Anyone use real Chamois anymore?
 

Back in the day, I used to use a chamois to dry my car. It was the real thing, leather, not synthetic. You'd get it wet, wring it out, then wipe the car. Rinse, wring and repeat. It did a great job of drying the car with no water marks or streaks.

Just wondering if anyone still uses this method or if there is a reason not to? I recently used a MM Dry Me Crazy and a few other popular towels. They worked great, but I kind of missed the old shammy.....

Help an old guy out... is the shammy out dated?

I'm there with you man... I remember the old genuine calf skin chamois (shammy) days. It was all I used back in the day. There isn't anything wrong with a chamois per se, but there are some reasons MF has advantages.

Genuine chamois would eventually become less effective. Remember you had to soak them in warm soapy water before the first use to get all the excess oil out? They were impregnated with fish oil (cod liver) and thats what kept them soft and gave them that slippery feel. With each wash you lost some of it until it got too brittle to keep using. Microfiber will last many times over what a chamois would with proper care and doesn't get less effective with time.

Theres also the move towards using a drying agent (detail spray or other lubrication while you dry to make it easier, faster, prevent spots and swirls) A chamois will not be able to pick up the chemicals and release them again like a microfiber can in the wash, it pretty much just ends up smearing the product around.

Thats the long and short of it - I still have a high end chamois in my garage in a bag somewhere that never got used. I can't bring myself to throw it out even though I probably won't use it.

RIP chamois. :pout:

Doesn't the Chamois also drag dust and maybe dirt across that clearcoat???

I thought for sure that would be the first statement.

I thought for sure someone would think of this guy before I did............

I think AutoZone still has them.

Years ago a buddy told me that he switched to towels because the chamois would take off some of the wax each time the car was washed. Soft towels would not, according to him... About the time I switched to towels, they started delivering cars with clear coat, so I'm not sure if that statement still applies..

Not really... an actual chamois (not the sham-wow sponge things) has some 'fiber' to it in addition to the oils in it to make it slick. For what it is, its effective. Just isn't really relevant technology anymore.

That statement never applied, your buddy was mis-informed. At least to the extent that a chamois is anymore prone to removing wax than a microfiber towel is.

One could argue, given the fiber structure and density of a microfiber towel, that MF would remove more than a chamois would - but since neither really does its a moot point.

lol First thing thought then scrolled down and saw your comment :lol:


Chamois had it's time and place. RIP

I used to use them, and still have some lying around, but they became very brittle and frayed. I use an imitation which has all the benefits of the chamois but none of the drawbacks. Highly absorbent, no streaking and after using it the car doesn't get dusty as quick!

I use the same thing and it seems to work well. I tried a MF but it takes me so many to get it dry without spots.

all of my chamois died and left tiny pieces of cow all over the place. Had to clean it up with a chamwow

Chamois is actually a member of the antelope family.http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois