Quote Originally Posted by Tobus View Post
I absolutely agree. But I seem to recall reading somewhere that before attempting this, one should clean off the surface with rubbing alcohol (I think it was, anyway). This removes existing wax and such, allowing more uniform penetration of the oil into the grain of the leather.

Basically it 'unseals' the leather before oiling, and then you 'seal' it back with the polish afterwards.

What say the experts on this? Is the step with alcohol recommended, or is it superfluous?
I'd be wary of alcohol on old leather, it helps strip not just the waxes in old polish, but oils from the leather. If there's a lot of old polish I'd use a coarse cloth (like the inside of denim jeans or canvas) to buff and remove the old stuff.

Alcohol DOES work well to strip finished on 'safe' surfaces (ie not old and dry).