Tanner's Oath Wood & Leather Salve for Bikers

Mark D. Verified Buyer

Brought the color back without making the seat shiny or slick.

My old Harley seat had been sitting through way too many summers and it was starting to look pretty dried out. I did one side first because I didn’t want to screw it up. Once I wiped it down, the difference was pretty obvious. Brought the color back without making the seat shiny or slick.

4.8/5 | Based on 10 500+ Reviews

Tanner's Oath Wood & Leather Salve

Brings back a sun-baked, faded seat and stiff, thirsty leather, from the saddlebags and the tour-pak pad to the jacket, the chaps and the boots, without dyeing it, reupholstering it, or soaking it in oil.

Feeds sun-bleached, grey, thirsty seats without a recover. Not a dye, not a paint. Every scuff and crease stays where it was.
Softens stiff, faded leathers (saddlebags, jackets, chaps, gloves, boots) without the oil-soaked dark look or a waxy build-up.
No petroleum, no silicone, no solvents, no chemical smell.
Buffs dry in ten minutes. Doesn't sit greasy like a heavy oil or go slick like a spray shine.
Wipes on thin over stitching and studs. If some lands on the chrome or the paint, wipe it off.

Mark D. Verified Buyer

Brought the color back without making the seat shiny or slick.

Our guarantee

We offer a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee that begins only when you receive the product! If you're not happy you can return your order and we'll give you a full refund*. *Refunds are processed in accordance with our return policy

Shipping Policy

Every order is packed by hand and sent out in batches. Allow up to 2 days for packing, then 7 to 13 days for delivery, based on your location. Please contact our customer service team for assistance if you have any questions or concerns about your shipment.

What's Included

1x Tanner's Oath Wood & Leather Salve 1x Tanner's Oath Wood & Leather Brush

Disclaimer

Every seat and every hide is different. Age, dyes, prior coatings, cleaning products, and finish types can all affect results. Always test on a small, hidden area first (under the seat, inside a bag flap) before full application and allow it to dry completely. Tanner's Oath products are designed for absorbent leather and finished wood. Not suitable for vinyl, suede, nubuck, untreated, or synthetic materials. By purchasing, you acknowledge that Tanner's Oath is not liable for damage resulting from misuse, failure to test, or application on incompatible surfaces.

Watch it work

Seats, bags, jackets and whole sets of leathers brought back by the riders who own them

Their words. The photos are illustrations. Nothing dyed, nothing recovered, the scuffs still where they were.

Before

After

Illustration

Left is the seat on my dad’s bike the day I finally rolled it out of the garage this spring. It had gone gray and chalky across the middle, felt stiff under your hand, and the edges looked like the leather was just done. I’d put conditioner on it twice over the years. It would darken up for about a week and go right back. Two guys I ride with told me to get it recovered and I about did. Glad I didn’t. That pale scuff up by the tank was there when he was still riding it, and those creases across the middle had been there for years. I wasn’t looking to get rid of all that. That’s his seat.

Rubbed this in with an old T-shirt right there under the carport, let it sit overnight, wiped it down. Right side is the next morning. Didn’t dye anything, didn’t take the cover off. Every mark is still on it, it just looks like a seat somebody takes care of instead of one you’d pull off a parts bike. The black came back, the faded patches blended in, and you can still see the old creases through the middle. Same stitching, same old seat, it just looks like he’d have kept it.

Taking the bike out this weekend for the first time in six years.

★★★★★Mason R. - Boise, Idaho✓ Verified Buyer

Before

After

Illustration

Right side is my old saddlebags as of Saturday morning. Left side is what they looked like for the last several years. They’ve been on this bike through rain, summer heat, road grime, and more miles than I can count, and honestly I was getting scared to mess with them. The leather had gone gray and flat, scuffed pale along the bottom edge where they’d taken a beating, and the flap had gotten stiff enough that it barely wanted to move. I didn’t really know what to do with them. One guy told me to just replace them and another said to strip them down and redye them. Neither of those was going to happen. I didn’t want new bags. I wanted these bags.

So they just stayed on the bike looking worse every year. Every now and then I’d clean them up, put something on them, and a week later they were right back where they started.

Did this in the garage on a Saturday morning with an old rag and a cup of coffee sitting on the bench. Wiped the road dust off first, then rubbed the salve into the leather with my fingers and let it sit while I worked on the rest of the bike. Wiped it down after and that’s the photo. No dye, no stripping, no replacing anything. The scratches are still there. That worn spot on the bottom corner is still there. The color just came back into the leather like it had been sitting underneath all that gray the whole time. Looks like the same bags, just like I actually took care of them again.

They’re staying on the bike. I wouldn’t trade all those miles for a brand-new set anyway.

★★★★★Trevor B. - Knoxville, Tennessee✓ Verified Buyer

Before

After

Illustration

This jacket has been with me since the mid ’90s. Most of that time it’s been hanging in the garage or thrown over the back of the bike, which is probably why the leather got so dried out. The sleeves and shoulders had gone gray, the whole thing felt stiff, and I honestly figured it was about done.

