I’ve used mineral oil (3-in-1) to lubricate pump cup leathers for years now with no problems. Aware of neatsfoot oil’s reputation as perhaps the premier lubricant for this use I got some. Big disapointment. Cold temperatures cause it to become more of a grease than an oil. Consequence was ‘missed’ pump strokes on lanterns and stoves I’d used it on. Just to be clear, the pump cup leathers were otherwise in mint condition. I wiped off the neatsfoot oil from the affected pump cups, re-lubricated them with mineral oil and flawless pump action was restored. John
I strongly suspects the 'neat' name of this organic oil made this lubricant more appealing to those seeking exclusiveness, if not effectivenes, like an inside secret. Ordinary motoroil does not tickle one's fancy, but is very effective, available everywhere and in principle very cheap.
Sorry, @Dutchmike - you're well off the mark. 'Neat' is an old English term for 'beast' - that is, 'cattle'. Neatsfoot Oil is made by extracting the oily glycerine from the hooves of cattle (which have been sent for slaughter). Clearly, it doesn't work at all well on pump leathers, but it does a first rate job on softening and preserving leather boots and saddlery. With best regards, Gunner
I agree with Mr. Gunner . I've read something like this .... " Do not use products that contain petroleum or mineral oils, as they are very drying and can damage the leather over time. " When I use neats oil on pump cap . I usually throw it into an shot glass that neats oil is in it . Then put that into microwave for a little and warm it up the oil . Soak it for until the leather get fully saturated with oil then pull it out wipe excess oil with paper towel . My mom used do do this with stop top with tin can . That's what Ive leaned and I'm still doing it same way and I don't know about how everyone do with their own but it never failed on me yet.
For pump leathers I use sperm oil exclusively. It is thin, does not congeal, dry out or gum up, and does not corrode metals. I can withstand high heat and has a very low freezing point. Ben
@presscall - Good meaty stuff, eh, John? That's why, especially when I'm softening up new leather horse tack, I stick the can in a bowl of hottish water, which thins it out a treat. Gunner
Not the case on some pretty ancient pump leathers in my collection that have had nothing else. The issue I have is not that the neatsfoot oil is too thick to apply - it can be gently warmed of course - but that it thickens and compromises smooth pump action in even only moderately cold ambient temperatures.
I had some neatsfoot compound I had been using for the last 5 years or so, then heard the 100% pure oil was better as it was pure. I did notice or suspect that the compound seemed to dry out, requiring the pump cup to be re-oiled. Have not used the pure stuff very long yet, it does congeal in much cooler temps like bacon fat or grease does in water, looking granular. Always thought the 3 in 1 oil was too thin, but will have to give it a try if a expert has had positive results. I have a vintage can of the 3 in 1 I inherited from my late mom. Duane
I read about the drawbacks to neatsfoot oil years ago, shared them online, and others argued. So, I kept quiet and kept using mineral oil. No problems with mineral oil.
I believe mineral oils are fine on those black rubber pump caps . I do understand how neat oil tends to solidify in cold climate. I can see it with my own neat foot oil bottle right here as we speak . In my case , I do not actually apply over the leather surface. I actually soak them into the leather itself with slight heat. Meaning warm neats oil saturated into the leather. When I feels like if it's dried out I resoak it again then wipe off excessive oils . In this way, the oil itself isn't outside of the leather yet keeps the seal and not compromise pump action at all . Actually when you move the piston I believe slight oils comes out like a squeezed juice from leather like water comes out of a sponge. Even if it did compromise at first a several pump actions would creates frictions between inside of the wall and leather then it would create slight heat to actually melt the congealed oil to your favor to reduce frictions inside of a chamber that I believe. Right now , my room is lower than 50s and I can see my breath like a steam and the bottle of neats oil are solidified almost halfway. And yet I have no issues with my pump. So, I guess you guys are living in much more harsh environment than I am ? I don't know... but I guess the what kind of oil you should use ... The right answer will be each of their owns and where you live ?
It's actually an old common Germanic speaking term for cattle so Mike should actually have recognized it too. Perhaps more in the term "noot". Up here we still call cattle "Nöt", and maybe the Angles, Saxons or perhaps the Jutes took it along to England where it got distorted to "Neat". Could also have been later in the viking era, but I doubt it. Old over all common Germanic nouns in Britain is often older than the viking age.
If it too cold for the neats foot then it's far too cold for me at the mo! lol. Worth knowing though. Alan
@hikerduane - when I had a horse, I asked a salesman what 'neatsfoot compound' was compounded with, and can only describe his attidude as deliberately insulting . . . so I did some digging around; basically, the compounded stuff is pure neatsfoot mixed with ingredients which help it to penetrate leather more easily, but the downside is that the ingredients are mainly added because they're cheap! White spirit is commonly used as a compaund in the neatsfoot - and white spirit, in the long term, does tend to evaporate off quite readily, as well as tending to dry out leather. HTH, and best regards, Gunner
@Christer Carlsson - it seems that your estimate of how old the word is (pre-Viking) is correct; this is what I found on Wiktionary:- From Middle English nete, neat, from Old English nēat ("animal, beast, ox, cow, cattle"), from Proto-Germanic *nautan (“foredeal, profit, property, livestock”), from Proto-Indo-European *newd- (“to acquire, make use of”). Cognate with Dutch noot ("cow, cattle", in compounds), dialectal German Noß ("livestock"), Swiss German Nooss ("young sheep or goat"), Swedish nöt ("cattle"), Icelandic naut ("cattle"). In Scotland, the word is pronounced 'nowt' (rhyming with the word 'out') - and was still in use amongst young people as well as old when I lived around Aberdeen and the Moray Firth 40 years ago. Best regards, Gunner
