The Right Way to Wax a Canvas Jacket, According to a Pro

Before there were synthetic fabrics, before Gore-Tex and “weatherproof breathability,” there was thick cotton and a can of wax. Early sailors realized that wet sails caught the wind better than dry sails, but wet sails were too heavy and slowed the ships down.

The solution was rubbing oil into the sailcloths, making them more efficient and also water repellent so they stayed light in the rain. The sailors started cutting jackets out of the oiled sailcloth for themselves, wearing early editions of the rain jacket, but these primitive designs, made with linseed oil, became stiff in the cold and faded in color.

Then, in the early 20th century, manufacturers developed a process for impregnating cotton with paraffin wax. The new material made for flexible, warm, durable and waterproof clothing that was quickly adopted by soldiers, outdoorsmen and sailors.

Since then a slew of synthetic, breathable and waterproof fabrics have been developed — and used in those lightweight The North Face jackets everybody wears. But a few companies have stuck with waxed cotton, which remains much more suited to workwear and carries the look and history of a real outdoorsman; don’t expect the paper-thin liner of your standard synthetic zip-up to survive a stray edge when you’re cutting down a tree.

Huckberry has become well-known for its Flint and Tinder line, a selection of rugged apparel that includes a waxed jacket made from Martexin sailcloth sourced from New Jersey. Flint and Tinder’s jacket boasts custom hardware and is lined with blanket flannel (and there’s also an unlined version).

And if Huckberry customer reviews are any indication, the jacket (which tends to sell out at some point every season) lives up to its rugged good looks with plenty of utility. Flint and Tinder jackets, according to our tester, tend to develop a handsome patina over time, as well (never a bad option to have in your wardrobe, either).