on you.
Hi. Thanks for the review. I use it on all my leather boots and leather jackets.
Absolutely perfect for that stuff! Appreciate you watching the video!
How can I see the list for the Lucchese conditioner?
I would contact Lucchese directly
Bick 4 is a great conditioner for not darkening. Saphir renovateur is the best conditioner for high quality leathers like calfskin.
Saphir renovateur will be discussed down the road for sure!! Thanks for watching and appreciate the comment.
@@GentlemansJourney Make sure to buy the much superior Saphir Médaille d'Or Renovateur Cream. There is also a cheaper Saphir Beauté du Cuir version.
@@stevenroche9874can Reno be used on leather jacket? If so, that must be huge load of labour 😂
Really hard to get hold of this stuff in the UK. Had to import mine.
Interesting how that works, it’s so popular here in the states. Cheers for watching mate! 🥾🥾
I’m in the UK and get mine from Amazon, next day delivery
Wouldnt help remove pen line and discoloration patch on my expensive couch Outlaw Patch purse pink leather patch.
Bummer, that sounds like a complicated situation there.
I notice that it tends to wash off with water even when dry
Thanks for chiming in, it doesn’t feel as hearty as a good boot oil. What is your go to conditioner? 🥾🥾
@@GentlemansJourney I prefer the red wing all natural conditioner for most boots, and bick 4 on my lighter colored boots
Is this suitable for nubuck leather?
Most say no!
Thank you! I might give it a go on my Jim Green African Rangers coming in Cape Buffalo 🐃 leather.
@Gentleman's Journey, what does silicone do that is bad for the leather? You mentioned it in the video as one of the ingredients.
Great Question. The silicone is believed to coat the leather fibers in such a manner that it will not let the leather breathe as it is supposed to and thus any attempt to then hydrate or moisturize the leather is no longer possible. It takes a good leather cleaner to remove the silicone. Cheers mate!
@@GentlemansJourney I used a small amount on some leather straps for some canvas bags I have. I used the Bick 4. Will the silicone eventually degrade, is does that mean that it will ruin the leather preventing it from getting nourishment? Is this permanent?
@@GentlemansJourney The internet says Bick 4 has no wax or silicone in it.
@@ex0gen The ingredient list data sheet shows some. Small amount though.
@@ex0gen Just give them a good cleaning with some boot cleaner and you'll be fine!
Bick 4 is useful to condition shoes before applying a wax polish. For rugged outdoor boots, a good mink oil paste melted in with a hairdryer will provide the deep conditioning and water resistance an outdoor boot needs.
Thanks for watching 🥾🥾
Never knew it had Silicone in it.
I really didn't either, it must be pretty minimal. Haven't had any issues with this stuff at all.
It's a trace amount of around 0.02% in older product and 0.01% in newer product based on information from a third party. So basically 100 parts per million.
My friend insisted that I buy this for his truck and now it smells like SILICONE CAULK, YUK!
Horrible, use Lexol or Griot's.
Oh no…
@GentlemansJourney It's worse than spilling anything gross in your truck and you paid for it. I smell everything in my truck and no way I could ever use this.
I told him that I will bring it to you vacuumed and you can apply it!
I will never ride in that truck again!
You want me to not hold back?
Buy Lexol or Griot's all day long,
smells like Leather instead of Silicone.
Saphir renovateur and Pick 4 leather conditioner. Which one is better for buy?
Unless they are expensive boots go Bick 4!
The Kermit voiceover is perfect😂
Thanks for watching
Is this good for my white loubtons?
I don't have any experience with those.
I washed my work boots with Dawn dish soap and they are very dry I used mink oil and they got very Dark .. so I washed them again lol but hopefully bick4 doesn’t darken them 🤞🏽🤞🏽
Bick4 is great for that, should not darken. I always say, if you really want to test it, put a bit of conditioner on a place that you don't mind changing and give that a day before going forward with the whole boot. I go back and forth on if I care or not. It really depends on the boot for me, I also try to test stuff for the videos. Cheers Julio!
Just used some bick 4 on my mechanic boots after giving them a good cleaning using dawn and sat out to dry. 🥾🥾
Good on ya man!
Stopped listening when he praised California.
You've gotta be kidding me... You Clearly don't watch my content....