This 600 Year Old Fabric Is WATER RESISTANT
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- Опубликовано: 9 мар 2022
- With historical fashion, there are generally some commonly recognised fabrics, like wool and leather, which can keep us stay dry up until a certain point. For wool, once it reaches its soaking point, it can become uncomfortable quick. That's where a much less spoken-about fabric, oilskin (or oilcloth) comes in. This fabric is weather-resistant and water-resistant (actually though, I haven't found its soaking point yet.)
Oilskin is not a modern invention. Its earlier forms are said to date back to the 15th century, when sailors turned their oil-treated sails into capes to help stay dry. By the 18th century, the manual oiling of fabric became an industrialised practice, and by the late 19th century (1898) Edward Le Roy created specialised breathable oiled garments just for sailors to stay dry on deck.
Please keep in mind, the materials used to make oil skin water-resistant can be highly flammable. Always keep this in mind and proceed carefully. I am not responsible for any problems caused due to oilskin and its components.
I recently hand sewed a Victorian cape made from oilskin to help my garments stay dry this spring, and I was so impressed by the fabric that I knew more people needed to know about its properties. In this video, I share not only history and background information on oilskin, but also my own personal experience with the fabric, as well as some pros and cons.
All in all, I must say that this fabric deserves more hype in the historical community. It has a lot of potential for garments that could be constructed from spats to outdoor trousers, jackets, capes, cloaks, headwear, and more!
Now after learning all this about oilskin, do you think you'll give the garment a shot? If so, what do you plan to make out of it?
Thank you so much for watching and see you all in two weeks for another video.
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Further Reading:
-Waterproof and Water Repellent Textiles and Clothing. United Kingdom, Elsevier Science, 2017. www.worldcat.org/title/waterp...
-Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2015.
books.google.co.uk/books/abou...
-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oilskin
Sources:
-Rubber Boots:
pixabay.com/photos/boots-rubb...
-Gore-Tex:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
alinja, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b..., via Wikimedia Commons
-PVC Tent:
flic.kr/p/dKxyFc
-Sailor:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Allen & Ginter, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
-Petroleum:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
-Linseed Oil:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Handwerker, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
-Beeswax:
unsplash.com/photos/u_HjHfkzA...
-Tar:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Jorre, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
-Sea Salt Vector:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
-Sail Cloth:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
-16th Century Sail Ship:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
-Rain Stock Footage:
www.beachfrontbroll.com/2014/1...
#historicalfashion #rainwear 
Развлечения
You didn't mention that many oil skin fabrics especially treated with Linseed oil become HIGHLY Flammable. It may also be true with other oils and waxes. It's believed that it was the cause of the 1944 Circus Fire in Hartford CT, USA. My father was a young man at that time who worked across the street from the circus grounds. I used to hear stories of the horror that happened that day. Please be careful with it.
Thanks for that info and warning! I wasn't aware of this issue and didn't see it written anywhere, including nowhere on any of the fabric suppliers websites. I'm assuming now with contemporary fire regulations, fabric suppliers would have to undergo significant testing to ensure their oilskin meets guidelines? (At least in the U.K. I feel that's typically the case).
Perhaps you should do a burn test.
@@VBirchwood Came down here to make sure this was mentioned! Many people use oilcloth for things like camping gear (especially bushcraft/natural aesthetic and reenactment camping) and you have to be very careful being around fire, using candles, and so on.
In the US at least, regulations with regards to flammability tends to be by specific use rather than by type of fabric -- for example children's pajamas, cushions for furniture, interior decor in public spaces, and so on. That's why many cotton fabrics and flannels will say "not for use in children's pajamas" on the selvage in the US, because cotton is actually quite flammable (nowhere near that of oiled cotton, obviously).
Even the oilcloth that isn't treated with linseed oil is treated with flammable materials (wax and oils of various types) and even those that won't go up instantly like a torch can hurt you really bad from catching fire, being difficult to put out, and melting onto you. So it's important to be very careful when wearing items made of oilcloth. After all, a candle is wax and a cotton wick!
I think it's just important that people know, and use it with care. It's such a cool fabric to work with, and I mostly have camping equipment made with it.
You can make a safer, "faux" oillcloth by impregnating the cloth yourself with silicone instead of a wax or oil, though it has to have a tight weave to work (a lot of people do old sheets and other cotton material). The process uses flammable, volatile chemicals (mineral spirits) and *must* be done outside and you should wear a properly rated ventilator an organic vapor respirator, but the end result is less flammable than the fabric alone. Unlike traditional oilcloth or waxed cloth it doesn't get the sort of creased stiff look but the result doesn't look "modern" so it would be a good alternative when oilcloth shouldn't be used because of safety concerns.
(Making your own traditional oilcloth should be done outside while wearing an organic vapor respirator as well! It uses mineral spirits like turpentine as well during the process, and linseed oil itself releases VOCs.)
Wax finishes are not flammable as in a spark or small flame exposure will just make it burn out in a puff.
It requires a certain level of fire exposure that no modern jack such as plastic rain jackets could withstand.
If you had to be fire exposed in a plastic jacket or an oil skin which would you prefer?
I've been making, using and wearing oilcloth for 30 or so years.
Just about anything is flammable, and one shouldn't be complacent around open fire with a false sense of security.
I've never had an oilcloth item catch fire. I've had a cotton shirt catch fire, though.
It's important to understand that oilcloth has cured. You're not walking around in a burlap suit dripping with kerosene or gasoline.
Plenty of popping coals from campfires have hit or landed on my oilcloth and usually self extinguish before I can get to them and deal.
I feel that a treatment of straight linseed oil rather than cut with mineral spirits or turpentine, although heavier, results in better repellancy.
I have a video on my channel demonstrating how to make it. I don't feel it takes away from here, but compliments the subject.
Oilskin jackets and hats are readily available in Canada and are commonly worn by ranchers and seafarers. A yellow oilskin outfit is pretty emblematic of Newfoundland.
Aussie greatcoats are made of this material as well.
