I came across a pair of snowshoes I've had quite a while. Trailers with rawhide construction and want to know how to care, preserve, clean them. Everything seems OK although the bindings are pretty dry. Any help?
I came across a pair of snowshoes I've had quite a while. Trailers with rawhide construction and want to know how to care, preserve, clean them. Everything seems OK although the bindings are pretty dry. Any help?
a new coat of shellac should do the trick
i would recommend saddle soap, or neetsfoot oil, but that will soften leather that is repeatedly stretched or flexed, so i don't know how much it will waken it over time. probably couldn't be worse than over-dry or water damp leather.
Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice - Grey's Law.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To see what's going on in my knife shop check out CanidArmory on Youtube or on Facebook.
Olive oil for the leather bindings and spar varnish on everything else. Did that to my 40 year old snowshoes 2 winters ago and they have held up great. Got the advice from a local guy who refinishes snowshoes.
Throw the leather bindings away, and buy "BOB MAKI" bindings on e-bay or amazon. Someplace on this forum is a very extensive thread about snowshoes and falling through the lake or river ice.
I didn't care for the "Bob Maki" bindings. They can be a pain to get on and off after they get cold, which is pretty much all the time.
You pee'd on your own boots?! That is wrong on a lot of different levels.
Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.
.....................
Last edited by sjj; 12-16-2017 at 10:19 AM.
...............
Last edited by sjj; 12-15-2017 at 10:37 AM.
I grew up wearing moose hide snowshoes my great uncle made. Every fall a fresh coat of shellac and your good to go. Simply use boot grease on the bindings. I must admit that the modern snowshoes, such as Vermont Tubbs (well, actually they are made in China now) with built in claws and modern bindings, overall are an improvement mechanically.
............
Last edited by sjj; 12-15-2017 at 10:38 AM.
Bookmarks