Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen

I don't think it really needed it, but being over seven years old now, and spending most of the daylight hours in a very sunny room or out on the open road, I decided it was time to give my Acorn Boxy Rando handlebar bag a coat of wax, as much preventive maintenance as anything. I rarely actually find myself riding in any sort of serious downpour, but I love this bag and want to make sure it can stand up to the elements and will pass the test of time. So I dug the can of Martexin wax I purchased when I bought the bag and set about to provide a new protective layer to the canvas.

Acorn Boxy Rando before: ashy but still very beautiful after seven years

Instructions for waxing canvas basically boil down to: rub some wax on it, heat it with a blow dryer, and voilà you're done. And that does mostly cover it. But there were two issues about which I was unsure as I rolled up my sleeves and got to work - how much wax and what sort of applicator is the best? I had actually bought a couple of small paint brushes in anticipation of melting the wax and "painting" it on. But as I looked at the rather small quantity of wax in the 1.5 oz. (42g) tin, it occurred to me it would never stretch that far. 

I had seen some instructions suggesting using a sponge or cloth, but it didn't seem like that would work well either. The wax is kind of clingy and when warmed tends to absorb into cloth, so I thought the piece of t-shirt I might employ would likely soak up as much wax as the bag itself. So ultimately I elected to just use my fingers, and in the end I think that's the approach that works best. I started by warming the bag with a hair dryer for a minute or so before scooping a bit of wax on my finger tip and starting to rub it in, one small section at a time. But that approach was extremely awkward and the Managing Partner's Conair was getting pretty sticky before too long. 

Acorn Boxy Rando after: oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen

Ultimately I decided to just rub the wax on cold and go over the bag with the blow dryer afterward. That proved to be, in my estimation, the best approach. I probably went a little too heavy, especially at first before I got the hang of it, but I would say the bag is now ready for another decade on the bike. In addition to making the bag water resistant, I feel that the wax provides kind of structural reinforcement as well. I have no actual proof of that, but it seems that having the fibers coated in a protective layer of gooey wax is bound to make them more resilient.  

Acorn's FAQ page recommends against waxing the edging, since it's apparently synthetic fiber of some sort. But I did it anyway. I can't imagine how it could hurt, and couldn't figure out how not to get wax all over it. Hope I don't void the warranty!

Acorn Boxy Rando, saddle tan, newly waxed

Acorn no longer produces a bag called the Boxy Rando, but it makes a pretty similar, and in some respects probably an improved version called the Medium Rando Bag. Available colors include black, gray and brown. The black is black - none more black. The gray is reminiscent of the classic glue/gray bags by Giles Bertoud. And the brown is a nice, medium hue with contrasting dark brown accents. The leather appointments really look great on this one. Acorn bags are no longer available in Saddle Tan though, which was kind of a greenish loden color. I'm sure the brown complements the color palette of Brooks saddles and bar tape better than Saddle Tan, but I really love my boxy rando as it is. Should I get another I guess I'd get the brown, but I'm counting on the Martexin wax to see to it that I don't need another for a long time.