They are still made in the UK too.
@@simonacerton3478 are our great coats made with lanolin? i thought the 'oil skins' were historically made with whale oil or lanolin.
@@thevocalcrone I am honestly not sure.
Traditionally wool garments would be covered with lanolin from the sheep. This lanolin would make woollen garments naturally waterproof but still breathable. Also felt. Felt is made by gathering loose wool and stabbing it with needles to mat it together. Again if the wool was in its raw state it would make for not only windproof garments but also waterproof garments. It wasn't until modern times that the wool processing would have removed the lanolin.
There is a gentleman's coat brand in England called Barbour which still uses oilskin for coats. They are very heavy and good quality.
There is a company called Nikwax where you wash synthetic clothing in it and it makes the cloth hydrophobic. It stops clothing from getting damp so you don't get cold so quickly.
Yes, minimally processed wool is often a bit smelly BUT much more water resistant. I’ve seen people putting lanolin back on the fibers to spin them, but often mineral oil is used in industrial production, and it’s not as effective (and I feel it washes out more easily)
I often use Nikwax, for the tent and my coats. Easy to use.
i cant find Barbour wax anywhere, for my fav waxed riding coat, im going to have to go on-line to get some ugh! i have used nikwax on another jacket and my tent it is good, but will leak if there is a depression in the tent and you get stuck in two weeks of torrential rain it seeped on day 12, day 13 leaked a bit but by the time i woke up on day 14 it was actually dripping, enough to be really damp, but not soaked through and most of the time it sat in a dent, i think its brilliant, though im glad we came home that day
My mother years ago knit me a jumper with wool that had the lanolin in it. It was waterproof and smelled very lightly of lanolin, she said her hands were beautifully soft doing it, it did get quite heavy in the rain due to the cable and knit designs that held the water.
My uncle had a jumper knitted from untreated wool from his sheep. He loved it due to the lanolin content: wind and water resistant.
According to my mother-in-law she would pinprick oilskin cloth along the seam line before actually stitching. She used heavier thread for this purpose and oiled the seam afterwards to ensure weather proofing. These were utilitarian items, not fashionable ones. Do not know what was used to "oil" the finished seams since it was a ready made product available in Hungary in the 1930s, but she said it contained beeswax. She also said it was used on umbrellas.
Well, most likely the oil base would be boiled linseed oil, widely used for weather-proofing wood as well, and for gunstocks(gun oil), etc
I remember the product ..seamskin..used to prepare tentseams clothing
Wool does not lose heat when wet, which is why it has long been used by out-door types and mariners. The wool was shrunk to tighten the weave and treated with lanolin.
THIS. i L-O-V-E lanolised wool, especially in the months of rainforest winter and spring. Easy to do when laundering, affordable and so effective. HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who loves the 'warm while wet' properties of good quality wool. Bonus points points for actually preserving the longevity of the fibre, making a good knit last generations.
Also somewhat fire resistant (much more than synthetic anyways) 😉
In Australia and New Zealand Oilskin coats. jackets and vests have been in continuous use in rural areas since first European settlement. To some extent the jackets and vests are one form of fashion statement. Two major Australian companies are R M Williams and Driza Bone, definitively both fashion and practicality focussed. Unfortunately their jackets and vests do not fit my body shape and my current oilskin vest, very wide across the shoulders and comfortable is actually made in China with the name Outback :). I have experimented with making my own oilskin using both cotton and canvas. The process of coating/soaking the fabric is not hard but definitely could be very dangerous if the ingredients or the wet fabric came into contact with any open flames or extreme heat. A process best done outdoors as shown in the Townsends video. When the oilskin is dry, ie the waterproofing has cured, it is not a risk near fires. You see plenty of stockmen wearing oilskin jackets and vests and sitting around campfires. Someone made a comment about oilskins being stiff and hampering movement. That is true for heavy stiff fabrics like canvas but lightweight oilskin cotton fabrics are very different.
RM Williams I really like, once they are worn in v cumfy. Driza Bone remain stiff and crinkly in my experience. Either way, both better than Barbour, which has become crap since it became a 'Fashion Brand'
@@Cheeseatingjunlista I wore a Diza Bone for many years. It did become soft and pliable, but that comes with wearing away the water proofing. I reproofed several times. Unfortunately, I kind of grew out the duster (laterally) and my style changed significantly so it just would not work with my current wardrobe.
The Outback Duster was the only coat that kept the bone chilling ocean winds away, here on the northern pacific coast. It was heavy, to be sure, but remarkably dutiful. Unfortunately, they became a "trend", which became an un-trend if you get my drift.
I've been using the same Norsewear oilskin vest bought in New Zealand on and off for over 2 decades. It is still pretty weatherproof and an excellent garment on the farm. Could use a rewaxing though to last for another 20 years. I have a pair of matching oilskin pants too but has only used them once as I got soaked in sweat in them more than from any rain.
Had an oilskin duster when I worked ranching for a decade - it was wonderful - I could ride all danged day in a downpour and stay DRY. Even better with a nice old wool sweater underneath in winter
Foul weather gear makes you giggle because of the pun imbedded in the phrase, foul weather being excellent weather for ducks.
also possibly a mix up with the meaning of "Fowl" and "Foul"
Don't forget the chickens!
Never mind the foul wethers. They feel cheated and used.
Waxed linens are ancient, the Greek armor called a linothorax is made from layers of it.
When I wear layers of linen in the rain I get a chill when the first drops hit me, but there's enough dead air space in layers of linen that they begin warming up right away.
The archeology doesn't support that. They found one set like that and it was a Funerary good.
Yes it is very hard to pierce and even harder to slash. It's lighter than metal and malleable to move in.
@@danmorgan3685 Not sure if that is a fair statement, after all the material is very perishable so the only place you would expect it too potentially survive is in either peat bogs (not largely present in Greece) or in graves where the material would be undisturbed in an essentially oxygen rich atmosphere. Claiming the archeology doesnt support the statement based on the fact that only one surviving example exists from one of these sources doesnt disprove anything.
