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Just a few of our recent mentions. Click the image for more…

Waxed Jacket Season Is Upon Us. Here’s How to Make Sure Yours Is in Top Condition.

Whether it’s a Barbour Bedale or a Filson Cruiser, here’s what you should know before you send it out for service—or attempt to re-wax it at home.

But not everyone is cut out for—or willing—to put in the work at home. “A lot of people try to do it, but then send it to me because they can’t finish it,” says Alain Gauthier, whose company New England Reproofers is the sole independent re-waxing business operating in the United States today.

Gauthier takes all comers, and garments, having re-waxed everything from mittens to chaps. The New Hampshire-based business, which consists of Gauthier and two part-time employees, has worked with clients as far afield as Japan and New Zealand.

Barbour jackets still make up a substantial part of the business—Gauthier estimates about 30 percent—but the bulk comes from Filson, which produces a wide range of waxed garments but does not provide an in-house re-waxing service itself. Instead, the company directly refers customers to New England Reproofers.

The typical turnaround for a garment to be re-waxed by New England Reproofers is two to three weeks: however, much-needed jackets can be turned around in three days via a “rush” service with a $15 upcharge.

The need for annual maintenance, like changing a car’s oil, makes a waxed cotton jacket a somewhat involved piece of outerwear to own. But that same property that might have you melting wax or heading to UPS once per year is precisely what gives waxed jackets their charm—which, properly maintained, can last a lifetime.   

From Putthison.com

more at: putthison.com

Waxed Cotton Jackets

Even a waxed cotton jacket needs to be cleaned every once in a while. Alain Gauthier, the founder of New England Reproofers, has been a specialist in this field for thirty years, cleaning and reproofing waxed cotton jackets for everyday wearers and collectors alike (one collector recently sent in a rare 70-year-old Barbour for restoration). If you’re a sportsman and wear a waxed cotton jacket while hunting, Gauthier recommends cleaning your coat about once a year. People who wear these for style purposes, on the other hand, may only need to clean something once every two or three years.

“Wax tends to attract dirt, and you can tell something is dirty when there are dark patches,” he says. “At the same time, creases around the elbows will start to get lighter, as the wax is wearing off.” Gauthier recommends people get things cleaned and reproofed when necessary so the garment’s fibers don’t break down, but doing so requires a bit of care and attention. “You can’t just throw a waxed cotton jacket into a laundry machine; the wax will come off and damage your machine. You also can’t dry clean it, as dry cleaning will strip off all the wax. You need to remove some of the wax, but not all of it, otherwise the next time you go to wax it, the wax will leak through and get into the lining.”

There are tutorials online for how to clean a waxed cotton jacket at home, but the process can be difficult and time-consuming. Your best bet is to send it to a specialty cleaner such as New England Reproofers. They have a full cleaning and reproofing service, as well as an enzyme wash for removing musty smells. As someone who’s fairly light on his clothes, I find I can take care of most issues at home with a damp sponge, but a full cleaning service may be necessary if you’re taking a jacket out into harder environments or buying something second hand.

Fall 2018 Issue

…New England Reproofers, New Hampshire:  The one stop shop for repairs, refinishing and rewaxing. Believe me when I tell you that you DO NOT want to attempt re-waxing your own – it is a mess and is NOT worth it. [for the price] …it is worth every penny. These guys are pros and do an amazing job so you don’t have to worry. They even have an enzyme dip… to get mold and that funky barnyard smell out! They will also tailor and repair to factory standards

Communication with Mr. Matthew Hranek the founder of the WM Brown project:

New England Reproofers:

Hope you are well.  Your jacket will be delivered by the Post Office on 4/10/19. I know you didn’t ask for a hand washing but I did it prior to the odor removal service just to make sure of all things. This is on me. I followed this with a reproofing and a longer curing time given that I had the week end to help with the rush service.

PS:  I want to thank you for the gift of the magazine and I am gratefully honored to see my business name in the magazine. I was absolutely surprised and very happy. I wish you all the best in your endeavor.

Mr. Matthew Hranek:

Alain
You are my hero!
You have taken such good care of me and my jackets for so long it’s the least I could do!
Talk soon!

Best,
Matt

Testimonials

Here are just a few of the wonderful notes that have been sent to us about our unique service.

To Whom It May Concern,

Approximately a year ago I contacted you and enquired about reproofing an Orvis Field Coat. Firstly, thank you for your patience in answering all of my questions relative to the reproofing process. Subsequent to conversation w/you I sent the coat to you.

