Leather steering wheel

My understanding is the leather is Aniline leather. So I looked up this. https://leatherhero.com.au/pages/ho...BSVkK1Vf_O1UtuHK6NPxXpRMq_R2cqUbep5IrMUj_Tr1L

Use saddle leather products for your rugged saddle leather wheel..
Smell like sweat and horses not Freddie Mercury's boudoir.

https://kentsaddlery.com.au/handmade-leather-saddles/saddle-care/

Shaky said:

I’ll bump this thread.

Has anyone actually treated their saddle leather wheel yet. I noticed mine is probably due to a feed of some kind and am wondering what others have used and what they think of the results.

I have a few options I already own but looking for feedback first.

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I’d recommend something like Chamberlin’s or Obenauf’s, which are both made from natural ingredients and safe for your skin. The big difference with using leather care that you’d use for your shoes, jackets or your car is that most of those products can have chemicals that can cause skin issues (rashes, irritation).

I learned a lot from watch collecting and conditioning leather watch straps, after hearing people having skin issues from the leather conditioning products they used.

For those that are interested in the complex and nuanced leather industry, I found an interesting and detailed study of the leather selected and used to clad the Brendan boat. In 1976 Tim Severin crossed the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland in a boat designed and made from plans found in the 8th century Latin texts describing the voyages of St Brendan in the 6th century.
At the time there was much skepticism that a leather boat would withstand months at sea , what with huge waves , gales , whales , beaches , rocks , ice and the like.
Tim and his team proved the doubters wrong

The tanning and conditioning of leather is highly variable , depending upon the intended use.
Modern leather is chemically/synthetically tanned - chrome salts. It's quick and relatively cheap; you get a soft pliable product.
Tanning with vegetable matter (e.g. bark , animal fats/oils) is the ancient method but takes months and is labour intensive. The leather acquires characteristic odours and special characteristics.

The saddle leather used in the Grenadier option is different from seat leather. Products used to treat modern leather are different to those to treat old style leather.

Here are some tests pertinent to the 1976 recreation of St Brendan's voyage. It's not an exact science but there's a lot of science in it!
For the record , they waterproofed using wool grease , and it stank.

Also consider automotive leather is not that same that is was in the 60’s, 70’s, even 90’s. I take a hard pass when an automotive company is selling leather.