And in German it's literally called waxcloth...
the British navy, waxed their cloth with hemp oil/wax, which was a thick substance that needed heating to make it liquid enough to use, but gave a watertight hemp cloth, often used to cover things stored on deck, like boxes of biscuits. the wax was also used on the hemp ropes and to watertight the planks. this widely used crop was vital to the navy, all issued uniforms including shoes were made from hemp, though officers had to purchase their own uniforms. i live near the main naval docks and am interested in naval history and have spent some time at the museum area learning all about this.
Sail canvas and rope riggings, all hemp.
Strongest natural vegetable fibre.
@@ianking-jv4hgalso frequently used for insulation in houses. Rodents will avoid hemp fiber, so it was stuffed into corners that are hard to fill otherwise.
@@alis49281 also hemp seeds are one of the best oil seeds.
Rodents love them, as do all appreciators of good foods.
The medicinal qualities of hemp (cannabis) have been known and used Worldwide for 5+ millenia.
Actually, it was Pine Tar, often called Stockholm Tar, that was used for the majority of the waterproofing. The stuff was worth it's weight in gold because the Pine Tar has natural anti-microbial/fungal properties that keep the organic matter from rotting. It's still used to this day, and I use it on all my tool handles and bare wood that'll be exposed to the elements. Over time, the Royal Navies of the world did try to find other options because they were very much dependent on certain nations for their supply of Pine Tar, and that's never a good thing. Nowadays, sailors mix Linseed Oil in with the Pine Tar because it has a natural polymerizing ability that gives a harder finish and protects against UV radiation. That it means they need less Stockholm Tar is a definite bonus!
@@alis49281
i see my comment about hemp seed oil (rats love the seed) has been removed.
Cannabis (hemp) has been used in it's many ways as fibre ( clothing, first Levi Strauss jeans plus shirts sails, ropes and wooden ship's caulking) medicine, and essential resins for anointing oil used in JESUS' time, before and after.
+ food, as one of the best oilseeds known.
Quality paper from a renewable resource was the reason American Newspaper magnate cast the dispersion that Marijuana (cannabis) crazed the Mexicans and blacks so as to sanction opposition to his paper empire after getting corrupt licence to clear fell 3 states of their forest timbers for paper.
Wool is actually the ONLY fabric that will still keep you warm even when it is wet! But it sure can get HEAVY if it gets wet!!
I can confirm this as a kilt wearer.
I was gonna say, studies have show wool retains 80% of its insulation ability when it's wet.
Wool gabardine (a light fabric but very tight weave) is very water resistant, and does not get so heavy. It’s not very common nowadays though.
The trick is two layers. Whatever you want the ultimate thickness to be, Halve that and do an inner and outer shell that are only hemmed together. The bagginess between the layers prevents there being much transfer of moisture from the outer to the inner. The outer layer can get sopping wet. Yet the inner layer will feel bone dry on the infacing side.
@@The1Helleri the trick is always : layers.
It's so cool to see oilskin getting some love! It's pretty common in outdoor wear here in Australia still, especially when it comes to clothes for farmers. I've had oilskin coats my whole life and I swear by them!
So cool! I remember reading about the Australia connection during my research about the material. It’s wonderful how it’s still kept alive in some parts of the world! 😊
Me too. My favourite coats. With an Akubra and bits...dry as a bone everytime 😅
How is the breathability of it? Like does your sweat build up on the inside?
Love me long driza bone coat!
I would like to make an oil-skin top skirt, to keep my legs dry in heavy rain.
On the channel "Townsends" there is an episode where they make oilcloth. That interests me but since I dont know what I might use it for I havent tried it, yet. Thank you for the long look into this topic!
That's very cool! Thanks for letting me know, and for watching 😊
Didn't Morgan Donner talk about it a little bit when she made her Ariel sail dress? When she made actual sail cloth to make the dress?
makes good table cloths
@@nurmaybooba Wow, I've never thought of that! That's a great idea; I wouldn't have to worry about stains anymore.
I love that show! And I saw those episodes. They made two as far as I know about oil cloth.
There were scientists who studied the clothes the Vikings used when they were out sailing on their voyages, they recreated it and found out that their clothes used were 3 to 5 degrees celsius warmer than the warmest clothes you can get today and the outer layer was waterproof too..
Can you give a little more information about this?
It is true that you can oil, grease, or tar a skin, fabric, or wool, and it will keep you warmer than most modern fabrics (plastic threads), but it comes at the cost of zero breatheability. You’re warm, but perspiration has nowhere to go. We discovered this the hard way in the army with the early gortex. Knee-deep in snow doing mild work but the clothes against your body are soaked in sweat.
@@blackhawk7r221Yes the problem is condensation . It can still get soaking wet on the inside in spite of being waterproof
@@blackhawk7r221even modern "breathable" goretex does the same thing. You get breathable or waterproof, not both.
There is a terrible trend of showing Vikings in a good light and Christians in a bad one.
Scandinavia was like the Somalia of Europe, poverty and hunger, so they swam around every now and then to rob their neighbors or get people whom they later sold...
They did not build any beautiful buildings, they did not establish any prosperous cities, and the best example is their expedition to the USA, it shows the full power of their power to create prosperous civilization->ZERO, NONE, NADA!
All Scandinavian countries have crosses in their flags to show that they distance themselves from the pagan times when they were like a cancer.
Saying in 2024 that hundreds of years ago the knowledge about materials used to produce clothes was greater is simply ridiculous.
The best materials in old times were leather and silk and other natural fibers -> all were produced by mother nature and we do not owe their existence and use to the Vikings.
My grandmother used oilcloth table cloths in her kitchen and when all of us little tots were there for meals....
Oooo that sounds like a perfect use!
Thanks so much for watching!
would you know where we can find oilskins in Canada?
@@eyesofthegoddess2967 the company Merchant and Mills makes super high quality oilskin and they have a number of stockists in Canada. If you Google their name and then “Canada stockists” it’ll pop up a list. Check for the “F” icon which signifies that the location stocks their fabric. I’m sure some of the stockists also ship around Canada. Hopefully that helps! They often sometimes have deals too on deadstock oilskin which makes it cheaper.
Hello, I love the wrap you're wearing, is it knitted or crochet? Did you make it too? What pattern did you use?
@@GhislaineBeauce I really want to know this as well. It looks like a Sontag and I'm obsessed with finding a pattern to knit or crochet one. I found one video on youtube for making a Sontag but it was hard to follow. The Sontag is so wonderful because you get to wear a shawl but you don't have to hold onto it or have it slip off your shoulders.
♥❤🔥
I'm in the process of making a medieval inspired hood out of oilskin, lined with cabbage pieces of wool, and perhaps also silk or satin if I don't like the way the wool rubs my hair. I dislike winter hats with a passion, so hopefully this will be a nice alternative.
Your project sounds so wonderful! Winter hats really can be quite frustrating 😅 I think you'll be really pleased with the oilskin honestly. It holds up shockingly well to the rain.
Silk might make the hood slip off. Fine lawn might be a better and more medieval option.
@@pheart2381 ooh, that's a good point actually! You're right, it needs to have some friction to not be blown off immediately, but not too much so my hair ends up looking like a bird's nest :D Thank you for the suggestion, I'll look into it!
So how did the project turn out? :)
@@jocelynsmyth6604 It was slow going with the mockup getting the fit just right and then bam! summer hit and making a hood seemed like insanity :'D moved on to other projects, but I' ll pick it up again when the weather turns colder
I actually make medieval cloaks with just dense canvas shells and a thick lining. The tighter the weave of your cloth the less it will allow wind and wet in.
That's awesome! This sounds like a great weather-resistant option as well 😊
@@VBirchwood I’ve worn them in driving rain and snow and been dry when I uncovered. The key is getting the heaviest weight and tightest weave fabric you can for the shell. I head straight for the outdoor section! LOL The best part is that you can wash them.
@@katwitanruna Alot of outdoor materials are treated to be outside to that could be part of the reason. I worked in a fabric store where the majority of outdoor fabric would be treated for water resistance, even some for UV resistance. So it's possible the tight weave and some treatment work in unison in regards to outdoor fabric
@@hf3023 How much of that would wash out? I always prewash my fabric for personal use before sewing it on the If I Can’tToss It theory.
@@katwitanruna If it's outdoor fabric it's not meant to wash out, it's also very possible some don't have any coating or treatment on them. Can be tricky because even the ones that don't feel plasticy can still have some treatment. The store I worked at more often than not didn't have labels/content tags shipped with them so it could be incredibly hard to tell. Just figured I'd mention because I remembered alot of outdoor material that just felt like canvas but had water resistant abilities. Sorry it's been a couple of years since I worked in the store lol
Oilskin jackets and dusters seem to have been more popular decades ago, but I still think they are quite resilient garments useful for many scenarios. A well-made oilskin jacket provides some wind resistance as well as water resistance. Thanks for the video!
Hand sewing canvas or leather is a lot easier with a Sailmaker's Palm. Glover Needles and Saddler's Harness Needles can also help (I recommend John James Needles). A stitching pony also helps for stiff heavy materials. There's also a very convenient little one handed manual tool called an Easy Awl/Speedy Stitcher.
I wear wool, linens, and linen silk blend clothes in the high elevation rainforest where I live, without rain gear; and I stay warm when I get wet.
which rain forest do you live near?
@@TheDanhewittVolcano, Hawaii
You live in a warm, tropical environment where you're unlikely to get hypothermia unless you climb to a high elevation or spend an entire cold night in the rain. Even soaking wet it needs to be below 67°F (20°C) for hypothermia to set in.
Much different when you live in a more temperate climate/higher latitude when a summer night might dip as low as 50°F (10°C).
@@melissaharris3389 You don't know what you're talking about, and I don't understand how you managed to highlight your ignorant comment.
The island of Hawaii is so tall it can get snow any day of the year.
Everyone knows when there's snow on the mountain, even when it's so cloudy nobody can see the mountain; because the cold wind is heavier, and it falls down the mountain.
I live above 1500' on the rainy side, and it gets down to 45° at my house.
It rained over 51 inches between a Wednesday and Saturday where I live.
Wind chill when you're soaked to the bone will make your body temperature colder than the thermometer shows.
I got hypothermia when I got a flat tire and had to push my bike home from 3,000' in the pouring rain, while I was wearing jeans and 2 cotton shirts.
That gave me pneumonia, and it took me over a year to feel warm again.
@@melissaharris3389 You're an ignorant twit.
I found this video by accident, in the process of making myself an oilskin jacket (modern). Oilskin vests, jackets and duster coats are still very popular here in Australia
I remember my mother rewaxing these jackets she and my father had, I was so confused on what she was doing. It was several years back though and I was really small. I had actually forgotten that memory.
On another note I was wondering where your Sontag shawl is from?
Awww sounds like a lovely memory though. It's amazing how objects like oilskin can bring back certain memories. I commissioned one of my friends to knit the sontag! It's super warm and comfy and she did an amazing job 😊
English farmer here: another major advantage of oilskin (& waxed cotton especially) is it also makes them a lot more durable for heavy wearing and thorny underbrush, it becomes essentially a sort of composite material.
this sounds like a great material for rain coats (or an entire rain suit like we have in The Netherlands. Seems like it would be way more breathable than plastic). Also as a cloak for a fantasy festival. I have a cotton velvet one for the summer, but that one you'll definitely get wet it really quick if it more than slightly drizzles. It's also not really warm enough for winter wear unless you put a winter coat underneath it
It’s definitely great for a rain coat absolutely! There is some oilskin I’ve seen out there too that has a base fabric of wool, which I can imagine would be ideal for wetter and colder conditions, as it’d offer that additional level of warmth too
Yes, you cannot leave linseed oil on cloth in a bundle, it catches fire spontaneously. You need to spread it out so that the heat generated can disperse. As the oil reacts with atmospheric oxygen heat is generated and anyplace where heat cannot disperse it will heat up, reacting faster and faster until it ignites. Once the oil has oxidised this is no longer an issue.
I bought some lovely red dry oilcloth last year for a coat (1970s pattern) but only up to the toile stage so far. Other projects have taken priority! That blue is lovely 😍
Ooo sounds like a very fun project though! Thank you so much 😊
I saw Townsends make a oil cloth. It was facinating how it's made . Thank you for telling us your exsperince with it!
All the solvent based waterproofing for fabric today is highly flammable too!!
Hi, vasi! This is a topic that I've been very interested in so it's super excited to see it on your channel. I just wanted to share something I had picked up in the past. In Japan they use something called khakishibu. It's a coating on handmade Japanese paper, umbrellas, and fans that makes them waterproof and very strong. It's also painted on walls to protect them from wind and rain. The Matsu Castle is an example. ☔🏯
Hi Nicole! That’s so much for mentioning khakishibu! I’ll have to look deeper into it 😊
@@VBirchwood you're welcome 😊
At the beginning you mentioned that wool would be very cold to wear once soaked with water. It may be helpful to know that wool still maintains its ability to keep a body warmer than bare skin even when wet. (It depends on the temperature of the water, of course).
My daughter spent a semester at sea aboard a 180' research sailing ship. They were all told to wear only wool. They had fresh water to drink, but bathed, worked in sea water the whole time. Constantly sodden, but warm enough. They sailed from a city in the Caribbean (Puerta Vallarta, I think) up to a port in Massachusetts.
I wish you had shown an actual picture of the cloak you had made. We saw hints of it, but not the actual cloak. Love your channel, just subscribed.
This is off topic but the thumbnail is a picture of you wearing a hooded cloak and it looks so cool. It would be so awesome if cloaks came back.
Love the wrap you’re wearing ⭐️
Thanks for your video- we still need the “old” skills today. Thanks for keeping them alive!
Thank you for researching and sharing this. I’m forever learning about sewing and fabrics it’s an incredibly interesting area
Older guy here and I really enjoyed your 28th century vibe and sophistication. It’s amazing to me from watching movies and reading explorer experiences like Shackleton’s adventure to the Arctic that they survived in those harsh conditions 10:59 . Oil skins were primary outer for more than a year and climbing a cliff face with ship nail climbing equipment. It’s just amazing what people have done!Thank you for your show💚!
Pardon me, I just stumbled in here while researching medieval waterproofing chemistry for my novel... I'm currently stuck on this idea that it must have been entirely possible for medieval clothiers to waterproof their fabrics using tallow-based polymers or even calcium stearate...
But I digress.
I love the little fireplace aesthetic in this video, and your production quality is quite high. The way you speak is also paced like you're just talking about something you love and not reading a pre-written script from a teleprompter. Your intelligence and enthusiasm and interest shines through and that's wonderful. I'll be exploring your other videos for sure.
Also, OMG eyes!
I'm sure it was possible. My great-grandmother used paraffin wax on oilcloth because "otherwise the cows ate my coat"! (She was a dairymaid). Apparently this was a big problem for early aviators as well because the other fats available were used for food. I've certainly experienced cats licking oils and greases that I wouldn't have expected them to like.
P.S. my mother still uses the coat I mentioned and the wax STINKS! Doesn't matter so much on the farm or hills though
Barbour still produce waxed jackets. My mum had one. She tried rewaxing it but it didnt look good afterwards and developed an odd smell which is one of the abiding memories of my childhood! Being very non-wasteful even before it was a thing she carried on wearing it for years.
How cool! Thanks for sharing the story about your mum too, what a lovely and sentimental memory to hold 😊
There is a cotton based cloth called Ventile which is so closely woven that when it gets wet it swells up and becomes impermeable. it was invented in the late 1930s and is still used for flight crew imersion suits. Sir Edmund Hillary was wearing Ventile when he and Sherpa Tensing first reached the sumit of Everest in 1953. When dry it is soft and windproof. it is still made today and you can get garments made from it. You'd have to check around to find a supplier of the bare fabric. I have 1960s smock made from it and its still one of my favorite garments.
Very interesting!
I love how your clothing choice, makeup and warm lighting really make your, absolutely stunning, eyes stand out, in a very orangey fiery way!
I’m late to your channel but have been thrilled to find it! I just wanted to share that my family and I participated in an authentic pioneer era recreation of a wagon train in the state of Montana, USA in 1989. In preparation my family had to hand sew and waterproof two large pieces of canvas which served as the covers for our family wagon. Secondly, recent research indicates that the chemical components used to make waterproof garments, such as rain slickers and outdoor clothing, contain PFAS, a known carcinogen. Oilskins do have drawbacks, such as flammability and odor depending on the materials used, but I think they’re a wonderful option for people interested in reducing their exposure to carcinogenic substances. ❤
In norway, oilcloth was traditionally used for fishermen. A standard "oljehyre" consisted of a coat and a pair of trousers. I read an account of two brothers who could only afford one set, so one brother wore the coat while the other wore the trousers.
Oilcloth was useful at sea, because it protected your wools from being drenched by sea spray and rain in bad weather (which might come suddenly). Leather will not work as well, because the salt will ruin it.
Norwegian fishermen still use similar garments, but they are now typically made with plastic covered cloth. They will also protect the undergarments from fish guts and other nastiness, so the trousers have a high front and can be worn without the coat. These garments are also common on modern children.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing. I used to live in Iceland for about 4-5 years and it was a similar practice there for fishermen as well 😊
I live in the very north of Germany and we still call a rain coat and the trousers „Ölzeug“ or „Öljacke“. I was irritated for many years, the rain coats in my childhood were made of a yellow plastic fabric, they weren’t oily at all. When I learned about oilcloth, a candle lightened up my brain and I knew where the word came from.
One of many reasons the UK Military (through the Ministry of Supply) funded fabric research was the need for a waterproof and low flammability fabric for WW2 aviators and ground crew. AVGas and lubricants rendered oilskins unsuitable for use, too easy to turn into a flaming torch!.
Ventile, a fabric made from long cotton (sometimes wool) fibres, very tightly woven, was the result. Without any further treatment the loom output became nearly waterproof because its fibres swelled up when damp and formed a near impenetrable skin. The fabric could be hot washed and ironed to shrink it . This contracted the fibres giving greater rainwater protection.
A cotton variation of the basic fabric is still in production, now manufactured in Switzerland. It is much prized by anyone trying to move around without the rustling caused by modern synthetic waterproof materials.
I’ve fond memories of the (very) secondhand parka I had back in the 70’s. The only downside I ever found was that the jacket got heavy in a downpour - but it didn’t let the rain in. Today I understand it’s necessary to use the double layer type of Ventile outer garment to get the same waterproofing - the fabric isn’t as tight as in my old parka.
This was a really well done presentation all around. Your articulation, organization of the subject matter and just general look are very pleasing and informative. Good work.
In the uk we usually call this oilcloth, floor cloths were also made that used linseed oil and oil paints to make it decorative and it turns out like a primitve form of lino. I made one twenty years ago and it was still going strong when it was nicked at an event.
I hadn't heard much about this fabric until your video and it's really interesting, thank you
So glad you could learn about a new fabric! 💕
Never heard of this before but I am enamored with your style. Very informative video, thanks!
Oh my gosh, you are adorable and I want to adopt you! That was a great explanation and I loved every bit of it! Thank you! I just discovered you and subscribed!! Looking forward to checking out your other insightful videos!
Love you video and I'm so impressed that you handsew all of your clothes. You're the expert but, I believe that typically, oil skins are the outfits made from oil cloth.
So cool! I’ve been thinking of making a cloak, and it hadn’t recently occurred to me that I could make it water resistant with natural materials! Thanks so much for the video. :)
Ahhh that’s so amazing! Happy cloak making 🥰 I think choosing a water resistant material is a lovely idea, especially with spring being here
So informative, thanks for the video.
Decades of hand sewing. The way I stitch thick, tightly woven, or coated fabrics is by using a small plastic cutting board ( 3x5x1” ) and small flat tip needle nose pliers. Instead of pressing the needle through using the thimble, I place the back of the needle against the cutting board. Once the sewing needle is poked through, I grab onto the sharp end with pliers and pull needle and thread through the fabric.
Also, Sailcloth was also repurposed as floorcloths, or floor coverings, typically over wood floors. From the wee bit of research I’ve done, it appears that it was a ‘wall-to-wall’ covering. These were generally painted to look like a carpet. This is what make me curious - you indicated that the sails themselves were treated/oiled. So how were the cloths painted? When I paint floor clothes, I use canvas (I.e. inexpensive painters tarps) and heavily discounted latex paint (I haunt paint depts seeking rejected mixes). Then cover the finished cloth with multiple coats of heavy duty varnish - typically spar varnish. I’m confident that milk paint would not stick to old sailcloth. So what did they use? Had to be the equivalent of what the sail was treated with. More research necessary! Thanks for the great video.
Glad you enjoyed the video! As I’m not a historian and rather just a hobbiest, I have no idea how they’d be painted honestly. I wonder if they were perhaps painted prior to being treated with oil/wax?
Linseed oil paint most likely. Since the sails were already treated with linseed oil.
@@melissaharris3389and it is also very easy to mix mineral pigments into linseed oil. It is a very versatile paint that is certainly not limited to any canvas.
Another fun fact: some colours were more rare and expensive. Very cheap was red, yellow, black and brown, as every mix of them. White, green and especially blue was expensive. Especially but money didn't regulate which colours people could wear, it was their social rank. So even if you could afford blue, didn't mean you could wear it.
Oil skin coats are still a staple with New Zealand farmers and hunters. These require annual maintenance (best timed just before winter. These coats are weather proof for several hours of solid rain but will begin leaking at the seams in the shoulders first. They are a fantastic product to use in the outdoors.
Oil skin made a comeback in the 90s. I had a western or Aussie looking oilskin coat I wore when riding the mc in the rain. It kept me dry. There were no good rain coats that held up to highway speeds.
Mongolian portable tents, called gers, are made from several layers of wool felt wrapped around a light wood frame and tied down with horse hair ropes. The felt wool contains natural sheep's lanolin providing waterproofing, thermal and sound-proofing and very effective wind-proofing. R (Australia)
Wow! What a beautiful presentation!
Lovely video V ❤️ might need me one of those weather protective cloaks !
Thank you Lilja ❤️ Oooo yes, you'll love it!
As someone who wants to phase into making/having clothing of all natural materials, I've been very interested in the idea of oil cloth/waxed cloth to help with inclement weather. I don't know how close I am to tackling that project, but it's so helpful to learn about your experience and the tips you've shared. Thank you!
Felt is also very old and almost completely waterproof.
I got to go to a lady's home who participates in the SCA here in the US. She was selling her over stock fabric super cheap. I grabbed some cotton that was treated against 'stains and dirt' according to the salvage edges. But the feel and look of the fabric seems to almost exactly like what you have shown here as a variety of 'oilskin'. I will need to do more research. But I got so much of it that if it's fairly water tight, I'm so up for making a long cloak out of it!
Ooo what an awesome find! I’m sure the material you describe would make a fabulous cloak
This was fascinating. Thanks!
We still use canvas tarps that are a heavy oiled cotton fabric. Plastic tarps just don't take the hard use without fraying and tearing. The canvas tarps are heavy and expensive, but they work :)
As a youth I had a coat called a "great coat" It had a hood that attached with studs to the back and covered me from head to toe and was made out of a hemp based fabric, it had a woven woolen jacket on hemp or cotton ties inside. I inherited this from my grandfather. I would dearly love one again. I had to re-oil it with a special oil that I remember smelling of bees wax and hemp I did that until it ran out and my mother threw it out. By that time it was very battered and torn.Also missing the internal jacket which made it quite uncomfortable to put on until it warmed. I remember walking many miles in many storms dry as a bone and lovely and warm. I suspect that it was made prior to or around WW1.
Thank you! I can see where oilskins have many uses.
You are the best. Your videos need to be promoted very much.
you have intrigued me! That material does sound like something I would love to make a rain coat out of! I actually haven't sewn anything or even worked on my project since we last spoke because that next day we got a 10 week old puppy... she exhausting but a sweetheart and taking every speck of time I have. If I do have free time I am doing house work or just sitting relaxing because she is sleeping.. If I had all my pieces ready to sew I would sew them when I am relaxing but those aren't even cut out yet, I am still working on my mock up. I think I lowered the back neck hole but I am not sure right now. House training her is slowly on going
Congrats on the new puppy! Funnily enough, we actually just adopted a rescue puppy from Romania over the weekend, and she too isn’t house trained, so that’s been the bane of my existence as well. I can relate 😂
@V. Birchwood - Historical Fashion yes house training... she is a bulldog breed, so she is very stubborn 😮💨
Congrats on your new puppy too!
Hello V...Another wonderful video to see...Looking forward to many more since I found your channel and related links not too long ago...
As a teacher (and living traditionalist) it is always wonderful to see others that have taken the step forward of embracing the superiority of the traditional lifestyle (in some form) to modern consumerism...As I have told students and colleagues alike, be it in the architecture I design and build or the Sartorial arts "...modern seldom equals better...but does usually equal profit for an industry at the cost to the environment...and a product that will soon need to be replaced..."
On your current topic, should you choose to expand your research and understanding into further depths, I might suggest moving from the Eurocentric perspectives and more to the world I tend to specialize in of the indigenous and folk vernaculars...
To some of the points in your video, I would expand...
"Oilskin" (aka "oilcloth) has its roots in actual "oil skin" as I have worn on several traditional kayaking and wilderness adventure that came from the vast garment techniques found among many Arctic First Nations People and related indigenous cultures. This can be made of intestine, fish skins, bladder leather, and the list goes on...These fabrics gave rise to Europeans trying to simulate and mass-produce the fabrics of these cultures, and as you suggest the sails also of many nautical cultures which many used skins and wool first...then later flax fiber and hemp...
Your point about wool having a limit when getting "very very cold and wet," is more about the type and quality of wool and/or the lack of skill sets in the person making or wearing the garment. From years as a wilderness guide, I too often would see folks with modern clothing (like Gortex) getting cold and soaked from their own perspiration...not the rain pouring down on them. Wool and leather both are more than adequate, when worn correctly in proper layers, and of the correct quality and type to weather virtually all terrestrial activities without the concern of getting too wet or cold...Seldom is a large heavy overcoat (made of oilskins or cloth) needed and only when not exerting oneself as perspiration alone would become overwhelming. In your application and use, oilcloth over garment is more than understandable and applicable...
Oilcloths came into the traditional garment world often for a quick water repellent "overlayer" when speaking of the more fashionable European. For the rest, oilcloth's primary role was more industrial, utilitarian, and related, such as the nautical realm you mentioned. In the latter, it was probably employed way more for other things besides clothing with the garment industry occupying only a small percentage of its use...
On sewing with it, the alcohol is a good trick but can dry out your skin, instead try a little natural beeswax on your fingers. It can often help too with grip if one uses a small pair of clamps to grab the needle in more difficult situations, which was a common enough practice even in Victorian times and a "trick of the trades," for such work...
Making your own leather thimbles can also help with grip, but this gets into more advanced traditional skills as the best "thimble leather" means one has to also harvest the correct type of animal (typically some type of Sciuridae like Marmot, or Squirrel)tanning the hides properly, and then custom fitting your thimble to be fabricated. These are superior to any purchased variety, but again a much more advanced (and involved...LOL!) skillset. If interested in this, when the current season for making this comes I could send you a shoulder section from a hid for you to experiment with?
Linen is vastly superior to cotton if you do more work with oilcloths in the future, and the "homemade" recipes for this fabric are too many to list here...
As for ironing, it's really not too difficult with the better traditional forms of it and more a manner of understanding the means and methods of working and pressing this fabric. First and foremost, it CAN NOT!!! be ironed directly in most cases (there are exceptions), especially if using a "coal iron" ...soapstone, or related vernacular method. A "guard cloth" under and over the oilcloth is mandatory and proper attention to detail and heat within the iron. When properly set up and understood, ironing is rather simple, and even part of the process for certain garments and related utilitarian items like buckets, canteens, bota, food storage items, etc...
Looking forward to your next video...
Thank you so much Jay C. for the very thoughtful message and information, I appreciate it!
I'm actually Indigenous to the Ural region (I'm a Tatar) so I have a very deep respect for Indigenous practice and what Indigenous cultures and people can teach us all. Indigenous people have been nurturing, protecting, and responsibly sourcing from the land for centuries, and without them, we wouldn't have so much today.
The reason I didn't mention the Indigenous creation of "oil skin" as you write of is because my main focus of this video was just to share about my experience with waxed or oiled fabrics like wool, cotton, linen rather than the even more traditional forms of "oil skin". I think as well, it was a topic I felt was far, far beyond my scope of knowledge, as the main area I've researched has been 18th and 19th century European fashion. My apologies if you feel in any way that I've disrespected Indigenous culture by doing so, not my intention at all, especially considering how much being Indigenous plays a part in my own life and identity and the way I like to approach the world too.
Thanks so much for the beeswax trick as well! And I agree, linen is far superior over cotton, and the cloak I made in this video, in fact, is a linen/cotton blend as I try to always opt for linen over cotton if I can, especially in the case of helping to stay dry. Hot summers would be a nightmare without light weight wools and linen!
Thanks for watching and see you in a couple weeks for the next video!
@@VBirchwood Dear V. ...No apologies are necessary at all!
