A real nice neighbor of mine gave me his vintage waxed Belstaff Trialsmaster jacket with the label still attached from 1979. Its like new except is has a strong mildew smell, anyone know how I can get rid of the mildew smell? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> The Belstaff rep I spoke with at the NY motorcycle show said it should not be washed since it is a heavily waxed canvas like material, I didn't find any help on their web site or with emails to the factory. I've gotten a lot of great advise in the trials forum (send it to Brewtus' free jacket cleaning service etc.) and it was suggested to post here as well. I've been hanging it in the intense sunlight that radiates through a glass door as much as possible and it is helping.<o></o> http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=756000 Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Bob
I've found leaving clothing items hanging outside for a day or two helps, sans rain of course. Nice find.
Belstaff have gone to the dogs since the Italians bought the company. Barbour are the real deal for waxed clothing. Have a look at The Barbour website for caring for Waxed cotton http://www.barbour.com/customer-services They have a question and answer section. Q. My wax jacket is dirty how can I clean it? A. The only way you can clean your waxed cotton garment is to sponge it down with clean cold water - including the inner lining. Do not use soaps or detergents, wash in a washing machine or dry clean as this would permanently damage the garment and any re-application of the wax coating will be totally absorbed by the cotton fabric and will soil the inner lining. This in turn, will soil any clothing worn underneath the jacket.
Yepper. Try putting it on and doing a couple thousand miles. I was given a Barbour International by a guy when i was visiting in England. Same deal- it had never been worn, he'd bought it new, it didn't fit him, and he stuck it in his garage, where it sat for a couple years, getting musty. August of 08 was when he gave it to me. I never made any effort, other than just to wear it- to clean it or remove the smell... it STILL smells a just a little musty but I simply don't care- something about that smell, maybe, that ignites some deep inner.... something. I likes it.
Thanks all for the replies. I do agree that the smell is part of it's character and I don't want to ruin it's personality, it probably is an improvement over my own persoal atmosphere at times too. I think it'll be a street riding jacket at times also, I'll have yet another reason to ride and that should help with sun exposure. Thanks Rob for the Barbour link, I'd not heard of that company before. Hopefully maximum sunlight exposure will be all I need to just knock it down a bit then enjoy it from then on. Thanks, Bob
Just keep patience, hang the jacket it up sowhere were it is not disturbing to any one and wait. As more ventilation you have as faster the odor will vanish. I once pulled out my old rain suit from the basement and the rubber smelled like hell, washing did not help and it is plastic! So I let it hang in a well ventilated storage room, after two month the oder was gone.
I've had belstaff stuff forever, they always seem to have a bit of a scent. sometimes mine will get some mildew, I'll hose it down outside, hang in the sun, and spray some lysol around it to help kill the odor. if you rewax, use the right stuff, not shoe stuff. like said before, wear to a bar and get beer spilled on it!
:eek1 Now you don't think Steve mcQueen wore Belstaff do you? http://www.barbour.com/collection/steve-mc-queen-collection
I had a mouldy waxed cotton jacket. It was really covered in mould and I was going to throw it out, but my wife said it would be a waste . She sprayed it with white vinegar, wiped it down and left it on the line in the sun for a few days,then a couple of days inside out hanging out and it's good. We do live in a place with pretty ferocious sun which must have killed off the mould.
Powdered and lightly seasoned!! Just go home and hose it off. It will never look new again, but who cares Learn to love the smell of wax when riding.
If it's an XL, I think your screwed and should just toss it into a box and send it to me. Don't waste your time trying to make it smell nice. More important things for you to do. Trust me.
I have a brand new never worn XL Trialmaster stashed in the closet.... Sorta Kinda my IRA since I have nothing else of value!!!
I still have my old Trailmaster from the 70's ... doesn't fit anymore (something has changed since then), just can't get rid of it. The smell brings back to many good memories. I agree with others, just put it on and ride a few weeks, you wont notice the smell after a while! Peter
\ Of course, a 1979 Trailmaster will still be the Stoke-on Trent made jacket, well made, certainly the real deal. Like my 1980 version, the waterproofing wax is the main source of the smell. Without it though, the garment will fall apart. I've got original Bellstaff waterproofing, which has a distinct gasoline-parafin smell to it, then mellows to a spilt deisel smell. I've found that the 'proofing' stuff sold by the Australian Outback company for proofing their cottion jackets to be way less smelly, found at western-equestrian places. You will find that no matter what you use, that it will stain your blue jeans at the bottom of the jacket. Use black jeans or some such. These things are definitely keepers, almost collectable like fine wines. BTW, you cannot clean them except with a garden hose. Steve
I have a couple of suits hanging up. Years ago, there wasn't much else around to use. Then I got my first Malcolm Smith Gore-Tex enduro jacket, and I never wore the Belstaff again. Today, I generally wear Dakar lite riding pants and a mesh jacket in the summer, and keep a rain suit jacket in the top case. The old Belstaff gear didn't ventilate and was miserable, especially in hot weather.
You are of course correct. Technology has left waxed cotton behind in almost every way. However, an original Bellstaff or Barbour has a cool factor that no MSR stuff could even dream of touching. Try to sell your used MSR jacket, prolly worth $50 max. Quite the opposite for a "Stoke" Belstaff. Steve
I've still got the 1978 vintage Trialmaster I picked up on a trip to England back then - original Stoke on Trent manufacture and somewhere I've got a tin of the reconditioning wax that came with the jacket. I never got wet or cold riding with that jacket through the seventies and eighties but I did get a number of comments on the smell - especially from the redhead I'm married to. It has to live in the garage and I have expanded a bit in the last 35 years so its sort of a tight fit. I also have the suede leather Levi's jeans jacket and matching leather jeans from a few years earlier (1973) - no way I'm getting into those any more.