Dusters at Dawn

[Goatboy]

It was a night of torrential rain and wind last night that kept the guisers firmly ensconced at home in the village; so I decided to do some kit maintenance.

Bit of an old fashioned crafter me, so I have a few bits and bobs in leather. Leather needs to be looked after if its going to do it job of in turn looking after what's inside it!

Some folk use these silicone impregnated sponges on things like shoes and boots - personally I cant stand them and prefer a variety of waxes, creams, brushes, dusters and elbow grease.

A copper mate and I used to sit and bull our footwear while having a chat (there was whisky involved too I'll admit, but it was a pleasurable way to pass an evening).

I get a sense of pride looking at a softly glowing piece of burnished leather and knowing that it'll then stand up to the rigours of outside.

Good beeswax based treatment for the boots with the occasional (these days) going over with "Parade Wax" for that rain shedding gleam.

Possibles pouch, Ferro-rod dangler, knife sheathes all looking like polished conkers with their freshly sharpened blades securely clicked into place.

All this done by candle-light with a mug of tea and the radio on. Sounds daft but I enjoy looking after the kit that looks after me when I'm out. And I don't like taking short-cuts whilst doing it. I could also go for modern materials but there's less of a romance to it outdoors that way - I may have to get in tow with the Daniel Boone crowd on here I think.

Then finally this morning a final buff with a soft cloth in the morning sunrise and ready to head out and have fun.

Any others like the prep as good as being out there?

 

[Mesquite]

Come on... you know the rules. Where's the pics of the finished items

 

[dwardo]

"nothing else that so restores the buoyant optimism of youth as overhauling one's kit"

Just doing the same my self. Only for a quick over nighter but given the weather anything leather suffers very quickly if not cared for. Then there are the tools that need a nice coat of oil and the rest just benifit from a good clean.

 

[Chris the Cat]

"nothing else that so restores the buoyant optimism of youth as overhauling one's kit"

Just doing the same my self. Only for a quick over nighter but given the weather anything leather suffers very quickly if not cared for. Then there are the tools that need a nice coat of oil and the rest just benifit from a good clean.

That quote dwardo, Kephart or Nessmuk??

Best.

da C.

 

[Stringmaker]

Souns like a thoroughly civilised evening to me and a very worthwile one too.

 

[Zingmo]

... torrential rain and wind last night ... variety of waxes, creams, brushes, dusters and elbow grease ... there was whisky involved ... a softly glowing piece of burnished leather ... that rain shedding gleam ... looking like polished conkers ... blades securely clicked into place ... done by candle-light ...mug of tea and the radio on ... final buff with a soft cloth in the morning sunrise...

The pictures worked fine for me!
Nice write up, I need to spend some time with my kit...

Z

 

[Goatboy]

I'm sorry that I haven't put up the pictures yet, camera is tucked away in a fold somewhere from the rain - been getting through the coats in the last couple of days.
also had to head out to the nurses today and it's a bit of a trip to the health centre (there she went rather flakey at my warfarin levels - turned out I didn't have superfluid liquid helium for blood and it was just a combination of a wonkey machine and "slightly" too much medication.
Will pop the pictures up tomorrow, thank you very much for the comments on the post, I was worried when re-reading it before posting that it may look like I'm some weird leather fetishist! There's just something eminently satisfying about things like that.
Well off to look for my camera so that I can take advantage of the daylight tomorrow. Though who knows; the oil lanterns need polished and its raining again.

 

[Barn Owl]

I enjoy polishing up the leather too

 

[Goatboy]

I enjoy polishing up the leather too

You've some pretty nice pieces to polish too; did you ever get that leather beaker you were after ages ago? I've a beer mug one and it's nice to drink from.

 

[Macaroon]

I was the eldest of seven siblings, each of whom had two pairs of leather shoes, black for best and school and brown for out and about; with my parents that made around twenty pairs of leather shoes. It was my task every Sunday morning at sparrowfart to sit on the back step and clean then wax the lot, while my father, who was a joiner, made up his scotch glue for the coming week. When I was finished the shoes and the glue was "cooking", my dad would get his tools out of the boxes they lived in and all the knives, chisels, plane irons and saws were cleaned and fettled, the saws sharpened and set, cabinet screwdrivers inspected and put right if needed, then everything went back to it's place, ready to serve again in the best condition possible.

