Texol N

Five years ago (Conservation DistList Instance: 11:42 Wednesday,
November 5, 1997) an inquiry was made about the substance Texol N,
used to treat leather. I must have missed the inquiry at the time or
had a meltdown and the reference escaped me. As at happens, the
original inquiry and one made this week of the National Park Service
Conservation Labs in Harpers Ferry, all were about the same
material: the leather recovered in the 1960's from the raising of
the Civil War gunboat Cairo. Those artifacts are now at Vicksburg
National Military Park.

The recovered artifacts were originally treated in 1966 by a crew of
volunteers led by the wife of the park historian, Margie Bearss.,
Her report, "Artifacts from Cairo, their preservation and Care",
june 1966, reported the use of Texol N on the wet leather.
Conservators being a rare species at that time, they went to the
tanning industry for information and, after discussions with people
at the Salem Oil and Grease Company, settled on their product Texol
N.

When I retreated this material in 1980 for the park exhibit, I found
the original report and that the company was still in business. They
sent me a report which contains the following data on Texol N which
I now send to the list for the record:

   "Medium sulfated, bleached, coconut base, blended with sperm and
    neats. Moisture 25.00%, Combined sulfate 3.70%, Unsaponifiable
    12.00%, ph 5.80. A most versatile sulfated oil.
    Non-oxidizing--thus exceptionally suitable for whites and
    pastels. Oils of this nature are excellent on leathers requiring
    a light, fluffy feel."

The company still exists today:

    Salem Oil and Grease
    60 Grove Street
    PO Box 4468
    Salem MA 01970-6468
    978-745-0585


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:28
                 Distributed: Tuesday, October 22, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-16-28-001
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