Every Man A Cobbler Dubn

[thecapgunkid]

When I apprenticed at Old Bethpage, my master Waldomir  taught me how to make Dubn.  He mixed Liquid Lanolin and rendered tallow with some pine oil for fragrance.

He taught me to make it into a kind of jelly consistency, and it was the only dressing he would put on his best work.

Rubbed it right in with a lot of patience and once or twice we even used it on our arms after clean-up.

Being thoroughly neurotic, I don't like a lot of grease, oil or lotion all over me ....Eeeewwww...

I made one batch and used about half of it before it dried up for noon use when I became a refugee into Cowboy Action.

Who is using this stuff and what is your recipe?

Thanks

Capgun

[Brokennock]

Interesting.
You don't remember the proportions, roughly, do you?
What effect did it have on the leather?

[James Rogers]

I used to make traditional dubbin a lot. I used beeswax, neatsfoot or cod liver oil and tallow. I use Montana Pitch Blend now for that purpose.  Keeping in mind this is a leather dressing or treatment and not a finish. You can also make blackball in a similar manner with beeswax, tallow and bone black.  As to blend amounts you have to play with it according to the weather you intend to keep the substance. Start with equal parts oil and fat and add wax to the consistency when cooled thst you desire. 

[thecapgunkid]

Broke...

James is pretty much on target and I only remember pouring tallow into oil until I got the jelly substance.  Then I added pine oil to improve the aroma.

It's a rub-it-in-brush-it-clean kind of thing on finished leather, and Lanolin almost never harms leather. Tallow by itself can cake, stiffen, age and stink all at once.

By virtue of being a dressing rather than a finish like, say,  tan cote, it had to be replenished.

[Brokennock]

Thank you for the replies gentlemen. And, for the interesting series of topics Cap'
I guess part of my question should have been,
What is the difference between a, "dressing," and a, "finish" as to purpose and effect?