Felt paged wallet OK for all soft hackles?

[hankaye]

tie2fish, Howdy;

There's something deadlier than moth balls that used to be available from Wal-Mart but I can't remember then name of it. Anyone ...?

Mr. Bill, I believe Walmart refers to that item there as ... "Customer Service". , sorry couldn't resist.

hank

[Trevis]

Mike62, I'm not familiar with the wallets you have, but there are two possibilities; the shearling is sewn in or it is cemented to a heavier leather. You can follow the same way of replacing it. if it is stitched simply cut the thread, remove the stitches and restitch using the same holes and suitable thread and a glover's needle. I would guess that the shearling hide is probably cemented to a tooling weight leather with Barge cement, a shoe maker's contact cement, the one in the red/yellow can. Almost the same stuff I'd use putting laminate on a counter top. Remove the old stuff and clean the backing leather well to remove old cement, might use sand paper, cut and fit the new sheep skin then coat both pieces with cement, wait the recommended time and carefully press the sheep over the wallet back, in two or three minutes this will cure. I haven't redone a fly wallet but it I have done some leather work, and repairs are repairs. I never liked the wallets and gave the one I had away long time ago.
I am kinda looking for wool on skin to repatch a couple vests and have not found the source yet.

[Mike62]

Mike62, I'm not familiar with the wallets you have, but there are two possibilities; the shearling is sewn in or it is cemented to a heavier leather. You can follow the same way of replacing it. if it is stitched simply cut the thread, remove the stitches and restitch using the same holes and suitable thread and a glover's needle. I would guess that the shearling hide is probably cemented to a tooling weight leather with Barge cement, a shoe maker's contact cement, the one in the red/yellow can. Almost the same stuff I'd use putting laminate on a counter top. Remove the old stuff and clean the backing leather well to remove old cement, might use sand paper, cut and fit the new sheep skin then coat both pieces with cement, wait the recommended time and carefully press the sheep over the wallet back, in two or three minutes this will cure. I haven't redone a fly wallet but it I have done some leather work, and repairs are repairs. I never liked the wallets and gave the one I had away long time ago.
I am kinda looking for wool on skin to repatch a couple vests and have not found the source yet.

Good to know! Thanks. All three of my wallets have the sheep's wool sewn in. My wife is far better at sewing things than I am, I'm guessing she could easily resew the pad. Being a farmer you'd think I could find a source of suitable 'skin on' sheep hide, wouldn't you; I'm guessing it's going to be harder than I think.

When I first started using the wallets, many moon ago, I wasn't convinced. They were mostly for my spring trolling streamers, an homage to my upbringing in the north Maine woods. My streamers would rust up and I'd get mad and stomp around, until I realized that it wasn't the wallets fault; It was mine. After that little epiphany I've been happy with them ever since.

[Mike62]

There's something deadlier than moth balls that used to be available from Wal-Mart but I can't remember then name of it. Anyone ...?

I don't know if it's what you mean, but, 20Mule Team Borax powder is all my storage zip locks and containers. A laundry brightener, that I'm told is used in taxidermy as insect preventive. No noticeable odor and apparently not too toxic to humans. Also give all new materials a soak in borax solution (1/4 cup/gallon warm H2O) asap. Remember "Death Valley Days" with Ronald Reagan?
I lost a full golden pheasant and some other stuff in a tote containing moth balls and haven't "yet" had a problem since starting to use borax. That may be a coincidence.

For those of us (me) who can't stand the smell of mothballs, thank you for this.

Not sure about toxicity to humans but it sure works on ants. I've used Borax as an ant killer for years. Equal parts Borax, confectioners sugar, and water.

[Trevis]

Like I said it might be coincidence and it might be "yet", I've only been using the borax that way for about three years, Other things to try are cinnamon sticks and cloves, both seem to be insect and mice repellents. I learned about borax 30 years ago when we got infested win German cockroaches- after professional bombing and spraying of the house3-4 times, 4 or 5 DIY bombings and what ever else, someone suggested borax, so when wife and went to visit her family for a couple weeks I covered about every flat surface with borax and left it there the entire time they were gone, I pulled some wall moldings and put borax there permanently, it was the end of the roaches- after five years of fighting them. I was told the borax scratches their outer coverings and dries them out and that they also ingest/eat it and it is toxic enough to kill them. What I learned was that insect eggs in hidden places aren't affected by sprays or aerosol bombs and can take a while to hatch out and re-infest.
That hidden egg and time delay factor is why now any flour, pasta, rice, cracked wheat bulgar, corn meal etc that come in our house go into the 0`F freezer for a week before going into the pantry. Weevils and moths lay eggs in grain elevators and the normal processing does not remove them. Furs and feathers can be frozen too if you have a deep freezer and they are sealed in plastic bags. I'm pretty sure that pheasant was infested when I bought it. A learning opportunity they say. I have read but not tried that 30 seconds (or 3 minutes from another source) in microwave on high will kill any form of insect. Seven days of 0`F will kill all forms of insects, but trappers and fur buyers keep raw furs in freezers year round and I'm told furriers store dressed fur and fur garments in cold storage. I was using borax to dry a fresh skin when I recalled the roach lesson and started using it in all my feather storage.
Wikipedia has a pretty good article "Museum integrated pest management" that has pictures of the main beetles and moths that cause us problems and tells how museums handle them.

"My streamers would rust up and I'd get mad and stomp around, until I realized that it wasn't the wallets fault; It was mine." That would also happen in a Wheatley or Perrine fly box; or a tobacco tin, I can testify, There is a reason for those sheep skin patches on vests and hats. The wallets are nice enough and work well enough, I just like the way a box fits in my pocket better.

[Theroe]

Dana, I’m with you in the moth problem. I to use moth balls, spray, yellow things you hang up and some Mexican slips you put in a electric heater thing. I still get them! Bastards

the yellow thing WAS the best - "Shell No Pest Strip" - more toxic than Love Canal and Chernobyl combined......taken off the market amidst outcry from every environmental group known to mankind.....but boy, did they WORK!!

[Theroe]

There's something deadlier than moth balls that used to be available from Wal-Mart but I can't remember then name of it. Anyone ...?

I don't know if it's what you mean, but, 20Mule Team Borax powder is all my storage zip locks and containers. A laundry brightener, that I'm told is used in taxidermy as insect preventive. No noticeable odor and apparently not too toxic to humans. Also give all new materials a soak in borax solution (1/4 cup/gallon warm H2O) asap. Remember "Death Valley Days" with Ronald Reagan?
I lost a full golden pheasant and some other stuff in a tote containing moth balls and haven't "yet" had a problem since starting to use borax. That may be a coincidence.

yep - I have multiple "20 Mule Team Borax" boxes distributed throughout the residence...... all manner of feathers get a dose/coating/sprinkle or immersion.

Good stuff.

[Resman549]

Ok, do you you just sprinkle Borax in your containers?

[NJpatbee]

I used the wallet decades ago but gave on it due to rusting of hooks and disfiguring of Soft hackles and streamers. Yes, I do put my flies away wet.