This Tiny Northeast Operation Is the Best-Kept Secret in Waxed-Canvas Jackets

If you follow the Google Maps directions to New England Reproofers, famously the country’s only independent refurbisher of waxed cotton jackets, you’ll wind up at a strip mall south of Nashua, New Hampshire, just off the Everett Turnpike.

There you will find a nail salon, a UPS store and a Mexican restaurant that’s supposed to be quite good. But there’s no sign for New England Reproofers, nor the telltale smell of a recently rewaxed coat.

A quick call to Alain Gauthier, the company’s founder, reveals the error: New England Reproofers has never had a shop there, but the UPS store does handle its shipping and receiving. A short jaunt across the Merrimack River and into a residential neighborhood brings you to the workshop.

But this is not the hallowed place you might expect; it’s a modified garage. It’s also temporary. New England Reproofers, which has been expertly restoring Barbour, Filson, Orvis, Belstaff and other waxed canvas jackets for two decades, is in flux.

A few years ago, Gauthier began the slow process of passing down his company to his daughter. Slow because, despite years of wear and tear, the passion that has sustained his craft for so long remains.

“I love the idea of restoring someone’s well-loved jacket,” he says. “Many of these fine garments become a good old friend taken all over the world … some of them have been passed down to the next generation. It is not so much what I actually physically do but what I envision the end result will be.”

Though the business is going on 20 years, Gauthier has been reproofing for far longer. He started working at Barbour in the early ’90s, when he got wind through his wife, Ann, who was working there as a bookkeeper, that the company sought someone to rewax customers’ jackets at its US headquarters in Milford, New Hampshire. (Before that, he worked selling automotive components.)

Barbour is one of those rare, family-owned brands that’s lasted well over a century. In 1894, John Barbour began selling garments made of oilcloth — cotton duck canvas coated with linseed oil to repel water — in South Shields, En- gland, where the company is still based.

Barbour has offered refurbishing services for nearly as long; its 1921 catalog advertised: “If you want to give your old Beacon a new lease of life, send it along to us (in summer-time if possible), and we will re-oil and repair it, if it is worth repair.” (Seven shillings and sixpence for a long, shin-length coat.)

Chase Pellerin

By the 1990s, Barbour was 60 years on from replacing oilskin — which yellows, stiffens and cracks in cold weather — with supple, paraffin-impregnated waxed cotton. The company hasn’t messed with the formula much since, and its jackets have become iconic thanks in part to famous wearers like Steve McQueen, James Bond, Princess Diana and the rest of the British royal family — who have awarded the company three Royal Warrants over the years — but mostly due to their enduring favor among sportsmen and -women the world over.

Gauthier can recite this history from memory, and with more detail. Learning on the job, he spent over a decade working for Barbour — first as a reproofer then as a distribution manager, a role that sent him to numerous trade shows and reproofing events around the United Kingdom, Ireland and the US.

But Barbour wasn’t the only company making waxed cotton coats, and at these gatherings Gauthier was repeatedly asked if he knew of someone who could repair and rewax other brands. Well, he thought, perhaps I could.

Gauthier left Barbour and established New England Reproofers in 2003. He took part-time jobs, like selling cars for Land Rover, another century-old company, while he grew the business entirely by word of mouth — and paper. He made a pamphlet announcing that finally, an independent waxed cotton reproofing business had been established in America and sent hundreds to manufacturers and retailers around the country.

“Whether the jacket was made in the British Isles, New Zealand or Australia,” it read, “the one place you can count on for reproofing is in New England, USA.”

“The first year I did 100 jackets and the second year I did 200 jackets and the following year I did 400 jackets,” Gauthier recalls. Long strides materialized when Orvis allowed him to place pamphlets in its stores and when a manager at Filson, after covertly sending Gauthier a pair of jackets to deodorize, repair and reproof — a semi-secret trial run — proposed a formal relationship that still exists; Filson calls itself a “proud partner” of New England Reproofers and simply recommends sending jackets directly to them on its website.

Chase Pellerin

Chase Pellerin

“I started doing Belstaff jackets and I started doing Ralph Laurens, Burberry jackets, L.L.Beans; we do them all,” says Gauthier. People started sending jackets from places across the country where the traditional style is in fashion, where there’s wet weather and where shooting and fishing are pastimes: New England, Oregon, Washington, Texas, California, even Alaska. But he also received jackets from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and one — just one — from Japan.

