For 35 years I have been using motor oil on all my leather goods
instead of saddle soap, or neatsfoot oil etc. My reason was
that those natural oils always will dry up and motor oil will not.
Turns out that new motor oil has very little odor and the
new synthetic oils ( that I have used ) have zero offensive
odor such that I have used it on wifes leather coat and auto
leather seats etc.
Last week I put some motor oil on some wood tool handles
and a very old and very dry oak icebox. Where the oil really
soaked in on the oak icebox I kept applying until it would
soak up no more oil. Finally after several days I rubbed
with dry cloth and the icebox looks fabulous. Unlike other
furniture oils, I do not think the motor oil will EVER dry out.
Am I crazy ? The oiled and slightly rubbed wood ( rubbed mostly
to scrub the surface a little of stain etc ) looks terrific.
In case you wanted to know, it was Castrol Syntec 5w-50.