Reproofing a Barbour

[Pav]

I have a Barbour which wants reproofing. From experience using a tin of wax is a bit of a faff. The spray-on wax looks a lot easier, but I don't know if the result is as good. Has anyone tried this stuff, and was it satisfactory?

[Saint-Just]

I have tried before and in my experience the only way to have results in keeping with the quality of your garnment is to let Barbour do it

[Mr Happymoose]

I've used it many times. The best technique I've found is to first of all give the jacket a good clean. I used to do this by hand but I know people who have even put their jackets through a washing machine. The most important bit is to make sure it's completely free of detergent and bone dry when you re-proof it. I used to hang the jacket up outdoors and would strongly recommend you do the same unless you want the wax all over the floor, the walls, the ceiling and everything in between

Give a good all over spray making sure the jacket is well coated. I used to then go over the jacket with a hair-dryer to make sure that the wax soaked right the way it. Then I'd go over the jacket again paying particular attention to the shoulders, down the arms and the seams and then go over with the hair-dryer again. As a guide I used to use a large can to a can and a half on a full length coat depending on how absorbent it was at the start.

After that the jacket should be good as new. It may well be a little stiff and have the wax smell for a bit but that will soon work out with use.

[Chui]

There's nowt worse as being in the middle of freakin nowhere - wet and freezin' cold cos your Barbour's leaked

Do it proper, even if it takes time and a bit of effort

[Mr Happymoose]

I've never, ever had a waxed jacket leak after re-proofing it myself and I've been using them hard ever since starting to ride motorbikes on the road over 25 years ago. If you take a bit of care with how you do it, there is absolutely no reason at all why you shouldn't save yourself some money by doing it yourself.

[dogman]

I used the nikwax speay on my barbour backhouse stockman 2yrs ago, and its not leaked again, yet, despite the rain earlier this year.It is so easy to use, taking about 10 minutes to do the stockman. I'd be quite happy to do it every year if it needed it as its so easy to use.

Rob

[Mr Happymoose]

I used the nikwax speay on my barbour backhouse stockman 2yrs ago, and its not leaked again, yet, despite the rain earlier this year.It is so easy to use, taking about 10 minutes to do the stockman. I'd be quite happy to do it every year if it needed it as its so easy to use.

Rob

That's a good point, it is an easier job if you do it relatively frequently. I know horsey types who just give it a quick spray every six months or so and it's a job that takes a few minutes. I was never that organised

[dogman]

Me neither lol !, but its not leaked, & i did it winter 2010, so i'll probably wait until it does, then proof it again. For what its worth, i used about 3/4qtrs of the bottle to proof the stockman.

Rob

[templogin]

I used to have a couple of Barbours and having done the tin of wax and the hair dryer routine, I decided that I would give up on them and go for technical materials working through all sorts of materials until I got to gore-tex and finally eVent. I have to admit that this stuff is a lot less of a faff, but I spend half of my time making sure that people smoking near me are not getting too close in case I should go up in flames with a woomph. Chui said it all really; do it properly.

[Chris the Cat]

A tin of the Barbour Thorn Proof Wax is more of a fag to apply ( stand the tin in a bowl of v.hot water to soften, out side or kitchen table, a hot day a rag, hairdryer for the seams after )
But IMHO it gives a much longer lasting covering than any of the sprays.
i get a good couple of years out of a proper re-wax job.
my best.
Cat.

[Mr Happymoose]

A tin of the Barbour Thorn Proof Wax is more of a fag to apply ( stand the tin in a bowl of v.hot water to soften, out side or kitchen table, a hot day a rag, hairdryer for the seams after )
But IMHO it gives a much longer lasting covering than any of the sprays.
i get a good couple of years out of a proper re-wax job.
my best.
Cat.

I would agree with that and in fact on the occasions I have used the stuff in a tin, I've had much more than a couple of years before it needing re-doing. But given the faff on and considering I only do mine maybe every couple of years anyway I'll settle for the easy option I think

[Chris the Cat]

Fair one Mr Moose, I'm a bit old school about this stuff but your point is valid.
Best.
C.

[MeetTheGeeks]

Did all three of my Dryzabone trench coats with the spray on stuff not the one in a pressurised can, but the nikwax one in a trigger spray and its excellent. Even in driving dartmoor rain

[Mr Happymoose]

Fair one Mr Moose, I'm a bit old school about this stuff but your point is valid.
Best.
C.

As is yours mate, as is yours

[Pav]

Thanks for your responses chaps.

I was leaning towards the spray option, as you'll have deduced, and was really checking to see whether there were any disaster stories about ruined coats etc.

As nobody has any dire warnings or horror stories I'm going to give this new-fangled spray malarkey a punt.