How To Work With Wax Bloom On Chromexcel Leather

This is a syndicated post from the blog of Helm Boots discussing how to capitalize on the white waxy coating Chromexcel boots can get.

Chromexcel bloom

So you’ve had your HELM Boots for a little bit. They’ve probably made you happy and maybe you’ve gotten some compliments. Then all of a sudden you go to pull them out of the closet and hey… what’s that white powdery stuff on the leather? It doesn’t appear on all of HELMs leathers but the boots that use Chromexcel from Horween (the Ben – pictured, the Marion Olive, The Sam Navy, The Railroad and The Reid Brown) will probably show it at some point. Chromexcel leather is notoriously fatty and waxy. It’s what makes it so desirable and pliable and durable and lux and long lasting and… The Horween tannery adds a lot of oil and wax to the leather during the tanning process. Sometimes this oil and wax and grease will migrate through the leather and react with air on the surface to crystallize and that’s what causes the Bloom or Spue to appear. It will look like a powdery or chalky substance on the surface of the leather. You can see it in the above pic at the top of the shaft and around the lace eyelets. The amount of wax used in tanning along with exposure to high temps, humidity, air and light all contribute to Bloom.

Bloom can be removed just by a simple brush with the horsehair brush or a rub with a shoe cloth. Our Ben Sample at the HELM Office Bloomed this month and we buffed it to a high shine with our horsehair paddle brush and nothing else. You don’t generally need to add anything to these Chromexcel leathers as they are so nourished already during the production process.

Learn more about the famous chromexcel leather HERE.

Do you have any photos of Chromexcel leather blooming?