As New England Reproofers grew, Gauthier adapted to the particulars of the work. When a well-heeled owner of a long Saint Laurent coat, her uniform for Madison Avenue shopping forays, reached out in dismay after dry cleaners stripped it completely of its wax and water-proofing, he agreed (after much deliberation) to give it a new wax coating.

The process, called wax proofing, requires building a new wax base and adding more layers on top of it; it can be tricky to get an even coat. Now New England Reproofers will wax proof any cotton canvas garment they’re able to: Carhartt pants, baseball hats, shoes.

Chase Pellerin

Rush service was another add-on offering that resulted from jackets that, after a summer spent in the closet, needed prompt attention before a fall trip. In 2011, while Wes Anderson was filming Moonrise Kingdom in Rhode Island, a friend of Gauthier’s who runs two British menswear shops in Newport called with a unique request. “He said, ‘Bill Murray was in my shop today. He brought me two jackets. And he’s filming and he wants his jackets done, like yesterday. He asked me if I knew you.’” Gauthier had Murray’s Barbours reproofed within two days.

What every person who sends an item to New England Reproofers shares is a regard for heritage — for the past and future legacy that’s inherent to waxed cotton clothing, which is made to be worn, used, exposed to harsh elements and, with proper upkeep and maybe a patch here and there, last for decades, or at least long enough to be passed down.

Gauthier knows the responsibility on his shoulders. To put a prized jacket into a box and mail it to a strip mall in New Hampshire requires a certain degree of trust, one he doesn’t take lightly. In 20 years, New England Reproofers has rarely turned down a job, however complicated.

“It’s very hard,” Gauthier explains, “when someone sends you an email or [makes] a phone call and says, ‘I’ve had this jacket for 30 years, I’ve been everywhere with it. I cannot give it up. You’ve got to do something.’ People will talk to me that way. ‘You have to do something.’”

Heritage seems to be bonded to every element of waxed cotton, including New England Reproofers. The small outfit has always been a family business. Gauthier’s wife, Ann, assisted with garment cleaning and odor removal for 18 years; his sister used to do tailoring; and his great-niece occasionally still helps handle the fall influx. And now, after 20 years, Gauthier is passing the company to his daughter, Nancy.

Chase Pellerin

When it comes to waxed cotton, Nancy Gauthier Burkett is no novice. At an early age, she and her brother would occasionally help with inventory at the Barbour warehouse, and at 17 she accompanied her father to Palo Alto to outfit a store. Ten years ago, she started working alongside him at the reproofing table.

In his at-home workshop, Gauthier taught Burkett the process of refurbishing waxed cotton clothing. After any necessary repairs — patching, fixing zippers or snaps, lengthening or shortening sleeves; all handled by a tailor — a jacket is cleaned and deodorized in a bath of enzymes (one soak works for all but the most egregious cases). Next it goes to the drying rack. Then, it’s on to the waxing table, a piece of custom furniture with a heated top that Gauthier had built to his own exacting specifications. He won’t say what temperature he keeps it at; that’s a trade secret. It’s not scorching, just warm enough to help a garment absorb new wax.

The wax used at New England Reproofers is another confidential matter. For years, Gauthier sourced wax from England, but he eventually managed to find a supplier in the US willing to take orders of less than 2,000 pounds. The wax carries less smell than what most brands sell in tins for DIY reproofing, and it spreads easily across and into cotton canvas. Good wax, Burkett explains, doesn’t smell strongly and has an ideal (and also secret) melting point.

Chase Pellerin

Chase Pellerin

During reproofing, a slow cooker keeps the wax liquid-warm while it’s applied to a garment with a sponge, the excess wiped away with a rag. After so many years of wear and use, timing, here, is crucial. “It’s going to soak up what it needs to soak up,” Burkett says. “You’ve just got to give it time, but not too much so that it’s going through the liner.” New England Reproofers can’t replace a marred Barbour liner because the tartan fabric is trademarked.

To watch either Gauthier or Burkett apply a new layer of wax to a jacket is to witness a seasoned technician at work. Placing a worn Barbour Bedale on the table, Burkett starts with the side seams. Then she moves to the collar, sleeves and onto the front. The back is last. Some jackets are quicker to do than others — pockets and double-layer sleeves make for extra work.

