Anyone Tried Waxing a Combat Jacket?

[madra]

As per the title; has anyone tried waxing a cotton [or polycotton] combat jacket with the kind of wax that comes in tubs for re-proofing Barbour style coats?

ie. This kind of stuff:

I've got an old Vietnam era M65 jacket which is my perfect faithful old camping coat: loads of pockets, gets better looking the older it gets and [with the quilted liner in] lovely and warm in cold weather, or at night.

The only downside is the lack of waterproofing. In the past I've used the wash-in style liquid NikWax stuff to proof it but I'm not overly impressed with the results. The waterproofing it provides doesn't seem to last very long. So now I'm musing on the possibility of trying one of those tubs of waterproofing wax which you rub in and then heat with a hairdryer to melt it into the fibres.

That should provide pretty good waterproofing. But I'm wondering whether it'll take to the material OK. I don't want to risk it, if it's going to look a mess and flake off every time the jacket bends. I don't want to be leaving a trail of wax 'dandruff' behind me, everywhere I go.

So, anyone 'Been there. Done that' and, if so, how did it go?

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I remember someone doing it back in the late 80’s/early 90’s
I think it made the jacket waterproof, but looked and sounded like he was wearing cardboard.
That may have been because it was one of the lightweight non lined jackets.


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[Old Bones]

Please please don't try waxing an M65, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, an original M65 is potentially pretty rare and expensive - they are very much collector's items and go for big bucks (I still regret not buying an original with badges in a N.Y. thrift shop back in 1990 - there were loads and pretty cheap as well). Even the repro ones are not that cheap. Its a classic, so its fine as it is.

If you want a waterproof, then just get a waterproof. A waxed jacket on Ebay will be perhaps no more than £50 all in, and potentially a lot less. I have just bought a decent Bòrder for £46 with postage, and you could probably do better than that (tip - always look at the photos and check the cuffs).

Barboùrs not only using a wax coating - the material itself is impregnated, which is what makes them waterproof in itself. Slapping on wax onto a material doesn't make it all that waterproof, and as Duggie Bravo said, it will be like wearing cardboard. Instead, a decently priced border, bedale or gamefair would suit fine, and you will probably pay almost as much for the hood (even though they are bit basic) and liner as you would for the jacket (although if you can fine the right size and fiþting, perhaps £12).

And waxing is hard work. I was going to do the new to me Border today, and then perhaps my Gamefair, but I will probably leave it until Sunday - you have to heat up the wax, wack it on , get a good coating, all before it starts to look like lard. And yeah, you will probably need a hairdryer, and preferably some help (4 hands are better than 2). It will look much better once it's done, but you will need to prep.

I really wouldn't bother waterproofing something that was never designed for it. Either pick up a cheap waterproof from the likes of Go Outdoors, or look on eBay for a bargain.

 

[superc0ntra]

I waxed a UK M95 Smock with good results using this kind of wax: https://itaboutdoor.se/t-p-wax-5953.html
Applied the wax and then ironed the cloth with a paper between cloth and wax so the iron didn't become messed up.

 

[madra]

@Old Bones: "...an original M65 is potentially pretty rare and expensive - they are very much collector's items and go for big bucks..."

They're fairly rare but they do crop up semi-regularly on eBay. I've bought three over the years [one is mine, one donated to the missus and one sold] and I've never paid more than £15 - £30 for one. Although, granted, as the years go by they will get rarer.

I don't think anyone would give much for mine though. It has quite a few small spark burns from sitting too close to the campfire, the original brass zip broke and I replaced it with a chunky and unfortunately [as I couldn't find a brass one of suitable length] 'plastic' zip and it's also a kind of nasty dark green colour as a result of a failed attempt to dye it black one time. That said, I love the old thing –it's got a thousand great memories woven into the fabric– and I wouldn't part with it. So I suppose, in that sense, it is worth a lot.

I'm still in two minds whether to give this a go or not. Since the wax is not overly expensive, I might buy a tub of it and practice on an old ripped pair of combat trousers and see how it turns out.

 

[Billy-o]

It definitely doesn't work on Fjallraven type polycotton ... haven't ried on Army polycotton ... doesn't seem to hold, and stains the cloth up in a not good way and doesn't fully wash out.

 

[Janne]

No? You need to use the wax called Gronlands vax. Correct product for the application, you know....

I think that the fabric needs to be quite close weave to take and hold a wax infusion.

 

[Old Bones]

@Old Bones: "...an original M65 is potentially pretty rare and expensive - they are very much collector's items and go for big bucks..."

They're fairly rare but they do crop up semi-regularly on eBay. I've bought three over the years [one is mine, one donated to the missus and one sold] and I've never paid more than £15 - £30 for one. Although, granted, as the years go by they will get rarer.

I don't think anyone would give much for mine though. It has quite a few small spark burns from sitting too close to the campfire, the original brass zip broke and I replaced it with a chunky and unfortunately [as I couldn't find a brass one of suitable length] 'plastic' zip and it's also a kind of nasty dark green colour as a result of a failed attempt to dye it black one time. That said, I love the old thing –it's got a thousand great memories woven into the fabric– and I wouldn't part with it. So I suppose, in that sense, it is worth a lot.

I'm still in two minds whether to give this a go or not. Since the wax is not overly expensive, I might buy a tub of it and practice on an old ripped pair of combat trousers and see how it turns out.

You've been pretty lucky. The average price for an original seems to be £50 plus, and not all them are in the UK, so you have to think about shipping. If you love yours as it is, then don't bother too much with the waxing - it's just not worth the hassle.

 

[Laurentius]

My brother has, though not using any commercial wax, he made his own out of parrafin and the rinds of swiss cheese, I kid you not.

Essentially if you wax a combat smock you get a Barbour Jacket, as good as. There is no magic in it.

 

[Herman30]

But surely the breathability must suffer from the waxing?

 

[Janne]

Very much so. Very sweaty.
And if you wax them to heavily, they become heavy.
I overwaxed a Barbour, and almost ruined it.

 

[Herman30]

Instead of waxing the jacket, why not do like I did. I bought a surplus German rainponcho:

Cut it so it only goes to waist length. Now I have a fully waterproof poncho that when folded is small enough to fit in a pocket. When needed I can wear in under the jacket or on top of.
Yes I know the arms get wet but that is not such a big problem as long as the torso (with all the vital organs inside) stays dry.

 

[Janne]

OT.
I have been using a thick binliner for several decades ( a new one at each outdoor trip) .
Light.

 

[Tonyuk]

I wouldnt walk any real distance in a waxed combat jacket.

Waxed cotton holds sweat in like nothing else and always feels cold to the touch.

 

[tamoko]

Seriously, wax doesn't make waterproof, it can help again snow or light rain shower. Barbour will make the jacket 50% heavy and need special treatment before waxing and cotton will stay oily. Fjallraven wax will work better, but will not makes waterproof. What can help, is waterproofing spray for a canvas tent. Easy to use and waterproof, but Jacket will not anymore the same breathable like before treatment and not waterproof like Goretex. For real waterproof Goretex will be much better.

 

[Old Bones]

I wouldnt walk any real distance in a waxed combat jacket.

Waxed cotton holds sweat in like nothing else and always feels cold to the touch.

Mine are great when I am walking the dog - the Border has now become the de facto winter 'talk him for a walk' jacket - especially with the liner. But thats because I am not walking all that far, and I need something that will stand up to punishment when I have to find the dog when he refuses to come out of a thicket (he is a Lab, so there is probably food ...). Its a lot lighter than the Northumbria I bought, which is stupidly heavy.

But hiking? Goretex all the way. Using a wax jacket for that is just nuts.