Upon receiving the newly reproofed jacket from you, I could not have been more pleased. It’s appearance had taken on a more luxurious darker look and the reproofing process was meticulously completed. Never did I expect such wonderful work overall. For the past year I have worn it in all conditions and could not be more pleased with it. It has begun to acquire a beautiful patina and the waterproofing is beyond reproach.

Thank you for your service overall and you can be assured I have become a repeat customer who recommends your services to all.

Thank You,

Dan

Hello to all of you,

My old Jacket just arrived…and I have to admit that I was stunned to find my old jacket looking as good as new. My many years of neglect and some unfortunate mishaps, that I am sure were almost all my fault, have been erased. Thank you all for your meticulous attention to detail.

I will keep your contact information for future reference.

Dear Sirs, I just received my wife’s coat back from your reproofing and am stunned at how fantastic it looks. I actually just purchased it off ebay for a fraction of the price of a new coat. It is an unusual red wine color. It was inexpensive enough that if it turned out to be unwearable in public it would have been no great loss and relegated to barn coat for mucking about. It literally looks brand new. The deep red color is restored, the fabric unwrinkled, and now looks too good for barn use. My wife is thrilled to have another “classy, casual” coat for social wear. Thank you for your excellent work. I will recommend you to everyone and feel free to use my review.
Thomas

I just got my jacket today from being re-waxed and I’m very pleased with the results and your quick and professional turnaround time.
Steve

Wow-wow-wow! I just received my demustified & reproofed vintage Belstaff. Hoorah! Thank you so very much. It turned out better than I expected & I’m extremely pleased.
Benjamin

Huzzah!

Received my wife’s jacket that you de-stinked, reproofed and repaired. Just in time for the atmospheric river that’s about to dump buckets on the Bay Area.

Wonderful!

The cuffs you added are perfect. My wife is very happy.

So very pleased.

Thank you – thank you, once again for such great service.  

Benjamin

I just wanted to take a moment to reach out and thank you for the great job you did reproofing my Belstaff Roadmaster Jacket a few weeks ago – I was quite impressed
Roger

Al, Jacket is amazing. Looks brand new and so much better than i had imagined. Really impressed and will definitely use (and recommend) your services in the future. Cheers!
Ed

I’m the guy who last had his jacket reproofed by you about 10 years ago and am now having it reproofed again. Anyway’s, I expected it back in another 2 to 3 weeks and when I received it yesterday, I opened the package it looked absolutely amazing. Thanks for doing such a great job and quick turnaround. I just made an entry in my diary to send it back next July for reproofing. Thanks again
Sam

Wow!! What a beauty!!!! You are a fine professional craftsman! Thank you very much for the new coat! I will look forward to working with you again.
Chuck

I received my jacket and just wanted to say THANKS! It is great to have it back and be able to use it again. I am very happy with your service and will definitely send my other two coats to you when they need reproofing. Thanks again for your help.
Jean

Thank you for doing a fabulous job in restoring my old coat. It’s good for another 100,000 miles and 10 more dogs in the field! You and your company should be proud of the quality work that you do. Thank you so much! I will be sure to refer your company to any and all who may need your services!
Steve

The jacket looks better than new. Cannot wait until it rains! Thanks.
Bill

I just wanted to let you know that I received my jacket back to day and OMG you guys are Awesome! My father’s 30 year old coat reeked of an awful smell and was in dire need of reproofing. You managed to bring it back to life for me to wear and to possibly hand down to my son someday. Many Thanks!
Santiano

I want to thank you for doing a BEAUTIFUL job on my jacket. When it was stolen and later recovered on the floor of a public restroom, I feared that it was beyond being worn again. It had never been reproofed in the 15 years that I had owned it. After you did the odor removal and the reproofing, it looks like NEW!! Thank you!.
Todd

My rain jacket arrived today and looks almost brand new! If you start getting more business from my part of the world it will be because I plan to recommend you to others! Thanks for the very prompt and excellent service.
Edie

I couldn’t believe it when I saw the duster, it looked like brand new again. It is obvious that you are a true craftsman in your field. I will highly recommend you to anybody I meet who could use your service. I want to say again that the quality and workmanship is superb!”
Byron

Byron

I cannot begin to thank you enough! My suit arrived from your shop today in new condition. It had been unfortunately boxed away in a move 15 years ago and was in terrible, terrible mold-smelling condition. I tried all the smell-counter-acting sprays, but they did no good. Now I get it back and all the smells are gone, and it’s perfectly treated for water resistance just like new. This is the most fantastic thing that can happen to a Seattle-based Harley rider! I most strongly recommend that every waxed suit/oilskin rider send you their gear for an upgrade…in any condition.
Dave