Anyone know if the heavy cloth material that Brit webbing is made out of is fine to bleach? I thought it would be, being as it's a cotton based fibre, but just wondering if anyone know if it would shrink it or cause it to warp or fall apart if it did.
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
Its the stitching that will go not the web if you bleach it.
If you need to lean it give it an almost boiling wash.
If it needs returning to original sand colour scrub it with salt water
If you want it white use white blanco
If it needs boot polish getting out of it you're pretty stuffed.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
sorry 
minor hijack with a genuine question warm or cold water salt wash ? (yes there is a difference)
Well good question i think cold as all the refrences are to webbing for the western desert having been 'scrubbed' with sea water to lighten it and clean it.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Thanks 
I've a bag that needs doing and had been wondering how to tackle getting the blanco out and back to basics with it. 
I shall give that a blast
Well usually all you do is wash it well and reblanco...
Its not often you actually want get it back to basics... blanco tends to cover any mess on webbing really well.
I got an indian made small pack that looked like a piece of crap... covered in brown rust marks (etc)... after a single coat of blanco it looks like new.
Blanco was sold as a "cleaner and restorer" you know...
Its something thats been bought that shouldn't have been blanco'd in the first place hence I want it OFF GONE VAMOUSH 
then I can assess the bag properly and decide my next plan of action
heh... I usually just buy an unblancoed item in that case...
There's a lot of good stuff about...
As a rule kit issued to you personally needs blanco, kit from personal stores doesnt.
this can make you look a bit odd in blancoed webbing with and unblancoed bino case or bren accesories bag etc.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
My webbing is blancoed with the "too dark" post war oily blanco. If I can get some powdery KG3 (from Warren shoot&scoot?) will it cover the exisiting blanco? If not do I need to clean the webbing first?
I have no idea! You'll probably have to try it!
If its too dark like a deep green then a good wash first wont hurt, you might even find washing it lightens it up to the right shade
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
though it may still be a bit shiny
If you're desperate to know I could always try it... I have both types of blanco available to me...
Don't know when I'd get around to it though...
But liek you say probably worth a try, you're going to need to soak it to reblanco it anyway so you may as well see if theold stuff comes off with soap and water,
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Gadge probably already guessed, but I'm currently tackling the webbing I bought off of Pvt. Chappel at D-Day. Most of the dark green/black blanco has come off (well, lightened considerably) of most of the straps and bits after a good hot wash, but the pouches seem to be dyed black. The chalky residue of previous blanco chipped, flaked and washed off, but the fabric itself is still black underneath! I was hoping the bleach would help remove the dye or I might try home-wash dye remover.
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
Ah... in that case I suspect KG3 blanco will have a good go at covering it.
Its amazing what it'll cover... I've dealt happily with webbing ingrained with coal dust merely by adding a new coat of blanco
Its possible they have been boot polished black, in which case you'll ned some sortof solvent
Try a bottle of cheap nail polish remover.
(some regiments blackened their web gear in the 50 and 60s, mainly in pics of middleeastern postings, dotn askl me why?)
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Its possible they have been boot polished black, in which case you'll ned some sortof solvent
Try a bottle of cheap nail polish remover.
(some regiments blackened their web gear in the 50 and 60s, mainly in pics of middleeastern postings, dotn askl me why?)
As did APPARENTLY some Brit Elite units during WW2
I've heard that but not seen *one* photo to substantiate it but seen plenty with no blanco or whitened webbing by elite units to avoid blue on blue at night.
It makes total sense to blacken kit liek that but i've honestly not seen a single photo to back it up.
Earliest pic i've seen it done in was suez 56 and a bit later an artists illustration of troops in British Guinana '64
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
I've heard that but not seen *one* photo to substantiate it but seen plenty with no blanco or whitened webbing by elite units to avoid blue on blue at night.
It makes total sense to blacken kit like that but I've honestly not seen a single photo to back it up.
Earliest pic I've seen it done in was suez 56 and a bit later an artists illustration of troops in British Guinana '64
To be honest ive not seen any pics but have heard it more than once thet behind enemy lines and night raids etc that commandos would blacken their webbing-probably a myth.
Also again during WW2 and post war rifle regiments had blackened webbing i believe(and badges/buttons)as did some members of RAC and RTR units.
Not WW2 but SAS used to use blackened 37patt belts with No2 dress in late 60s/70s
