Waxed Face Gloves & Mitts

Please share your knowledge on how to keep your vintage gloves in great shape and looking sharp.

Waxed Face Gloves & Mitts

Postby Sarge6 » August 25th, 2015, 8:23 am

How common over the years was it for gloves and mitts to be given a wax factory finish, and when might the practice have stopped? The late 30's/early 40's Goldsmith catcher's mitt I'm cleaning had a thick coat of waxy build-up on the face. At first I assumed it was a home-brew application at some point, but then I saw the ads for Ted Kennedy gloves and mitts ca. 1905 that specifically featured an "oil wax face" or a "pickled wax face." So that has me wondering if I should re-apply something like a beeswax finish (or thicker) at the end.
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Re: Waxed Face Gloves & Mitts

Postby Number9 » August 25th, 2015, 12:41 pm

You can apply a wax to the mitt. If the surface looks better with wax, by all means, go for it. There's very little risk with that type of leather.

The Kennedy gloves were oiled/waxed canvas. Altogether different and very much an outlier in terms of design and practice.
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Re: Waxed Face Gloves & Mitts

Postby Sarge6 » August 25th, 2015, 9:05 pm

Thanks much. Good to know I'm probably stripping aftermarket and not OEM.
"So. It seems like you're in trouble."
"Yes, Babe Ruth signed that ball."
"George signed this?"
"George Herman Ruth? Yes."
"I take it back. You're not in trouble, you're dead where you stand."
Sarge6
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Posts: 20
Joined: August 22nd, 2015, 9:25 am
Location: Chicago, IL


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