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Leather and Dubbin
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DUBBIN
The Ultimate Leather Finish /
Dressing Any Leathercrafter can Use!
I have successfully made my own Dubbin: I rendered sheep fat for the tallow (beautiful
white stuff - also good for cooking and preparing cast iron cookware), and then I added
Beeswax and Neatsfoot oil and a few other extras. The result is all I expected and
I do not feel anxious any more about having to import my Dubbin from South Africa!
- Etherington & Roberts says it is
made of tallow and cod oil (see the link below).
- Thelma Newman, in her book
"Leather as Art and Craft" describes DUBBIN as a mixture of
Tallow and Codliver Oil.
Why I Like DUBBIN so
Much!
- DUBBIN feeds and protects the leather
from the inside and replaces all the oils taken out of the leather
during the tanning process.
- DUBBIN brings out a deep glowing
color in leather. In un-dyed leather it will cause the leather to
turn a golden honey color when exposed to light.
- DUBBIN is very good for your hands
- especially in winter. I always apply it by hand - it allows me
to regulate exactly how much I put on.
- DUBBIN never acentuates stains on
leather - it rather tends to clean up any water or light
stains.
- DUBBIN Can be used over any non-sealing
finish, such as spirit dyes and water based dyes as well as water
based inks.
- DUBBIN allows leather to become
supple without loosing its shape - it helps the leather to stay
"alive" and always as beautiful as new.
Answers to
DUBBIN critics
- It is sometimes said that
DUBBIN rots stitching on leather
articles. When applying
DUBBIN you must simply make sure that you do not leave chunks
of Dubbin in folds or seams of the leather - this will collect
dust, trapped by the thick DUBBIN and the dust will then rot
the stitching. I always polish a project that I have just applied
DUBBIN to, with a soft brush - there seems to be some beeswax
in DUBBIN that will cause the leather to have a natural shine
when treated like this.
Some DUBBIN Links:
The
Light Horse Assoc. - Good Description of Leather Care
The Claude Moore Colonial Farm Page -
On the uses of animal fats
The DubbinTernet - a strange site about Dubbin
Etherington
& Roberts Dictionary from Stanford
Lighthouse
Leather - Maine, USA - Supplier