About Us

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.   

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

Testimonials

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