Sunday, October 3, 2010

Trailer Trad Attire: Fall Leather Weatherproofing

The summer's over and, even here in Raleigh, the cool weather has arrived. So it's time to protect your 'buddies' against the elements. In return, they may spare your feet from freezing after you've stepped in a puddle this winter!

Let me introduce you to some friends of mine. They average about 12-15 years of age; Alden blutcher moccassins, Gokey chukka boots, Marley Hodgson Ghurka messenger bag and Orvis leather and canvas doctor's bag.
-By the way, those mysterious oil stains appeared years ago on my messenger bag and I was THIS close to throwing it out. Glad I didn't.

Have you ever tried to protect your prized leather boots or other leather goods by waterproofing them only to discover that your leather conditioner makes them oily and dark looking? This weird Swedish (Norwegian, Icelandic...??) stuff is really good and doesn't smell and doesn't discolor your leather goods or make them greasy to the touch.

While I'm conditioning my leather gear, I might as well polish my silver belt buckle. For that, I prefer using a German metal polish called Wenol. It's fairly difficult to find but Williams Sonoma always has it. You might be able to obtain it cheaper elsewhere but, for me, the convenience is worth paying a little extra. As you can see, it does a fantastic job. Just a rag and a moment or two of elbow grease gets silver mirror bright. Since its not too abrasive, you can use it on a number of different things around the house.




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