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Save money! Rewax your old Barbour jacket yourself!

Weston

A-List Customer
Messages
303
I might be preaching to the east coast and dog and horse crowd here, but I had tough luck finding this info previously.

I've just rewaxed two hunting jackets, and I figured I'd give you the straight dope.

1. Sending your jacket away to Barbour now will be like waiting for Congress to pass urgent legislation – aka, you're gonna wait awhile. Do it NOW while its still warm enough outside to help you!

2. The best way to go is to use Barbour thornproof wax – call around and you can find a Barbour stockist with a supply of tins. Shouldn't run more than $12-14. Anywhere that sells Orvis typically has this stuff.

3. Get the jacket, a piece of wood or surface that can get messy, a pot you can put on the stove with a handle on it, your tin, a rag and those sponge paint brushes that are super cheap.

4. Pour water into saucepan/pot. Open wax tin, place into water (don't let the water get in the wax!). Heat on low. When is it ready? When the whole tin turns to an amber colored liquid – again, can't state enough, it should look like a tin of LIQUID, no chunks!

5. Now, go outside and lay down the jacket. Look for areas of wear (elbows, pockets, butt if you sit on it in a hide or in the Land Rover), and hit those first. Anywhere else can be fixed up later. How? Read on.

6. Dip the square foam brush into the liquid. It will suck up some, and then paint it on to the jacket's surface. Now (can't stress enough) after painting, get the rag and work it in! This is man's work, like in the day. You bought a tough jacket, be a tough guy! Rub it in good. That's the difference between a well waxed jacket and the rookie job you get some places that leaves your upholstery slightly tacky through the fall.

7. After painting, and rubbing, lay out in the sun. Oh I know its getting cooler – but the sun can still work wonders into October! Let it sit and absorb the wax.

8. Check for further need for more wax later. If all done, flip to the next side and have at it.

9. Should you have done a good job, the wax should be level, even and good to go. If you NEED to, hang over grass and hit with a blow dryer to even the coat. Don't dare think about a heat gun unless you want to ruin your coat, housepaint and relationship with your spouse.

10. Proudly wear around as a badge of your dogged determination to make a quality product last, doggonnit! And, for pete's sake, take off the little Barbour pin on the collar. Everyone knows what it is. Sam Watterston doesn't wear his, you don't wear yours.

I hope this helps you all out in Barbour-land (or, if you insist on domestic products, Filson-ville). I've read some cockamamie schemes for doing it, and this is about as well as I've learned how. Forget that ice-water nonsense unless it's mid July!

Feel free to share any tips you might have, or appreciation of the jacket – especially if you can find me an old style liner for a C40 Beaufort along with a hood that doesn't cost $40 (20 pounds) in America!
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,791
Location
London, UK
Useful tips. I don't mind paying for my Burberry to be cleaned and reproofed at the start of the season, but what it costs to rewax a wax jacket stings. I remember having a Barbour-copy I used as a school coat for a year or two when I'd have been about 17. Was quoted as much to rewax it as it would have cost me to buy a new one. :eek:

Got my eye on a Barbour International at the minute... maybe into the Spring.
 

Weston

A-List Customer
Messages
303
I keep trying to get my wife to pick one up so as to avoid countless fashion changes among jackets, but to no avail. My battered old Beaufort appeals only to me I suppose.

By the by, my tips here are primarily for "us yanks" in that Barbour is more of a niche brand here. Information and stockists are harder to find this side of the pond. Most people in the US wouldn't know a waxed jacket if it attacked them in the dressing booth, outside of the horse and hound set.

I think I might leave a Burberry to the experts however...
 

H.Johnson

One Too Many
Messages
1,562
Location
Midlands, UK
I used to work for a company that makes this type of jacket and I can tell you categorically that when you return your jacket for rewaxing, the process used is just the same as if you were doing it yourself at home.
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Old Barbours.

I've always done my own with a tin of wax in a pan of hot water and a cloth and hairdryer. Sure it takes time and can be a bit messy, but saves a fortune (not a bad thing in these economic times) and on a fresh, sunny Autumn's morning a lovely way to sit outside and get a worthwhile job done ;)
 

icecold

One of the Regulars
Messages
103
Location
xvbnvb
Um, do you really need to rewax the jacket?
What will happen if you don't ever rewax it?
I plan to buy a barbour, but the idea of rewaxing it (either myself or dealing with the hassle of sending it in) really turns me off
 

Weston

A-List Customer
Messages
303
If you don't, the jacket loses its waterproof quality. And, as Barbour says, if it wears down too much, the cotton loses its ability to keep the wax on (impregnation), and the jacket becomes unreproofable and worthless.

However, if you can put the $345 US together for a Beaufort, the $40 every other season or so to have someone else do it shouldn't put you out too badly.

