Mink Oil 97105 | Red Wing Heritage Europe

Rated 5 out of 5 by eynoj from Easy to apply, versatile, works great & darkening is very minimal. Preface -- this review applies to Red Wing's "Mink Oil Paste" (product ID 95160) which I assume is a very similar product, if not identical. I couldn't find it on the website, but it's still for sale in Red Wing stores, where I purchased it. I was recommended this product in my local Red Wing store when purchasing my first pair of Red Wing boots years ago, the 875 moc toe, when I was looking for a care/maintenance product that would properly hydrate the leather while minimizing the darkening effect that most leather oils tend to impart. I've since gone on to use & trust it on three different pairs of Red Wing boots of three very different types & colors of leather with great results (those being the ligher brown 875 moc toe, the darker brown 8111 Amber Harness Iron Ranger, and the 9011 Black Cherry Featherstone Beckman/Gentleman's Traveler.) The color change is minimal to non-existent in all three pairs -- the darker they start, the less of a change. Even in the lightest pair (the 875 moc toe,) the darkening was only temporary as the product absorbed into the leather. Even on the smooth, shiny leather of the 9011 Beckman, it works wonderfully without causing any ill effects to the look & feel; they only come out looking richer in depth, and perhaps even a touch more shiny. Application is very simple, as this is a thicker paste. I prefer doing so by hand. Quickly rub the pad of your thumb in circles along the product surface to emulsify it a bit, and work it into the leather. A little bit goes a long way, so one tub should last you a long time (don't over-apply!) Wait a little while for absorption, then wipe off the excess that isn't absorbed with a clean cloth. Brush for a bit of a shine if desired. It's not a polish, but you can pull a bit of a sheen out of it with enough brushing. Without that extra elbow grease, you're simply left with the same shine (or lack thereof) before you started, except now your leather is well-quenched and waterproofed. While this isn't my go-to routine maintenance product, I do opt to use it on a brand new pair of boots to help with the break-in period. One thing I've noticed is that it softens leather more so than any of the other various oils and conditioners I own. For more regular maintenance, I stick to a lighter conditioner every 3 months or so (or as needed.) Otherwise, I tend to reach for this mink oil paste about once a year. Your mileage may vary, mostly based on how often your boots are exposed to the elements. Once I start noticing any harsh cracking or dryness, I reach for this paste, and it does the trick. The jury is still out about the silicone content -- I'm admittedly not studied enough in the preservation of leather to say whether or not it's advisable to use a silicone product -- but I'm putting my faith in Red Wing here that they wouldn't put their name on a product that would harm their leather. All I can say is that my four-year-old 875 moc toe boots are still in wonderful condition after multiple applications of this paste, without a single sign of degradation. Perhaps moderation and very light coatings are key, but it hasn't caused me any worry yet. I'll gladly continue to use this mink oil paste.

Date published: 2018-08-17

Rated 5 out of 5 by Bootymcbootface from Can you use it on Beckman 9013? I have a pair of Beckman 9013. Can I use the Mink Oil to condition the boot?

Date published: 2017-11-25

Rated 5 out of 5 by Mesyang88 from Silicone + Leather = Not Good? I'm relatively new to leather care and heritage boots but was warned early on that oil's that contain silicone can shorten the life of your leather when compared to oil's that do not contain silicone. I received this oil complimentary when I purchased my Iron Ranger 8111, but did not use it on said product due to this concern. However recently I learned the mink oil I had been using as an alternative also contained silicone, which was a bit frustrating. I'll attest that, for what it is, this is a very good product as I have used it on things like belts, bags, and sheaths. Just wish there was a non-silicone alternative, and I can't tell from Red Wing's website alone, if the All Natural Leather Conditioner is the better alternative I'm searching for since it contains bees wax instead of silicone. As these reviews have a reply function, please let me know your thoughts if you have used both.

Date published: 2017-03-26

Rated 5 out of 5 by Kahn from Finest Mink Oil I've Used I buy and sell old leather boots, jackets, chaps and more. I've used just about every mink oil and leather conditioner/cleaner on the market. With Red Wing Mink, I can bring just about any leather back to life with a suppleness and feel that lets me charge more for the products I recondition. For my best leather, it gets only Red Wing Mink. Try it.

Date published: 2017-03-25

Rated 4 out of 5 by Mark465 from Will darken the leather Used this on my Copper Rough & Tough boots. Really darkened the leather. Hoping they will return to the original color as they dry out with time.

Date published: 2016-12-31

Rated 5 out of 5 by Math from Nice product, apply sparingly by hand I have used this product on both my 8119 Iron Rangers and my 1907 Mocs. I have seen several youtube videos applying larger amounts with cloth, and I think this may be the source of some frustration with this product darkening your boots. You do not need a lot of this product per condition. I did use less for the smoother leather 8119s (Oxblood) than the 1907s (R&T) as it was easier to apply evenly. I believe that applying by hand is the best way to ensure you apply the correct amount and to your tastes. It will darken your boots slightly, as will all conditioners. It worked wonders on the 8119s. On the 1907s it takes several hours for the oil to dry/soak in, during which the boots noticeably lighten. The 1907s still are slightly darker than their original copper state but I actually like it.

Date published: 2016-04-22

Rated 4 out of 5 by Tito from Good as any other Good solid mink oil. As the other guy stated it will change the color of your boots. I have used them on a pair of work boots as well as my Heritage Work Chukka in Briar Oil Slick; however, I will disagree with the above comment that it does not permantly change the color of your boot. My work chukka has seen some use and the once dark leather has evidence of fading here/there, when the mink oil was applied it brought the entire boot back to its original dark color; however, after a couple months of wear they are back to showing the wear & tear and fading of the leather. I will say I now also own the Copper Rough & Tough 6" round toe work boot and have used the conditioner on it, but don't plan to use the mink oil on it because I don't want to wait two months for them to return to their original color. Its a good mink oil and if you've used mink oil before it should perform as expected.

Date published: 2015-03-02

Rated 5 out of 5 by Antonio from Works great for red wing model 406 I use this once every month or two on my 406's and it's really helping to prolong the life of them. It made them darker but they look good. I need the waterproofing that the mink oil provides. I plan to keep my boots for as long as possible and the mink oil will help me do just that.

Date published: 2015-02-16

MINK OIL, 3 OZ Unisex Reviews - page 2

USA MEN'S	USA WOMEN'S	EUROPEAN	BRITISH	MEN'S cm	WOMEN'S cm
	4	33.5	1.5		21
	4.5	34	2		21.5
3.5	5	34.5	2.5	21.5	22
4	5.5	35	3	22	22.5
4.5	6	36	3.5	22.5	23
5	6.5	37	4	23	23.5
5.5	7	37.5	4.5	23.5	24
6	7.5	38	5	24	24.5
6.5	8	38.5	5.5	24.5	25
7	8.5	39	6	25	25.5
7.5	9	40	6.5	25.5	26
8	9.5	41	7	26	26.5
8.5	10	41.5	7.5	26.5	27
9	10.5	42	8	27	27.5
9.5	11	42.5	8.5	27.5	28
10	12	43	9	28	28.5
10.5		43.5	9.5	28.5
11		44	10	29
11.5		45	10.5	29.5
12		46	11	30
13		47	12	31
14		48	13	32
15		49	14	33
16		50	15	34

Mink Oil

ITEM NO. 97105

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FOOTWEAR SIZE COMPARISON CHART FOR MOST COMMON INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS