I’ve just inherited what i thought was a Barbour jacket from my late grandfather. Having checked the label, it turns out it’s actually a ‘Belstaff Sportsman’. Anyone know much about them?

It looks like it was bought new, and folded up in a bag in the shed ever since. As a result it’s in good condition, but smells really damp. I’ve put it on a hanger to get some air to it, but i’m not sure what to do with it now. I’d like to keep it, but i can’t wear it until i can make it smell a little fresher!

Google it. They seem to go for decent money second hand. Barbour or Belstaff care instructions will tell you how to look after it but you’ve already found the big disadvantage of waxed jackets – they stink.

They smell of wax not damp.

Let it air for awhile and it’ll smell Ok if it’s never been worn it’ll be fine. However they’re very easy to reproof yoursel. Barbour provide fantastic service for repairs and reproof I’d imagine Belstaff do the same.

Belstaff have just started making those again due to the popularity of the originals.
You could sell that and buy several new ones……

You’ve got your grandfathers belstaff, don’t listen to them, keep it, that’s quality. Mega tough, will last for ages and if you damage/scuff it it only makes it cooler.

Or yes you could sell it and spend the money on a fat bike in the Planet X sales….. 😐

I’m not planning on selling it. I did look on Gumtree out of interest and there are various models going for anywhere between £100 and £250ish.

Perhaps it was the wax i could smell. There is no evidence of mould or mildew anyway. It feels as if it was quite heavily waxed before going into storage, so perhaps that’s helped preserve it.

For the love of God don’t let it go! It’ll be much better quality than modern ones, once it’s aired out it’ll be fine to wear, and as far as re-proofing goes, just get a tub of Renapur wax and give it a good going over once a year on a hot day outside, so the material gets hot enough for the wax to soak well into the material.
Belstaff and Barbour each have real history, one famously worn by Steve McQueen, one by Che Guevara, looked after that jacket should last another fifty or sixty years easily.
Is very jealous!

Advice given to me by the Barbour customer service was waxed products do not like to be warm. Causes the wax to crack apparently.

Obviously it won’t be in any way waterproof of course. Ever.

Any self respecting trials rider in the 60’s, 70’s & early 80’s would only wear Belstaff or Barbour. I used both & remember after one harsh day in Weardale when it was so cold that after the trial I stood my waxy jacket up, on the ground. It was as stiff as a stiff thing!

Belstaff have just started making those again due to the popularity of the originals

Haven’t Belstaff been bought out and are now selling over priced “fashion brand” crap a la Sports Direct rather than the quality gear they used to?

Advice given to me by the Barbour customer service was waxed products do not like to be warm. Causes the wax to crack apparently.

And yet when rewaxing they recommend using a hairdryer to heat the material to allow the wax to soak through and proof properly. Storing, on the other hand, should be cool and dry.
From Belstaff.com:

–
Reproofing
Most waxed cotton garments will need regular reproofing within a year if worn frequently, or even sooner if you notice that the coat is drying out due to exposure to the elements. Uneven, shiny or dry areas, or where moisture no longer beads, is a good indicator to reproof those specific areas. It is not necessary to reproof the entire garment unless it has been washed.

By reproofing your waxed cotton jacket, you can bring back its original water-resistant finish. On top of prolonging the life of your jacket, reproofing will also revive the fabric’s colour and help to prevent holes from forming along the seams of your jacket. Garments can be as good as new with an easy application of reproofing wax.

• Be sure that the garment is clean and dry. Lay it on a flat surface and apply the wax sparingly with a soft, lint-free cotton cloth.
• Try using a hair dryer to warm the wax on the cloth and on the garment as you apply it. This will make the application easier and more uniform.
• Spread the wax evenly, working it into the fabric in a circular motion. Do not coat the surface too thickly or it will not be able to absorb it all. Seams and worn areas will require more wax.
• Wipe off excess wax and hang garment to dry overnight in a well-ventilated area.
• The next day, spread out any excess oil not absorbed. Apply more wax to areas that still appear shiny or dry.

Definitely keep it dude …… What an heirloom to have.