Rubbed this into it one Saturday morning in the garage, worked it into the sleeves, shoulders and collar, then wiped off the extra. That’s it in the picture not long after.

The leather loosened up, the black came back, and all the old creases and wear are still there, they just don’t look chalky anymore. It still looks like the same jacket I’ve worn for years, just not dried to hell.*

Ended up using the rest on my seat and bags too.

★★★★★Brett C. - Tulsa, Oklahoma✓ Verified Buyer

Before

After

Illustration

That’s the seat off my dad’s bike. It had been sitting in the garage for years after he quit riding and the leather had gone gray and stiff, especially through the middle. The sides were starting to feel hard enough that I figured I’d eventually have to recover the whole thing. I’d been riding with a different seat because I didn’t want to make this one worse.

Worked this in by hand one evening, got into the stitched sections and around the edges, then left it alone overnight.

Next morning the leather actually flexed again and the black was back across the whole seat. Didn’t turn glossy, didn’t feel greasy, and all the old wear is still there. It just looks like a seat that still belongs on the bike.*

Put it back on that weekend. Felt right.

★★★★★Shawn D. - Lexington, Kentucky✓ Verified Buyer

Before

After

Illustration

Eight seasons on this gear and I wasn’t about to start replacing it. The boots fit right, the jacket was broken in, and the bags had been on the bike long enough that they just belonged there. But everything had gone chalky and dry from sun, road dust and getting wet over the years. Boots were worst around the toes, and the bags looked about as tired as the seat.

I’d tried mink oil on the boots before and all it really did was make them look dark and greasy for a little while. So I wiped everything down, worked this in by hand, and left it sitting overnight in the garage.

Right side is the next morning. Leather softened back up, the black came back even, and all the scuffs and worn spots are still there. Nothing looks new, which is exactly what I wanted. It just looks like my gear again.

Did the jacket, bags, seat and boots with the same jar. Still had some left when I was done.

★★★★★Dale R. - Fort Collins, Colorado✓ Verified Buyer

Dad's bike as found in the garage: dust cover half pulled back, the leather seat faded and thirsty

Bring Dad's Old Seat Back Without Reupholstering It

Sun-bleached, grey seat. Saddlebags gone rough at the corners. A jacket stiff as a board. Sound familiar?

Everyone at bike night has the same two answers: soak it in oil and hope, or pay a seat shop to put new leather on it. There's a third one, and it's what saddlers did long before spray shines existed. Clean the leather. Feed it. Seal it thin.

Tanner's Oath™ is that third answer, and it is not a dye or a recover. Nothing gets stripped, dyed, painted, or replaced. The original leather stays the original leather, and the scuffs and the wear from every mile stay exactly where they've always been.

Wipe it on, wait ten minutes, buff it dry. Not an overnight soak and a greasy seat for a week. Back on the road before bike night.

Feed the leather. Keep the history.

A leather seat taped across the middle, treated on one side and grey on the other

A grey seat isn't worn out. It's missing the oils the sun cooked out of it. A thin conditioner feeds it but is gone in a week. A heavy wax seals it but sits on top and builds up. Neither one does both.

Tanner's Oath™ does.

First, cold-pressed jojoba, shea, and hemp seed oil go into the leather fibers and put back what the sun and the wind pulled out. That's why the color returns instead of getting dyed on.

Then, beeswax and carnauba set a thin layer on top that buffs dry and helps shed rain and morning dew.

Bottles of thin leather conditioner, greyed out

Thin conditioner

Goes on easy and looks good for a week. Riders say it can't bring back leather that's really sun-baked.

Heavy oil and wax

Turns the leather dark. Builds up waxy and slick. It's a commitment you can't wipe back off.

Tanner's Oath

Wipes on, buffs dry in ten minutes. No soaking, no dye. Repeat it before every season for as long as you own the bike.

One jar. The seat, the leathers, and the miles in between.

Seats and backrests

Saddlebags and tool bags

Jackets and vests

Chaps

Gloves

Brown leather harness boots on a front step

Riding boots

Sun-bleached, grey, faded leather seats and backrests
Dull, worn patches where you sit and where your knees ride
Dusty, grimy used bags off eBay or a swap meet (wipe first)
Stiff, faded saddlebags, tool rolls, and tour-pak pads
Jackets, vests, chaps, gloves, riding boots
Seats: thin coat only, buffed dry before you ride

Black, brown, tan, and distressed leather. On a light tan seat, test a hidden spot first.

Not for

Vinyl seats and vinyl bags

Deep cracks and tears

Suede, nubuck, or roughout

Dry-rotted or bonded leather

If it needs a seat shop, it needs a seat shop. This is for everything else.

What's in the jar, and what isn't

Jojoba oilShea butterHemp seed oilBeeswaxCarnauba waxVitamin EThat's the list.

