The present application relates to methods for producing a lubricant base oil from a waxy hydrocarbon feed using a pre-sulfided shape selective, intermediate pore size, noble metal-containing molecular sieve catalyst. According to the present invention, a shape selective, intermediate pore size, noble metal-containing molecular sieve catalyst is pre-sulfided to provide a sulfided catalyst, wherein the molar ratio of sulfur to noble metal in the sulfided catalyst is greater than one, and a waxy hydrocarbon feed is hydroisomerized by contacting the waxy hydrocarbon feed with the sulfided catalyst at hydroisomerization conditions, to produce a lubricant base oil.