I have acquired a nice collection of Yugoslav field gear for my M53, and as all of it is quite filthy, I wanted to ask for some advice and suggestions on how to clean and care for canvas/leather gear, as well as old leather slings etc.
Care of Canvas and Leather Gear
- Thread starter joe6167
- Start date
BlackPowderBurner
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- the chesterfield
I can't speak to the canvas but the leather shouldn't be damaged by a soft cloth with some warm water to start and some Swiss military leather wax with a heat gun to finish. The wax is unlikely to darken the leather.
How to care for leather is every museum curator's nightmare. There are a million suggestions, but none are perfect.
I've used a few different commercial products, Pecards, saddle soap, etc, but find some of them leave a heavy build up. The best I've found so far is some basic Vaseline. It's OK and safe to use on a baby's skin. It does moisten the old military gear and I haven't found a problem yet for the past 20 years or so. Once a leather piece has hardened to the point of cracking, it is very difficult if not impossible to repair, but you can try to prevent further rotting. Just start with a small amount, work it into the leather, and repeat as necessary as time goes on.
I always appreciate any sound advise with leather gear.
I've used a few different commercial products, Pecards, saddle soap, etc, but find some of them leave a heavy build up. The best I've found so far is some basic Vaseline. It's OK and safe to use on a baby's skin. It does moisten the old military gear and I haven't found a problem yet for the past 20 years or so. Once a leather piece has hardened to the point of cracking, it is very difficult if not impossible to repair, but you can try to prevent further rotting. Just start with a small amount, work it into the leather, and repeat as necessary as time goes on.
I always appreciate any sound advise with leather gear.
I've brought back old, hard & cracked leather with Obenaufs. Start with the oil and finish with LP Heavy Duty. It does darken the leather somewhat.
https://www.obenaufs.com/default.asp
There was a fairly extensive thread on CGN not long ago dealing with leather care products. Had lots of good info, opinions and advice. Hopefully someone can find it and post a link.
https://www.obenaufs.com/default.asp
There was a fairly extensive thread on CGN not long ago dealing with leather care products. Had lots of good info, opinions and advice. Hopefully someone can find it and post a link.
antidote1985
CGN Regular
- Location
- Qc, Canada
But it doesn't say much about cleaning canvas gear, especially canvas with leather components.
Any suggestions on dealing with canvas gear?
Maybe some 3M scotch-brite scouring pads (basically the rough green part on kitchen sponges). Works great for polishing brass, copper, aluminum, etc.
For leather, I've been using Pecards leather "paste" (the formula is the same in each of the versions). Gives a nice gentle cleaning, and helps moisturize and protect the leather. If the leather has already cracked or become brittle, you cannot reverse the damage - but you can try and stabilize the leather with proper care.
Webbing/canvas, warm to hot water and Borax. Let it soak in the solution, give it a good mixing around, rinse well and air dry. You could use a dryer to dry things, but if there's metal fittings it's a hell of a racket. If things are really dirty, or you're looking to get rid of old Blanco and go back to "in the white" you can use laundry detergent and your washing machine. Just using Borax is enough to deodorize and gently clean, and will hold most of the colour on Blanco'd items.
Brass bits, a bit of metal polish, or a brass brush, scouring pad, conservators/renaissance wax, etc. It depends what you are dealing with, you don't want to strip off patina if the item is valuable; but you also don't want to allow further degradation of the material. Bog standard stuff like surplus webbing, get as much of the tarnish/oxidation/verdigris off the metal as you can, and see what you end up with. I know when it comes to Pattern '37 webbing, soldiers would have to get parade ready with even coloured webbing and bright brass bits - but in the field you had to have tarnished brass. It's a balancing act...
