We gave Smith's Leather Balm a good old Texas size test.

I have been seeing Smith's leather balm all over social media. Overnight the husband and wife duo that are the mad scientists behind Smith's Leather Balm burst onto the scene. So, naturally I was pretty excited when they reached out to me to try their top secret leather restoring tonic.  Actually, it isn't a very top secret tonic at all. The Smith's proudly display their ingredients on their homepage, Cocoa Butter, Bees Wax, and Almond Oil. That's it. It is all natural, non toxic, and while you probably shouldn't eat it...it smells delicious. Seriously, it smells like a Hershey bar and I am not saying I tasted it... but I might have.

Shane messaged me with a very simple request, "no motive, you don't have to post or sell our product - ever. Just want to get it in the hands of makers like yourself." I didn't have to push their stuff, just try it.  So I did. Here is the deal, I didn't see the point in rubbing some balm on a new wallet, or a brand new piece of Wheat Harvest. I am sure it would do a wonderful job brightening an already perfect piece of leather. 

Instead, we decide to test Smith's the only way we knew how, with the crustiest pair of old cowboy boots we could find.  As I knocked the manure off the sides of my old Ariat's, I started to wonder if this wasn't a fair fight. These boots hadn't seen polish, mink oil, or conditioner in years. The top had started to crack from drying out and they were scuffed up like they had been in a scene out of Road House. Point being, these boots had seen better days.

Prep and application was simple. I wet a rag and washed as much cow crud off of them as I could. I let them dry out again, grabbed the Smith's, and applied it generously with a horse hair brush. Now Smith's says a little goes a long way, and it certainly does. But these old war horses needed a little extra gusto. So I slathered on the Smith's like I was painting a barn. The results were immediate. The leather quickly returned to its original color, but more importantly the leather was supple again. Now I find the word supple a bit odd, and I almost feel weird even saying (err.... typing) it.  But, the leather was flexible, soft...supple. I am not saying that John Wayne used Smith's to soften his ruggedly chapped cowboy hands, or that he even needed to. But, I can say it certainly would of helped.

The only issue I have, is I want a bigger can. Smith's needs to offer a paint bucket of this stuff.

So do you need to run out and buy a can of Smith's Leather Balm? All I know, is I am going to use Smith's on my personal leather products and when my friends and family ask me what they should use, Smith's is the first product I will suggest. Good folks doing good things. Check them out www.smithsleatherbalm.com

“I am not saying that John Wayne used Smith’s to soften his ruggedly chapped cowboy hands, or that he even needed to. But, I can say it certainly would of helped.”