Leather Notes

Black Oiled Rough Out

Basic Details


Leather Name:
 Black Oiled Rough Out

Maintenance: Occasional brushing with wirebrush

Tannery: Seidel

Tannage: A chrome-tanned rough out leather featuring large amounts of oil

Weather Resistance: Good weather resistance, easily increased with waxing

Availability: Rotationally Stocked

Truman Why: A struckthrough (dyed black all the way) rough out leather with strong water-resistance coming from the stuffing of oils during tanning. Excellent low-maintenance boot leather.

About the Tannery

Seidel

Seidel Tanning, nestled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been a cornerstone in the American leather industry for over 75 years. This fourth-generation, family-owned business stands out as one of the largest high-quality leather producers in the U.S. Known for its enduring presence since WWII, Seidel has become synonymous with robust work and western boots, as well as motorcycle leather.

pair of truman boots in black oiled rough out leather against dark background

The Look


Smooth vs. Rough Out:
 Rough out

Glossy vs. Matte: Matte

Patina Potential: 3/10, nappy texture can become burnished in spots with frequent friction

Color: Black, dyed all the way through

Texture: Nappy textured rough out

The Feel


Thickness:
 ~3.5mm // 8 oz.

Stiffness: Semi-Firm

Break-in Difficulty: Typical break-in experience; responds quickly to wear

illustration of horsehair brush cleaning cloth and water drop

Cleaning

1.  Using a horse hair brush, lightly brush to remove any debris, dust and dirt from the uppers. 


2.  Take a wet-but-not-dripping, clean cloth to further release any stubborn dirt, and pickup all additional buildup.


3.  If there is dirt or mud thickly caked on that does not come off with just water, we recommend our Leather Boot Cleaner. This can be applied directly to the leather, followed by gentle pressure with a horsehair brush to lift persistent dirt from the leather.


4.  Using a clean, dry cloth, remove any excess water and/or excess cleaner, if used. 


5.  Air dry only — quickly drying with heat can shrink, deform and otherwise crack the leather. 

illustration of leather wax container and horsehair brush

Conditioning

With Rough Out leather, cleaning and conditioning will be significantly different than most of our leathers. While Rough Out leather is known for its low maintenance, a couple of tips will help keep your boots going.

After wear, the nap can become matted down irregularly. This can be overcome simply by using a wire brush lightly in a back and forth motion to gently remove any dirt.

If waterproofing is the goal, one option is to use a suede spray over the entirety of the boot. This will retain the nappy, rough texture but provide perfect water resistance. It is also possible to use Truman wax to waterproof, but the texture will generally become more matted down.


Signs that your boots
need to be conditioned include stiffness or a feeling of dryness to the touch. 

Leather should never be allowed to get so dry that visible cracking occurs on the surface.

Your Words, Not Ours

★★★★★

If you’re reading this, then you’re already in the market for a pair of quality, handmade boots, so here’s the rundown. Great rugged look, very short break-in period, supple feel on your feet, very water resistant(plenty of melting snow and ice here), and comfortable even when standing on concrete or walking in gravel. Go ahead and pull the trigger, you’ll be glad you did.

Jim
Scott Depot, WV
★★★★★

This is my second pair of boots from Truman, both on the 79 last. I've never really been a fan of black boots but when I received the email notification of their availability I sprang into action, credit card at the ready. The quality is typical of Truman, which is fantastic, so I won't do into a lot of detail on that. The story on these boots is the looks; they're absolutely beautiful. The black oiled rough out leather has an understated sophistication that should last for years. I've only had these boots for a month and they've been on logging jobs, riding a motorcycle in a downpour, and upscale restaurants and bars around Savannah, GA. You can dress them up or down, and that's the best thing about these boots.

Michael
Savannah, GA