Wicker Creel

[DWW]

Hi
I wonder if anyone can help please ?
I bought my creel as an 11 year old from Bennetts of Sheffield for the sum of £5 . It has been through many stages of my fishing life and I think I need to give it a bit of TLC. So its being booked in for a repair to the lid .
Does anyone know of the appropriate oil or "unction " to apply to the wicker to bring back colour ? I was wondering about some linseed oil but any advice much appreciated. I will need a new shoulder strap and buckle to fasten the lid . Any recomendations on where I might get one please ?
Cheers
DWW

[Penninelad]

I used to use a mixture of Linseed oil and Danish oils but now just use Danish oil.

[Beresford]

If you search the forum you should find the recipe for the formula to apply to the whicker work. Although I've used it I can never remember the three constituents. It's boiled linseed oil, white vinegar (I think) and one other. It works exceptionally well. I'd suggest leaving the creel in a water butt (or similar) overnight and letting it throughly dry out before applying the mixture. The long soak will tighten it up.

I'm sure you know that you should never varnish a creel.

[Watermole+]

As Beresford says, soak well first, which will tighten it up wonderfully, allow to dry out before treatment.
Personally, I like Linseed oil, but Danish will do much the same job-and dry much quicker without the smell!

For a fastening strap, if you perchance have an old leather dog collar, these can be cut down and adapted to make a good fastener.
For a new shoulder strap, there is nothing to beat the webbing, shoulder strap as fitted to old gas mask bags. They are still quite easy to get hold of because millions were made and are both comfortable to carry and far superior to the so-called, replacement leather straps sold today. I bought one of those and quite honestly, the buckles are cheap (and look it) and the stitching is appalling!

wm+

[Fredline]

I always cleaned, soaked then varnished and mine is as good as 1970 when I bought it.

[DWW]

Excellent thanks ! The creel is off to the menders next week and following repairs i will show it a bit of TLC . It will be good to get it out fishing again ! I used to cycle with it on my back until the fateful day the strap broke and it slipped down causing a major crash luckily on an empty early morning road and no breakages to the rods on the cross bar ! It also never quite fitted in the boot of my Morris Minor which required bungee straps to hold the boot lid in place with it inside .
I will keep you posted !
DWW

[Tengisgol]

I’m sure somebody here was selling new replacement leather straps?

[Pallenpool]

Steve (Traditional Angling) on here has them I seem to remember - I purchased one a while ago now and it’s still going strong.

[Reedling]

Steve (Traditional Angling) on here has them I seem to remember - I purchased one a while ago now and it’s still going strong.

I purchased one of those many moons ago and it is still going strong, lovely quality it is.

[Gobio Gobio]

I know Mon Ami Martin James jet washes his then uses linseed oil, if its good enough for him then ots very good for me too.