Restoring old "painted" haversack and backpack.

[Red116PVI]

I have had the same haversack and backpack for well over 45 years. They both continue to serve me well, but their "shiny" painted/tarred finishes have dulled considerably. Has anyone tried to "restore" items with this type of clothe? What do I use to give them a nice "painted/tarred" look again? If this has been posted or examined in forum before, I apologize. ---Red116PVI

[moritz]

Hi, can you provide a picture? Is it older than 45 years? If the cloth you mention is leather you will need to use recoloring balm and leather conditioner. You need to make sure that the recoloring balm is the same color as the leather. You should be very careful while applying the balm as your haversack or backpack is very old. Let it dry for 10 minutes and then wipe it off. Then you need to apply the leather conditioner. It will make the leather as shiny as it used to be. Again, wipe it off after 10 minutes. I guess you can find some good tutorials on YouTube. It's not a very difficult job but you need to be extra careful as the material is very old. I ruined one leather handbag I found at my father's property in Germany that used to belong to my grandfather but my second and third try with another bag turned out well.

[Pvt Schnapps]

I have had the same haversack and backpack for well over 45 years. They both continue to serve me well, but their "shiny" painted/tarred finishes have dulled considerably. Has anyone tried to "restore" items with this type of clothe? What do I use to give them a nice "painted/tarred" look again? If this has been posted or examined in forum before, I apologize. ---Red116PVI

I think the official AC response would likely be: a) get a new haversack and knapsack from a reputable vendor; or b) repaint with lamp black and japan dryer.

But there's no truly "authentic" answer because no Civil War soldier had the same haversack and knapsack for 45 years unless it was a souvenir of service. They just weren't meant to last that long; haversacks were especially cheaply made.

A far less authentic response is the one I've used: repaint with flat black latex house paint and after that dries put on a coat of boiled linseed oil thinned with turpentine. Do not try step 2 inside or anywhere near a flame and don't let either piece near a campfire. Also don't do it all at once -- try it on the inside of the haversack flap and see if it does what you want before proceeding to do the whole.

I have more of a problem with the straps tearing loose over time. This is much more difficult to fix and was equally a problem back then.