Pure pine pitch

Old traditional ingredient used in shoemaking and saddlery.

Used on its own as a means of attaching thread: melt and add an extremely small amount of lubricant such as tallow.

Also used as a component of thread wax: small amount added to regular shoemaker’s wax will result in a darker colour

Sold by unit of 100g

Helpful notes: pine pitch is a slow moving liquid. In the present form, it is very brittle but with a melting point at around 55ºC temperature. For best use, it must be kept in something malleable such as a piece of paper, flexible plastic or leather. If left on flat surface or in a jar, it will spread over time and tack to anything, making things impractical.

When heating, do so very slowly and avoid it smoking too much. Overcooking pine pitch will degrade its quality.