Your videos are (I'm sure) an inspiration to many to venture out and be as brave as you are to seek their own individual path and face in the public realm. You have presented nothing (from my view of it) that could be construed as disrespectful to any culture...
It may have been the turn "Eurocentric" which in this case is only purely an academic descriptor for many that either hold (or choose to have) a narrow scope or perspective on a given topic. I did not intend for you to feel it as a reproval of any kind...
In your case (within the video) you did just fine validating the scope of your video and the depths to which you would and won't go into detail over, as well as the much greater detail this topic could go into. I understood that fully, and (as usual for me...LOL) I get into "teacher mode" when I see a gifted person like you sharing their work and become motivated to share perhaps more detail than I should. Treat my comment (and future ones to please!) as strictly additional information to use as you would like...Further, feel free to reach out anytime should you have a query that you feel I could assist with...or a material source that you may wish to work with...
Please do keep up the great work your doing...
Blessings,
j
@@JayCWhiteCloud Thank you so much, blessings 🥰
Some 65 years ago, I had a red rubber rain cape when I was 2 and my dad a heavy oilskin one when we went out on his bicycle. I sat in the child seat on the bicycle handlebars and had a see through screen in front of me to protect me from the rain. I remember enjoying the scent of the capes. With love from the Netherlands.
Soaking fabric with oil or oil/wax mixtures works well. But you definitely have to pay attention to two things: it has to be an oil that hardens in the air, linseed oil is the best known for this. The second danger is that the oil becomes very hot when hardening, so always hang the oily cloth spread out in a well-ventilated place until it is completely dry, which can take up to 3 weeks with a thin linen.
This is really cool! I had never heard of oilskin before!
I think you'll love the fabric honestly! I've been quite pleased with its qualities 😄
Linseed oil is a "drying oil", which is a class of oils that also includes tung oil, walnut oil, and poppy seed oil. These oils polymerize over time (weeks) when in contact with air, forming a tough plastic-like natural material. This is similar to the coating you get on cast iron by seasoning it. I imagine this kind of coating would be tougher than wax or non-drying oil, but it might be more prone to wear from flexing. Being mixed with other oils or waxes could improve the overall durability.
I have a jacket that I wear everywhere, it's a water resistant polyester shell with a poly-fleece lining. It's reversible so there's four pockets in total, and a hood that stows into the collar. A summer jacker made of oilcloth with some of these features would be a great thing, I think.
I used oil skin coats for 5 years while horse riding and caring for my horse in all weathers. I love them. So practical and hard wearing. A lot heavier than modern fabrics though.
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, this is a very interesting and fascinating lecture. ⚘️
You do do period costumes justice in a delightful way, stunning if made by your own hands.
Woollen fabric is often a kind of oilskin due to the lanolin in the woven sheep hairs. In fact, one way of getting oilproofing is to "scour" wool --- to immerse the wool into hot water and have the lanolin float to the top, where it can be skimmed, cleaned, and (re)used.
Now I know how to make a weather proof cloak in case of a disaster. These old-tech videos make me understand how to do stuff when being comfortable isn't an option, or flat out a natural disaster. I'm not a prepper, but to know how to is not bad at all. Thanks❤
Thank you so much for your lovely and interesting videos! 🙏🏻🤗🌷God bless you, you are such an artist and a great inspiration! 💕
If I'm ever to sew my own raincoat, I know what fabric I'll use. Thanks for the video, it's very interesting and informative!
I never thought id be so fascinated by a sewing video. :) lol
Thank you! That was very helpful. I'm going to make my own, using heavy cotton sheets, which will be used for tarps to put over my carvings-in progress. (Wood)
If you’d ever been above decks on a small boat in a storm you’d appreciate the term “foul weather gear”
I absolutely loved this! We do a lot of trail riding and use cloaks to help both ourselves and our horses in the rain never thought of oilcloth genius and pretty thank you! By the way I ride aside in a sidesaddle
That’s so awesome! Side saddle, from what I’ve heard, is a totally separate skill, so that’s really fascinating to hear you’re riding astride!
Love the Hap you are wearing. Is there a pattern available?
Used to wear an oil skin coat as a child . A thicker version , was used to help keep the rain & snow , out of the back door .
Oil skin is brilliant , for wet weather wear .
This was a very good review of the material. Very useful for my survival knowledge.
Gabberdeen is also a historical weatherproof material. Would love to see an informative programme about it!
Sewing oilskin on a machine results in very similar problems - your hands get coated, your needle gets coated, the mechanism that moves the fabric (feed dogs and presser foot) get coated…😮I second the “sailor’s palm” - you end up using the center of your palm to push the needle through. As other’s mentioned, sometimes you might want to make holes with an awl as you might with leather. And you also can use “grippy” thimble type tips to improve your grip. Lots of quilters use them. And because tents have been made from treated canvas for a very long time, you can find lots of tips in those communities too
Very good and interesting video, V. Did you come across any materials referencing the coating of seams for water protection? This seems to sometimes be a weak point to consider even with modern outdoor gear.
Im a bushcrafter kind of guy, who loves camping, especially very simple camping.
I like the idea of making a cloak or poncho of sorts with oilskin that i can cover my entire body and small pack with, thats a bit more traditional than the new, lightweight plastic materials that lots of people are using these days.
Something i can sit down next to a tree in a downpour and just sit it out and weight, and stay warm and dry.
wonderful vlog. Just subscribed and I am impressed so far with your channel.
Welcome to the channel! 😊
Brilliant Channel.
What a truly remarkable, interesting and beautiful human being. Thank you for so many clever and fascinating videos.
thank you so much to both yourself, @DebiSmithPouliot, and @Tser - I'm currently worldbuilding a culture (in which one of my characters is a weaver) and this is very helpful :)
Very interesting, I’ve been doing some research into this to for 18th and 19th century clothing.
I would love to know where you got the material from
I have an antique sewing machine with a pedal I’m hoping to work on thank you for sharing you knowledge
Interesting! Especially after watching a random video of the Gore Tex and how manufacturers are looking at going back to waxed cotton etc.