Leather and wool are pretty low maintenance as they are, but they can have an even better life if we take care of them.



Hey! Where's my hood? Hats and Headbands link mi compadres... Hats & Headbands...

The first thing we want to do is treat the leather from degrading any further. Chrome tanned leather is pretty good at preventing this ( it uses chromium salts during tanning), but further attention never hurts.

For Leather: In order of preference...
1. Mink oil. It smells a little funny at first, but give the ladies a chance and they'll come running when they get a wiff of your 2 week old woodland body odor permeating through  a strong musky weasel scent. This stuff waterproofs and conditions in ways no synthetic can.
2. Lanolin. This creamy fatty stuff can keep sheep dry and water-resistant through the harshest of Britains rainy deluges. Safe for both leather and wool.
3. Neatsfoot (and neats foot/beeswax 50/50) This is the cheapest and easiest with excellent results all the way. excellent for leather products that have synthetic stitching (like we have).

For Wool:
1. Lanolin. Sheep secret it. Factories remove it. We put it back in. Mix in a tablespoon with hot water on a final cleaning rinse.
2. Hydrophobic micro bonding. If you can afford it, this is the way to go. Microscopic synthetic polymers are molecularly bonded directly to every fiber in the yarn. Combined with wools ability to retain heat, this option is very promising.

What are you waiting for? Treat that leather right now. Try to keep it off the wool or it will attract dirt and gunk. Take your time...

I do not endorse or suggest anything that uses silicone. Snorting pet dander in front of a sold-out audience has more value.

Once every couple of years you'll come to realize that giving the 'ole anorak a shake just isn't going to cut it. This thing needs to be cleaned. Follow the links at the bottom for more information on how to keep wool and leather happy and long-lived.

End of Guide. More tutorials and Guides coming soon!

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