I was just sitting here thinking: I love the smell of newly tanned leather. I'm not sure why, but it's a comfort smell. That's weird.
For soem reason, I don't like artificial materials in clothing. The only thing I ever wear that isn't natural is probably the elastic in my socks and underwear and the occasional fleece. Aside from that, I just don't like nylon and such.
This is why I tend to gravitate to leather and canvas and wool and wood over plastic and nylon and gore-tex and polycarbonate. It's all heavier, I know. And it smells after some use, I know. Part of me likes that smell.
I just bought a newly-made M3 shoulder holster for my 1911 (it's made slightly longer than the original WWII version; my original version is somewhat constraining) and the smell is just... lovely. Saddle leather, I guess it is. I can smell it across the room, and so I had to start huffing it. I guess I should go buy an old surplus army tent and then just get it over with and go catatonic in the backyard.
Really, I'm not sure what it is about the smell of old canvas and such that I like, but I suspect it's what keeps me buying various articles of duffel. Better than gambling, I guess.
Dude, I love you even if you are a holster huffer.
This week my favorite smells are a hot cup of tea, freshly-cut grass, and wood smoke in cold air, and the way the garden smells after a good long rain. Fall scents, I guess - it's great to live in a place that has a discernable autumn again.
Posted by Tess at October 6, 2006 7:44 AMYeah, Rick & I are digging the autumn thang as well. I'm loving the smell of the woods on the hillside across the street after the first rains this season. Fall has always been my favorite time of year.
Posted by Andy at October 6, 2006 2:55 PMThe smell I love the most? Rain in the desert. Something about the Creosote during and after a good downpour is just amazing.
Fresh baked bread ain't too shabby either.
Oh, and clean laundry.
The latter two are definitely comfort smells.
Posted by Shane at October 7, 2006 12:56 AMMy favorite smell this year seems to be the third hole of a bowling ball. Preferably public, urethane, orange, and a 13 or above. Call me weird; love it.
Posted by T. at October 13, 2006 7:40 PMOkay, moldy wet canvas as olfactory bliss is a stretch for me, but I have a comment on the canvas v. super hi tech fabric choice. In the past decade, I've acquired a layer of-- ahem-- insulation, and now the polar fleece lined gore-tex seam-sealed X-Treme outerwear leaves me feeling a bit like I've been steeped in my own juices.
I bought a canvas barn coat and I've been living in truly breatheable bliss ever since.
Thanks for the milspec-surplus wisdom!
Posted by E at October 22, 2006 6:33 PM