In looking at one of Hans recent posts, the fly made me think of the Snipe and Purple wet fly, but not having snipe soft hackle feathers, I was looking for a picture of a snipe soft hackle feather to see what one looked like. I was thinking I might have a good substitute, and ended up looking at Davie McPhails video of the snipe and purple.
At any rate, he used soft cobblers wax to treat the silk. Soft cobblers wax is also used for flies like the Greenwells Glory, so it has some general usefullness, and I don’t know where you can get some.
Where can you get soft cobblers wax, or is there a good substitute for it?
I’ve no idea where you might get it your side of the pond, but I get mine from the same place I get my Glo Brite floss. I’m needing to get some more so I’d be happy to add a lump to the order and send it your way. Its only pennies a block, the problem isn’t the cost its tracking it down. If you know a saddler they may be able to supply it.
In the meanwhile you can sometimes find cheese in black wax. It will give a similar effect to cobblers wax (the wax that is not the cheese). It is a good bit softer though. If you want it harder melt it and mix in some rosin used on violin bows.
As a side issue, still on topic, I was shown a trick many years ago. When pulling thread through wrap the thread one turn around your finger, rather than pull against the bobbin tube. Much less chance of breaking your thread.
As per your suggestions, here in the Texas panhandle, we have saddle makers, and also leather supply places, so those are places I can check. Local stores also have cheese which is wax coated, so that is also an idea I can pursue.
Alan, thanks for the offer, but now I have options that can be pursured locally.
Also, I stumbled onto a post on another site that lists a formula for making cobblers wax, and this is the link:
What these folks on that site are making is tying wax. I am under the impression that cobblers wax is black. The greenwell’s calls for cobblers wax to turn the silk olive. That wax is black… JMO
Sometimes its black but most often it is a very dark brown. If you flatten Uni Lt Cahill thread and wind on a dark bronzed hook you get about the same colour when it is wet. Usually it is hard but there is enough heat generated pulling a length of thread over it, there really isn’t any need to soften it.
Cheers,
A.
Good point Narcodog, it is back to one of the other suggestions.
Saddleshops, black wax coating on cheese, specific suppliers such as the one listed above or on the link that I listed above, etc. Thanks to the suggestions above I still have some pretty good options I think.
Thanks for the info about feathersmc, they have the white and black and I ordered both. I thought about trying to make some from all the great info everyone has posted but I decided to just order some. http://www.feathersmc.com/products/Cobblers%20Wax
Thanks for all of the suggestions, they are much appreciated. I was in a large town recently that had more cheese selections than our stores do, and now have some black wax from a section of cheese. Thus have come to a happy, low dollar, easy solution, and the cheese is really great too.
I have not had a chance to try the wax yet, but am looking forward to trying it in the near future.
Thanks to all of you for the offers to send wax, including the ones by email, but with the wax from the cheese think that I am good to go.
If I remember correct black rind cheese is sharper than red rind and really good cheese. I haven’t eaten any wax rind cheese in forever, although the Cabot’s Seriously Sharp cheddar found at Walmart is good if you like a good sharp cheddar and don’t listen to the doctor and enjoy life.
What do doctors know? 100% of people treated by doctors die. Of course if you are being healthy using up the wax for fly tying is a good indicator that you can have another cheese.
Cheers,
A.
Alan, I could not agree with you more. The most important thing you can do for your health is get born in the right family. The thing that killed both my grandfathers was inactivity. One had bad cataract surgery that limited his vision, as long as he could go to his blacksmith shop and beat a piece of iron into something useful he was happy and healthy.
My paternal grandfather almost lived forever… he was 67 when I was born and lived another 37 years, though only about 33 of the last batch were truly “quality” years.
Sadly for me, 2013 will go down as the worst year of my life, almost without regard for what happens next. I already whined here once and will not repeat things, but funerals are not my favorite haunts and I am beyond all filled up on my quota. Things have gotten anything but better and I lost two more friends this month alone.