Or do what I do - once a season hit up the areas of wear (elbows, seat, etc.). It's at most a couple hour job if you're being really thorough.

I did a full on, from nothing rewax that took hours over three days. THAT is why you don't let them get fully stripped!
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
'If' you do not wax it...

The cotton fabric will become very worn and fragile, will get holes, will lose it's ability to be thorn proof (so when things catch on it, it could very well rip) and will not be waterproof. I've allowed one Barbour to disintegrate like this, and it will tear and fall apart - all for the sake of not waxing it [huh]

That's why it is waxed ;)
 

H.Johnson

One Too Many
Messages
1,562
Location
Midlands, UK
Just to point out that there is nothing special about Barbour and Belstaff cotton - it's just fine (usually Egyptian) cotton. You can waterproof any closely-woven cotton garment at home with a parafin-based wax or with Barbour's own preparation.

People were doing this with cloth walking jackets before WW2 - that's possibly where Belstaff (or Barbour, depending on who you believe) got the idea.

I've seen the cloth Belstaff used to use being manufactured - it was cotton rolled through a vat of wax hot and then pressed and dried.
 

H.Johnson

One Too Many
Messages
1,562
Location
Midlands, UK
Good one! I'd like one of those...why don't they offer Small sizes?

Linseed oil is a reasonably effective water-proofer, but (IMO) not as good as modern preparations. More authentic for 'oil-skin' obviously andit has the advantage that the garment can be more packable. It doesn't give the 'waxy' look and feel, though, and the garment won't be so resistant to punctures and tears.
 

icecold

One of the Regulars
Messages
103
Location
xvbnvb
Weston said:
If you don't, the jacket loses its waterproof quality. And, as Barbour says, if it wears down too much, the cotton loses its ability to keep the wax on (impregnation), and the jacket becomes unreproofable and worthless.

However, if you can put the $345 US together for a Beaufort, the $40 every other season or so to have someone else do it shouldn't put you out too badly.

Or do what I do - once a season hit up the areas of wear (elbows, seat, etc.). It's at most a couple hour job if you're being really thorough.

I did a full on, from nothing rewax that took hours over three days. THAT is why you don't let them get fully stripped!

Thanks, useful. Every other season, you say? That's not too bad. I don't mind paying for rewaxing at all, it's just the process of expending any mental energy on this, put in a box, ship, wait, receive. I might get used to the idea of waxing it myself, though probably not right away. I'm so lazy that a leather jacket will clearly come first since it won't be quite as demanding :D
 

H.Johnson

One Too Many
Messages
1,562
Location
Midlands, UK
icecold said:
Thanks, useful. Every other season, you say? That's not too bad. I don't mind paying for rewaxing at all, it's just the process of expending any mental energy on this, put in a box, ship, wait, receive. I might get used to the idea of waxing it myself, though probably not right away. I'm so lazy that a leather jacket will clearly come first since it won't be quite as demanding :D


Nor will it be quite as waterproof...
 

Creeping Past

One Too Many
Messages
1,567
Location
England
H.Johnson said:
Good one! I'd like one of those...why don't they offer Small sizes?

Have a look at some of the US 'Rendezvous' and frontier-style re-enactor sites and you'll see why.

Anyway, it's nice for us larger chaps to have something special we can call our own.
 

Weston

A-List Customer
Messages
303
H.Johnson said:
Just to point out that there is nothing special about Barbour and Belstaff cotton - it's just fine (usually Egyptian) cotton.

BLASPHEMER! Lies, all lies, Barbour and Belstaff will tell you. ;) Yes, I suppose its quite true, however. ;)

H.Johnson said:
You can waterproof any closely-woven cotton garment at home with a parafin-based wax or with Barbour's own preparation.

People were doing this with cloth walking jackets before WW2 - that's possibly where Belstaff (or Barbour, depending on who you believe) got the idea.

Hmm! Quite a nifty idea. I suppose the trouble is finding a quality made cotton garment these days.

Thanks for the info!
 

Patattack

New in Town
Messages
13
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I feel my questions belong here rather than in a new, dedicated thread.

So I've got a Barbour trench that I found on eBay for the low, low price of $60 - and it fits me quite well! Of course, it is in dire need of a reproofing. I just have a few questions that you all may be able to help with:

-It smells a bit musty and attic-y, despite having been worn in the rain several times and left hanging to air out in the breeze for a few weeks. Barbour's website tells me that I cannot wash, machine-dry, or dry-clean these coats because it will ruin the treatment and the coat will not accept re-waxing. Is there anything I can do to eliminate this odor?

-Will a single $12 (apparently 200ml) tin of thornproof dressing be enough to reproof a full-length, below-the-knee trench coat?

-If I screw up the DIY reproofing, would I still be able to send it in to Barbour to have it re-done professionally?
 

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