cobblers

[horses50]

I called into my local shoe repair shop yesterday and asked him if he had any cobblers wax,he said what was it used for? i said i did not know but i would try and find out,i said i wanted it to use in my flytying then he said it might have been used to waterproof the thread they use when stiching the leather when making the shoe is this correct?Who actually sells this wax?thank you.

[guest15]

you will get it here

[wsbailey]

Back when shoes were handmade, cobbler's wax served to preserve and waterproof the thread. It also plugged the holes in the sole where the thread attached it to the upper. Cobbler's wax is no longer available commercially. Most of the stuff sold now is just coal tar. Today shoemakers who hand sew shoes have to make their own. The real thing is made with pitch and pitch is no longer readily available. To make my cobbler's wax I started by boiling down pine tar until the tar was solid pitch. Later I melted it, together with other ingredients and poured it into a basin of cold water. When the mass had cooled I picked it up into my hands and pulled and folded the wax repeatedly until all of the ingredients were thoroughly blended and the colour had lightened. At room temperature the wax is hard but a moment of warming it in the hand softens it enough to coat the thread. It makes a very durable fly but colours the thread which is good for Greenwell's Glory. I make a white wax in a similar manner for when the thread colour needs to be preserved.

[horses50]

Thanks fellas i think i will be buying mine sounds like a lot of work to make your own just to save £1.50

[hiyabarney]

Hi Horses50 bought some from Lathkill last Saturday, you will have to hurry though I think he has only got 20 or so bars left.
Its good stuff but does need a lot of warmth to get it soft to work with.

Martin...

[grey duster]

Originally Posted by hiyabarney

Hi Horses50 bought some from Lathkill last Saturday, you will have to hurry though I think he has only got 20 or so bars left.
Its good stuff but does need a lot of warmth to get it soft to work with.

Martin...

Puts a great (and I think) inimitable colour onto the greenwells body. It is hard to work with but I find that if you nip off a fragment and work it gently onto the thread between finger and thumb it softens very quickly.
GD
(PS - I actually had a couple of sea trout last season on a greenwells fished on a top dropper)

[iceman]

Originally Posted by barker12774

you will get it here

I don't think your allowed to put links on barker i got the chop yesterday for the very same thing

[richardw]

Originally Posted by iceman

I don't think your allowed to put links on barker i got the chop yesterday for the very same thing

News to me. Why is there a link option if we are not to use it?

richard

[iceman]

Originally Posted by richardw

News to me. Why is there a link option if we are not to use it?

richard

Hi Richard as you will see on my peter batchelor flies thread its not fair on trade members , so what i take from that is your not allowed to put a link if trade members sell on here . I was only giving my opinion on someones product and because he doesnt sell on here we're not allowed to discuss it even though he has an excellent product . Never mind keep

Charlie

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by iceman

Hi Richard as you will see on my peter batchelor flies thread its not fair on trade members...

Correct. Lots of trade members paying to sell flies on here. Peter Batchelor was a trade member on here, but, from what I can gather, choses not to bother any more. As far as I'm aware though, there's no problem giving any links to help out as a direct response to a question. You just came on with a direct plug - there is a difference.

Anyway, wax. Novices - don't think that you need wax for all dubbing applications. You don't. If you find you're struggling with general dubbing situations, then there's something wrong with your technique. As has been mentioned, wax is ok for darkening lighter threads, and sparse dubbing with short/fine fibred stuff.