How do you apply Blanco?

To get a good finish (two modestly spread coats), I used up an entire jar on two L-straps and all the bits of a small pack that you'll see (so not the back or the insides!). I'd say you'd only need about two jars for a basic set up of belt, ammo pouches, cross-straps/braces and water bottle carrier if used wisely - but doing the small pack and wide-widthed L-straps would really need a third jar to ensure everything has a good neat covering.

Hi

I was going to wait until I had finished my kit but as McVickers asked a question on how paint much I have used.
I have been adding 4 drops off the mixing stick which on the quantity used so far equals about 5 ml per pot of cream. I am mixing a new pot up when I down to the last third of the current one to try and get a consistent colour. This has worked so far. After intial experiments and blancoing so far I have used two and half pots. I think it will need four pots to do assault webbing, best belt and anklets.
Pictures and confirmation of this to follow when I have finished.

I have been adding 4 drops off the mixing stick which on the quantity used so far equals about 5 ml per pot of cream.

Excellent, I'm glad that our own private experiments have both reached exactly the same outcome! It's reassuring to know. I've now found some "1/2 teaspoon 2.5ml" and "teaspoon 5ml" measures in a local kitchen-ware shop that I will use from now on to measure out the paint.

I'm going to have to buy some more jars now - luckily a new cobblers has opened up in Banbury called, very originally; 'Banbury Cobbler'. They stock Tarrago, and quite a few of the random colours, such as No.34 Olive Green too.

ATTENTION IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRY THE TARRAGO AND PAINT METHOD.
If you do decide to follow mine and Ramsey's lead in this, I would like to recommend using 2.5ml of paint per 50ml jar (a ratio of 1:20) instead of my previously mentioned 5ml of paint per 50ml jar (a ratio of 1:10) as this provides the near shade, now that I can measure out the paint more precisely than with my previous measuring thimbles. Using a full 5ml of paint is just too dark in my opinion.

In other related news; As seen from D-Day+2, the Tarrago 'wears' well and does go slightly 'thin' in colour when handled a lot and also can form a shine to it in places of severe wear, and so does emulate Blanco very well in my eyes.

and so does emulate Blanco very well in my eyes.

Help! Help! I've got Blanco in my eyes...!

Sorry, I couldn't help ridiculing myself.

er... blanco doesn't go shiny even after wear, so sorry that doesn't make it more authentic...

BTW, I've been having a quick go with the Woly shoe cream... which is a lot more easily available... I'm still not sure about it.

er... blanco doesn't go shiny even after wear, so sorry that doesn't make it more authentic...

My original KG3 blanco'd kit has shine patches. I did say "in places of SEVERE WEAR", and not just as it gets WORN. I agree that worn Blanco doesn't get shiny in general, it just gets paler and matter, and so does the Tarrago mix. I think it's a mixture of friction and moisture that causes shiny patches on Blanco. Typical places where I find shiny areas of Blanco are on the insides of L-straps* and large pack utility straps that get used every day.

I didn't say the whole lot goes shiny!

I'm just trying to do this all for everyone else's sake, I'm happy to experiment with my kit, so that others don't have to bugger-up their kit trying to find an alternative. As we all know, Blanco's running out, and it's getting ridiculously expensive, and with most guys on here encouraging/pushing people to get their '37 patt green'd-up for games it's just not viable to say 'get some Blanco' anymore; because there's either none, or it's £12 a block. I'll get some more pics up tonight of some more I've tried lately for people to mull over.

*No, I don't blanco the insides of all my webbing, but around the brass hook-clasp and bottom strap of L-straps I do.

Here you all go! As promised, take a look at this:

The top is the KG3 and the bottom is the Tarrago Mix. No, wait; the top is the Tarrago Mix and the Bottom is the KG3...

...Hold on, no I was correct the first time,... ...I think,...

And remember that this is under as photographically pure light as I can muster, a direct side by side comparison and at a very close/inspection zoom. From just arms width away, even under brilliant light, the only give away as to which is which is that I know my KG3 is slightly worn! I am very very happy with these results*
I could blend it up perfectly so that even under this microscope it would be spot on, but the 2.5ml for every 50ml ratio is easier for everyone to remember and gives this beautiful and easily replicable shade reliably.

*[ Especially as Blanco shades vary anyway due to colour of webbing cloth, who made the Blanco, what batch of Blanco was used, how many coats of Blanco have been previously applied, how thickly it was applied, etc... ]

I'd say that was pretty good work on the behalf of airsofters. Perhaps a sticky in the british section with the formulae and some pictures.
How long before re-enactors pinch it?

How much do you want the real stuff? are you prepared to pay $60 a block inc P&P if so check this out http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-ORIGINAL-BRITI ... m153.l1262 they've got 141 blocks

i was talking to my father in law about this,,, he is an ex- national serviceman,,,, he says they used to hold there webbing over a boiling kettle after blankoing the settle it into the weave, you get it further in by this method .

i was talking to my father in law about this,,, he is an ex- national serviceman,,,, he says they used to hold there webbing over a boiling kettle after blankoing the settle it into the weave, you get it further in by this method .

Cue lots of airsofters turning up at casualty with scalded hands....

i was talking to my father in law about this,,, he is an ex- national serviceman,,,, he says they used to hold there webbing over a boiling kettle after blankoing the settle it into the weave, you get it further in by this method .

Cue lots of airsofters turning up at casualty with scaled hands....

It's what you call a hot tip sorry I couldn't resist

Pete, wonder if you Brit players could club together and order $300 worth of that Blanco - the ebay advert says FREE SHIPPING if you go over that threshold

are you likely to find another box of the stuff any time soon?

sorry guys , as you were, apply steam BEFORE to soften the webbing , my mistake.

I usually just dunk it for a while in warm water... I suspect that does the same thing.

i imagine so yith yes.

What about this liquid blanco from SOF, i suppose you just paint it on witha brush right ?

It is... but we're still not sure that the colour is right...

From seeing it in the flesh, it turn your webbing a grey/greeny-blue colour:MWMWMW~LIKE THIS~WMWMWM.
It really is not the right colour at all.

You all know what I'm going to say... 1 part 'green' to 20 parts 'cream'