No petroleum

The Aquaphor trick is 41% petrolatum by its own label. This has none.

No silicone

So it doesn't leave that slick, fake shine.

No solvents, no dye, no chemical smell

So the garage doesn't stink.

It goes on clear and deepens the color the way a damp rag does, then settles back as it buffs. On a tan seat, test under the seat or inside a bag flap first.

The open jar on a garage bench with its six ingredients around it

Seat, then bags

Wiping road film off the seat with a pre-cleaning wipe

Wipe it down

A pre-cleaning wipe or a damp rag takes off the road film, dust, and old product.

Thin coat, small circles

Over stitching and studs, use almost nothing.

The seat resting with the jar open, saddlebags off the bike beside it

Wait ten minutes

Let it go into the leather. Get the bags off the bike while you wait.

Buff dry

A clean cloth, until nothing comes off on your hand. Then ride.

A pair of saddlebags on a garage workbench, one treated and one waiting, the open jar and a cloth in front

The saddlebags

Warm them in the sun for a few minutes so the leather drinks. Rub in a thin coat, flaps and straps too, wipe off what's left, let them sit overnight. Off the bike if you can. It's easier to reach the backs and the buckles on a bench than on the fender.

The only thing you can't undo is cutting the old leather off

Mink oil that went too soft. Wax that went slick. A spray shine that had you sliding into the tank. A seat shop quote of $400. You've heard all of it at bike night.

This doesn't strip, dye, or replace anything, so there's nothing to undo. And if the seat and the bags don't come back, you get the money back within 30 days. Full refund.

30 days. Full refund.

Send a photo of the seat or the bags. We refund the jar. That's the whole policy.

Questions from bike night

Will it darken my seat, especially a tan one?

It deepens the color the way a damp rag does while it's on, then settles back as it buffs. There's no dye in it, so no oil-soaked dark look like the heavy conditioners leave. On tan leather, test under the seat or inside a bag flap, and look at it dry.

Will it leave my seat slick or greasy?

Not if you buff it. Wipe it on thin, wait ten minutes, buff until nothing comes off on your hand. What's left is a dry wax finish, not a film. Slick only comes from putting on too much and not buffing it off. Buff it dry before you ride.

Will it gum up the stitching, the studs, or the conchos?

Not if you keep it thin. Use almost nothing over stitching and around studs, and brush it out of the seams. Heavy paste is what packs into the thread. A thin wipe doesn't.

Can I use it over what's already on there? Lexol, mink oil, old wax?

Yes. Clean first so you're not sealing road film in, then go thin. It doesn't strip or dye what's there. If water beads on the seat like on a waxed hood, it's coated or it's vinyl, and nothing will go in.

My seat is dusty and grimy from sitting in the garage all winter. Will it fix that?

Clean first, then feed. A pre-cleaning wipe or a damp rag takes off the dust and the road film. The salve isn't a cleaner; it won't lift grime. Once the leather is clean and dry, yes.

Does it work on a vinyl seat?

No. Vinyl is plastic, and plastic has nothing to feed. A lot of stock seats are vinyl, so check yours. Save the jar for the bags, the jacket, and the boots.

What about the chrome, the paint, and the buckles?

If it gets on chrome or paint, wipe it off. It's plant oil and wax, nothing harsh. It doesn't polish chrome and it doesn't stop rust on buckles and studs; that's a different job.

Does it fix cracks or tears?

No. A tear needs stitching and a deep crack needs a seat shop. This feeds the leather and brings the color and the life back. If it needs a seat shop, it still needs a seat shop.

Will it change the look of an original seat on an older bike?

It doesn't dye, paint, or add a hard coat, so the original leather is still the original leather, marks and all. On a bike you're keeping original, test a hidden spot and go thin.

How is this different from Lexol, Bick 4, or Obenauf's? And what about rain?

Riders say Lexol and Bick 4 go on thin and don't do much for leather that's really sun-baked. Obenauf's brings old leather back but, in riders' own words, darkens it considerably. This wipes on, buffs dry in ten minutes, and the wax helps water bead instead of soaking in. It's not waterproofing; nothing is. Wipe the seat down after a wet ride like you would anyway.

Why pay this when a bottle of Lexol is fourteen dollars?

Because the bottle is still on your shelf, half full, and the seat is still grey. Thin conditioners are gone in a week, heavy ones go dark and waxy, and a seat shop is $300 to $500. One jar does the seat, the bags, the jacket, and the boots, and if it doesn't bring them back, you get the money back.

Will it soften the seat too much, or stretch my bags out of shape?

A light coat conditions without collapsing the shape; if a bag has to stay stiff, use less and wipe off what's left. A jacket that's gone hard can take more and sit overnight. It's a thin coat, not a soak, and soaking is what over-softens leather.

How often do I apply it, and how much does one bike take?

Once before the season, once before winter storage. More if the bike lives outside. A fingertip does a seat; a jar does the bike and the closet.