Webbing/canvas, warm to hot water and Borax. Let it soak in the solution, give it a good mixing around, rinse well and air dry. You could use a dryer to dry things, but if there's metal fittings it's a hell of a racket. If things are really dirty, or you're looking to get rid of old Blanco and go back to "in the white" you can use laundry detergent and your washing machine. Just using Borax is enough to deodorize and gently clean, and will hold most of the colour on Blanco'd items.
Brass bits, a bit of metal polish, or a brass brush, scouring pad, conservators/renaissance wax, etc. It depends what you are dealing with, you don't want to strip off patina if the item is valuable; but you also don't want to allow further degradation of the material. Bog standard stuff like surplus webbing, get as much of the tarnish/oxidation/verdigris off the metal as you can, and see what you end up with. I know when it comes to Pattern '37 webbing, soldiers would have to get parade ready with even coloured webbing and bright brass bits - but in the field you had to have tarnished brass. It's a balancing act...
Cottage Hill Bill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Pensacola, FL USA
I strongly advise against putting any web gear in the washing machine. It is far too aggressive and will take out a lot of color and make some creases that will be a lighter color that the rest of the piece. If it wasn't packed away I'd show you pictures of the pieces of P37 gear that taught me this lesson many, many years ago. that green oxidation is Verdi gris. Use a wooden toothpick, a wooden popsicle stick cut to suit to scrape it off the metal. I've used a piece of heavy cotton thread (like you would sow canvas with) to get under button like fasteners. Take a 8-10 inch piece of thread, make a U with the fastener in the center and work the ends back and forth like a shoe shine rag. Rotate around the fastener to get to all the sides. A coat of Renaissance Wax will help slow the reappearance, but nothing will stop it. It is a chemical reaction between the copper and the leather.
My washing machine has a really good "hand wash" function that I've used on much more delicate items.
What to do with the canvas gear that has leather straps that can't be removed? What to do with the leather after the wash?
What to do with the canvas gear that has leather straps that can't be removed? What to do with the leather after the wash?
If you're running webbing through the washer, you're doing it to get it down to as bare material as possible - generally with the intent of reapplying Blanco to the shade you intend the webbing to be. I've got a set of P'37 that's more or less in the white, mixed British and Canadian stuff, so the colours are not matching. If I was to match it up, it would go in the wash prior to applying Blanco (well, the modern equivalents anyway).
Joe, for webbing with leather on it; don't run it through the wash. Leather doesn't take kindly to that sort of abuse. You'll want to more carefully hand wash the items, trying to avoid getting the leather too wet.
Joe, for webbing with leather on it; don't run it through the wash. Leather doesn't take kindly to that sort of abuse. You'll want to more carefully hand wash the items, trying to avoid getting the leather too wet.
Mink oil for leather. I use it for all my leather kit, even Jack/low boots. That's what most guys I run with use. We still use all sorts of original WW2 leather kit. Slings, pouches, belts, y-straps etc. If it gets dirty I use wet cloth to wash off dirt and rub in lots of mink oil. Worst thing you can do is let it dry up. As for canvas, I also just use warm water and soap to clean it. Never needed anything else. My canvas stuff mostly from 60-80s or modern replica of WW2 gear.
Btw, I don't baby my stuff. Sometimes it comes home looking like that
So if you are not planing to fight real war in a trench for weeks at a time mink oil, water and soap should do the job.
Btw, I don't baby my stuff. Sometimes it comes home looking like that
Mink oil for leather. I use it for all my leather kit, even Jack/low boots. That's what most guys I run with use. We still use all sorts of original WW2 leather kit. Slings, pouches, belts, y-straps etc. If it gets dirty I use wet cloth to wash off dirt and rub in lots of mink oil. Worst thing you can do is let it dry up. As for canvas, I also just use warm water and soap to clean it. Never needed anything else. My canvas stuff mostly from 60-80s or modern replica of WW2 gear.
Btw, I don't baby my stuff. Sometimes it comes home looking like thatSo if you are not planing to fight real war in a trench for weeks at a time mink oil, water and soap should do the job.
What kind of soap?
