Care and feeding of your Armlann loot
Armlann care and feeding instructions
Shoes or Boots (and pattens): You should care for your new shoes or boots as you would a modern pair. Clean them after use and store them dry, dry, dry. Moisture will rot them very quickly. Put them away dry and in a place that they can breathe, not in an airtight, plastic bag. If they are dusty, just wipe off the dirt. Use saddle soap to clean a very dirty shoe. After cleaning, you'll want to treat them in order to keep them supple. I suggest mink oil. Mink oil provides an added element of water repellency and will keep them very soft. Mink oil [or any other oil] will darken the item slightly. Use neutral shoe polish if you want to maintain the color.
If they get moldy, vinegar is your solution (I use distilled white vinegar). Wipe them down and work the vinegar into seams. You can use bleach wipes on leather soles. Wipe dry. Leave them in the sun to get dry, dry, dry. Apply a leather oil or conditioner. As above, I suggest mink oil.
Use a suede brush if you have suede leather. Brush them clean and store them dry. Modern shoetrees will be too much for them but you should try to keep their shape by stuffing them when stored. This is especially true for square toes.
Any decent shoe repair shop should be able to replace soles and heels. If you cannot find this service in your area, I can do it for a nominal fee.
Drinking Vessels: I line my vessels with brewer's pitch, a natural pine-tar resin. The body of the item contains beeswax. The hot, direct sun is their enemy. Treat them as you would fine crystal. If you sit on them, they will crush. Store it on top. To clean them, wash them by hand with warm, soapy water and rinse with warm or cold water, no abrasive pads. Do not put them in the dishwasher. They will not tolerate boiling water. Only put in it liquids that are at a comfortable drinking temperature.
Brass Sporks: Again, moisture is your enemy so store them dry. The green stuff that can grow on brass is not your friend. A simple washing should remove it but if it proves stubborn, vinegar should do the job.
Enjoy your new stuff!
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