I’ve a Partridge jacket I’ve had for almost 30 years ( bizarrely too big now ! ) Any smell is just the wax….. I’d recommend airing it out and maybe a specialist clean. …. http://www.waxjacketscleaned.co.uk

Wax doesn’t crack when it’s warm but it does when it’s very cold.

Step two – Soften the wax
Take a tin of Barbour Wax Thornproof dressing. Remove the lid, stand the tin of dressing in a container of water hot enough to soften the wax. It should take approximately 20 minutes to melt the wax into a liquid consistency.

Step three – Wax your jacket
Using an old cloth or sponge, work the melted wax well into the jacket paying particular attention to seams, creases and dry patches. Wipe off any excess wax. You should keep the wax tin in the hot water while working in order to keep the wax softened. If the wax begins to harden top the container with more hot water. Ensure you keep the wax away from the corduroy collar, the inside of the jacket and inside of the pockets.

Step four – Blow over the jacket with a hair dryer
To ensure you get an extra smooth finish blow over with a hair dryer to even the spread of wax.

I inherited a Solway Zipper jacket that stank to high heaven. This won’t please the purists any more than it pleased the missus, but I put it in the washing machine at 60C. All the wax went, and so did the nasty niff, leaving a slightly worn jacket that didn’t empty the pub, ready for re-waxing.

If you don’t want the farmers to point and laugh, you’ll need to spend a year dragging it behind the quad and let the dogs bed in it, so it doesn’t look too new.

Got some Barbour riding jackets in the yard, only get taken out for sledding in the snow as you can sit on the tails, rubbish for working in the rain.

I inherited my Dads old Barbour, I dont wear it often but every few years I give it a reproof and i’ll not part with it.

timber – Member
If you don’t want the farmers to point and laugh, you’ll need to spend a year dragging it behind the quad and let the dogs bed in it, so it doesn’t look too new.

It’s a Sportsman, a bike jacket, not a country jacket. Continual wear will give it all the patination it needs.

You’re a very lucky man. Belstaff is now Italian, very expensive and crap quality. MrsMC has an original trail master, it is superb. FIL used to be Belstaff’s bank manager and used to get given stuff cheap, I’ve got the original owner’s own wax cotton coat but it’s not as nice as the trail master.

I think I read somewhere that bicarb is good for absorbing smells.

Great hierloom OP. As you are doing let it air oit and perhaps give it a reporrof and some TLC. My Babour is 30 years old and still going strong. Its seen everything from days shooting to being my daily commuter coat on the train to London

It’s a Sportsman, a bike jacket, not a country jacket.

Do you know much about this model in particular? When i google ‘Belstaff Sportsman’ i just get loads of publicity photos of David Beckham (in fact, the fifth entry is a link to this thread!).

The Beckham photos are pretty recent, the trouble is that various jacket styles get dropped, then reinstated when there’s some new publicity; the Trialmaster was discontinued, then Will Smith wore one in I Am Legend, and it amazingly turned up in Belstaff’s product line again. The Beckham photos are because he did som long-distance motorbike thing, and wore a wax cotton bike jacket, which may be the Sportsman, but it may just be Google skewing the results.
I’ll do a search with DuckDuckGo and see what that throws up.
Found quite a few photos of all sorts of jackets, but two look like proper old-school Sportsman jackets, but even then there are slight differences:

Ok, here it is:

Excuse the awful ‘selfie’; it’s not something I do often.

It certainly looks like the one in CZ’s second picture, just without the belt.

Also, I think I was wrong about it being put away new. I found a receipt for a £28 re-wax. No date though, unfortunately.

Febreeze actually works for getting rid of smells – I’ve even used it on skitouring boot liners although Dettol is the weapon of choice for stinky feet now!

Looks good, obviously well worn, but still in good condition, ‘patinated’, as they say! 😀
Might be worth tracking down a belt at some point, although most people seem to just tie the belt round the back, or stuff the ends in the pockets.
Lucky you, keep it waxed, as I mentioned I use Renapur wax, which is dead easy to apply, and isn’t messy, works on leather and other materials, like car dashes.
http://www.renapur.com