# Mink oil and Neatsfoot oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844 "2009-05-27T20:55:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ceroill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Ceroill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceroill)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/1 "2009-05-27T20:55:19Z")
What’s the difference between Neatsfoot Oil and Mink Oil, and which is better at ‘waterproofing’ leather? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/2 "2009-05-27T21:39:29Z")
[Mink oil.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil) Made from minks. [Neatsfoot oil.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neatsfoot_oil) Made from neats’ feets. 🙂 I didn’t find anything claiming one was a better waterproofing agent than the other. ---
**Author:** ![Ceroill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Ceroill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceroill)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/3 "2009-05-27T21:43:21Z")
lol, ok cute one. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/4 "2009-05-27T22:07:53Z")
Neatsfoot oil has no inherent waterproofing quality. It is a thin liquid and does not form a barrier. It’s good for conditioning leather but terribly acidic on thread stitching, so don’t use it on things that don’t have leather stitching (a baseball glove is its ideal use). Never never never use neatsfoot on fittings for a saddle or any type of equipment with an impact on safety. (Lexol makes a special Ph- corrected neatsfoot for use on saddles, if you interested). Neatsfoot oil also tends to darken leather over time, which can be good or bad, depending on your preference. It will darken suede a lot, and unevenly. Mink oil comes in a paste and has excellent waterproofing qualities. You do have to reapply it fairly often though - it’s not like modern durable waterproofing finishes. It dulls the finish of shiny leather, which some people do not care for. That’s just a preference thing. Neatsfoot oil is made from the hooves of cows. Mink oil is made from the fat layer under a mink’s skin. ---
**Author:** ![Ceroill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Ceroill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceroill)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/5 "2009-05-27T22:10:38Z")
Exactly what I wanted to know! Thanks a lot! Somehow I’d been under the impression neatsfoot was for waterproofing leather. Huh. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/6 "2009-05-28T01:27:29Z")
Every now and then the useless knowledge I have in my head seems a little less useless, so thank You! ---
**Author:** ![Ceroill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Ceroill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceroill)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/7 "2009-05-28T01:32:41Z")
Yeah. It happens to a lot of us I think. Any idea where the name Neatsfoot comes from? ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/8 "2009-05-28T01:35:42Z")
Mink oil will also soften leather. For hiking boots, for example, that’s fine, but only up to a point. If you overdo it, you can soften the boots up so much that they don’t provide proper ankle support any longer. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mink-oil-and-neatsfoot-oil/497844/9 "2009-05-28T02:27:20Z")
> [@Ceroill](#): > > Any idea where the name Neatsfoot comes from? It was in the article I linked: _Neatsfoot oil is [made] from the feet…of cattle…‘Neat’ in the oil’s name comes from an old term for cattle…_. When I said “Made from neats’ feets,” the only cuteness was the “s” on “feets” - otherwise it was a serious and correct statement.