I not only enjoyed this time with the old man, but learned respect for kit and the ethos of looking after the things you expect to look after you.

All this gave me a love and understanding of leather and wood and metal, but more importantly of the old man too. I look back with fondness on those countless hours of learning and do things in pretty much the same way now as I did then, and even the smells are the same as I still use turps, beeswax and boiled linseed oil as a home made treatment.................................

 

[Gill]

i prefer using waxes and creams as well ,Have you ever made your own from beeswax,linseed oil and natural turps mixed together and set.This can be used for wood and metal and leather.

 

[Shewie]

I'm more of a dull matt boot wearer rather than see your face shiny, but I do like to look after my kit so quite enjoy the cleaning up after a trip. My final finish is Ladersmorning wax which I rub in but don't buff to a shine.

 

[John Fenna]

There is something very therapeutic about cleaning and polishing leather
I have made my own blend of Bee's wax and oils which I use on leather, wood and, recently, slate
I love getting my sharps up to standard as well and often sit and strop my blades in the living room while half watching TV or while my wife is trying to get a word made in a game of Scrabble... it gives me loads of time

 

[Barn Owl]

You've some pretty nice pieces to polish too; did you ever get that leather beaker you were after ages ago? I've a beer mug one and it's nice to drink from.

I got one that's for port or spirits, still need one for the ale though.

 

[RonW]

It was a night of torrential rain and wind last night that kept the guisers firmly ensconced at home in the village; so I decided to do some kit maintenance.

Bit of an old fashioned crafter me, so I have a few bits and bobs in leather. Leather needs to be looked after if its going to do it job of in turn looking after what's inside it!

Some folk use these silicone impregnated sponges on things like shoes and boots - personally I cant stand them and prefer a variety of waxes, creams, brushes, dusters and elbow grease.

A copper mate and I used to sit and bull our footwear while having a chat (there was whisky involved too I'll admit, but it was a pleasurable way to pass an evening).

I get a sense of pride looking at a softly glowing piece of burnished leather and knowing that it'll then stand up to the rigours of outside.

Good beeswax based treatment for the boots with the occasional (these days) going over with "Parade Wax" for that rain shedding gleam.

Possibles pouch, Ferro-rod dangler, knife sheathes all looking like polished conkers with their freshly sharpened blades securely clicked into place.

All this done by candle-light with a mug of tea and the radio on. Sounds daft but I enjoy looking after the kit that looks after me when I'm out. And I don't like taking short-cuts whilst doing it. I could also go for modern materials but there's less of a romance to it outdoors that way - I may have to get in tow with the Daniel Boone crowd on here I think.

Then finally this morning a final buff with a soft cloth in the morning sunrise and ready to head out and have fun.

Any others like the prep as good as being out there?

Almost sounds like a prayer....

 

[Zingmo]

... some weird leather fetishist!

Quite possibly, but you're among friends here!

Z

 

[dean4442]

Just had a slightly similar evening, my first with just myself for over a month. Now I love my wife and three year old and also the month old baby, BUT as the wife is feeling rough and went to bed early it was nice to have an evening to myself to finally get the bergan out and sort through my kit with an ale or two. I'm sure that makes me an anti social git but I know that here will be a few people who understand me.
Colin

 

[Goatboy]

Thanks for the kind words and memories you have a brought me. I suppose it is a kind of prayer or evocation of a simple task about a mundane thing. But it does bring back joy doing these things. My father had been in the RAF and one of his nicknames had been Gentleman Jim as he was always well turned out. He taught me to iron and look after my clothes. Sunday for me too was a round of peeling tatties for the week; they then lived in a pail of water and a good whack of them straight into the big pot of broth. Then onto shoes with my brother. That Zen like repetition of clean, apply polish, next shoe, repeat and then final buffing was almost trance like. The smells of ironing and polishing just waft me back. And you get that satisfying feeling as you look over your work. Same with polishing up silverware and the like. I actually prefer cleaning silver to other metals as as the midnight tarnish comes off the moon like glow of the silver bursts through. Things like gold are too immutable to hide their brashness.
Glad I'm not the only one who's found this little timemachine back to our youth, but I thought there'd be a few others out there who enjoy it.
(Still have to find the camera!)

 

[Huon]

Another airforce father. Mine also taught me to polish shoes. It is indeed a therapeutic task.

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