The space is small and it doesn’t take long for the heat coming off the table to fill it. “It’s the same motion over and over every day for a couple hours. It wears on you a bit,” says Burkett. The work is physical, and it’s easy to imagine how, jacket after jacket, reproofing can become taxing. Gauthier, at 71, has been doing it for nearly half his life, enough time to be ready to redefine his relationship from livelihood to legacy.

Two years ago, the New England Reproofers workshop — heated table, proofing tools, in-process projects and a lot of wax — transferred from Gauthier’s basement to Burkett’s house. The current setup is temporary. Soon, Burkett will move into a new home that has a bigger space for the shop. In 2024, the business will be put in her name, but she already handles everything. Except for customer service.

Chase Pellerin

“He hasn’t fully let go yet,” says Burkett. “He still wants a hand. And that’s OK, I value his input. I value his opinions. And I love the history he brings to the company.”

Gauthier confirms his reluctance. “You can’t just let go of something like this overnight,” he says. “I still love it, I always have.”

Love seems to be the thread that ties it all together: New England Reproofers, Alain, Nancy, Barbour, Orvis, Filson and the countless hunters, anglers and sportswear enthusiasts that own and buy things made of a material invented nearly a century ago. Heritage, legacy, nostalgia, maybe even obsession, but like with most things, love rises to the top.

Love. And a lot of wax.

You Can Handle Reproof

No one restores a waxed jacket quite like New England Reproofers, but here’s what to do if you’d like to try your hand at their craft.

1. Clean your jacket

Remove dirt and grime with a bristle brush. If more cleaning is needed, hose down the jacket or give it a cold water bath. Avoid soap or detergents, and do not put it in a washing machine, which will strip the wax. Hang dry completely.

Chase Pellerin

2. Gear up to work

Reproofing is best done in a warm space on a flat, clean surface. Get a fresh sponge or rag to spread the wax and another rag to wipe away excess. Line the jacket with an old bath towel to protect the liner.

Chase Pellerin

3. Apply the wax

Melt the wax with a slow cooker (or a pot and hot plate). Use the sponge to spread the wax over the jacket, starting with the side seams or collar, then the sleeves, then the front and finally the back.

Chase Pellerin

4. Finish and dry

Wipe away excess wax with a rag as you go. Aim for an even coat. When done, hang the jacket until it is completely dry. Once you’ve wiped away any lingering wax or oil, it’s ready to wear.

Chase Pellerin

Waxed Ecstatic

In the market for a waxed jacket of your own? Here are five we love that are made to last.

Nordstrom

Barbour Ashby Waxed Cotton Jacket

• $398.00 at Nordstrom

Made with Barbour’s signature 6-ounce Sylkoil waxed cotton, the Ashby Jacket features a matte finish and a tailored silhouette. Notable traits include a zip-front with a storm fly, a corduroy collar with a throat strap and four front pockets. For added warmth, the jacket is lined with Barbour’s Original Classic Tartan.

Rogue Territory

Rogue Territory Supply Jacket

• $325.00 at stagprovisions.com

Made in LA, this unlined jacket is cut from 10-ounce Martexin waxed canvas. The slim silhouette has a button front, three front pockets and an internal chest pocket. Both rugged and unassuming, the Supply Jacket was worn by Daniel Craig in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die.

Courtesy

Freenote Cloth Riders Jacket

• $450.00 at manready.com

Featuring a 10-ounce Martexin waxed canvas outer, this pleated jacket is lined with Southwestern-inspired fabric from Japan. Shoulder gussets in the back secured with hidden elastic bands serve to optimize mobility. Made in the USA, the Riders Jacket includes metal trims from Kentucky and a leather patch from Minnesota.

Huckberry

Color: Field Tan

Flannel-lined Waxed Trucker Jacket

• $268.00 at Huckberry

This Los Angeles-made jacket employs waxed Martexin 7-ounce sailcloth from New Jersey. Lined with a soft polyester blanket fabric, it has a traditional trucker silhouette that’s also available in a Tall fit. The design features a button front, three front pockets and one internal pocket.

Filson

Filson Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket

• $350.00 at Filson

Filson’s hefty signature 14-ounce Tin Cloth is made by British Millerain in England. Its weight is attributed to a tight-weave fabric that is initially rigid but will break in with wear. The jacket is lined with 6-ounce un-waxed cotton and features a button front and four front pockets.

—John Zientek

Brad Trone

A version of this story first appeared in Gear Patrol Magazine. Learn More.

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