Dubbin is a wax product used to soften, condition and waterproof leather. It consists of natural wax, oil and tallow.

It is different from shoe polish, which is used to impart shine and colour to leather.

Dubbin has been used since medieval times. In the 20th century, dubbin was regularly used by amateur football players in the United Kingdom, to waterproof leather football boots.

The name 'dubbin' is a contraction of the gerund "dubbing", describing the action of applying the wax to leather.

Ongoing conjecture abounds about whether the constituents of dubbin promote rotting of the natural fibre stitching used to attach leather pieces together. There are centuries of experience that suggests it is safe, but selected pieces of literature have demonstrated some deleterious effects on high–order cellulose structures by bacteria which survive and propagate in the amino acids and fats contained in tallow, one of the chief ingredients of dubbin.

Dubbin can also be used as a moisturiser and chain lubricant.

[edit] External links

• The Dubbinternet - a humorous website devoted to dubbin, containing dubbin facts, dubbin poetry and celebrities holding cans of dubbin.
• dubbin.co.uk - a more conventional site belonging to a UK manufacturer of dubbin.
• Johan' Dubbin Page - a leathercrafter's perspective of this leather conditioner.
• Pappy's Dubbin - a USA manufacturer of the old style, hand-made dubbin. "Just like they used to do it."
• [1] - Material Safety Data Sheet - Joseph Lyddy dubbin.
• [2] - Opportunities for industry and the safe investment of capital (1859) Rothman, E., Lippincott, USA
• Jarell, T.D., Holman, H.P., (1923) Effects of Treating Materials and Outdoor Exposure upon Water Resistance and Tensile Strength of Cotton Duck, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Bureau of Chemistry, Washington.
• Norton, F.J., (1945) Waterproofing Treatments of Materials, Patent Number 2386259, Serial Number 452,885, United States Patent Office.
• Holman, H.P., Jarrell, T.D., (date unknown) The Effects of Waterproofing Materials and Outdoor Exposure upon the Tensile Strength of Cotton Yarn, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 15(3), US Department of Agriculture, Washington.
• Stewart, C.S., (1977) Factors Affecting the Cellulolytic Activity of Rumen Contents, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, pp. 497-502