Boot Black shoo polish (Japan) - the world's best shoo polish?

[Untermensch]

What's in the acid water? Is there an ingredients list?

 

[Great White Snark]

Never had any problems with Kiwi parade gloss. In fact G&G recommended it when I asked them. Cherry Blossom is good too. Thier equivalent is regimental gloss.

No need to pay inflated prices for these 'exotic' brews with their marketing clearly aimed at the iGent shoo brigade.

Spot on.
They’re shoes. Wear ‘em. Give ‘em an occasional rub and polish. Wear ‘em again. Do not get sucked into the cult of utter dullards and their ridiculous shoe shine rituals.

 

[The Shooman]

What's in the acid water? Is there an ingredients list?

I don't think the company is ever going to reveal it, however it is said to make shining the shoe that much better.

After reading this thread l think l likely take my shoo shines too seriously. I like my shoes to look flawless each time l wear them and l always give my shoes the `sound and feel test' to see if the leather is drying out.

My local shoemaker polishes his shoes each night after he takes them off, he is very particular about it. My other maker Mr X also polishes his entire collection at least each month eventhough his shoes may not be used because he says the leather needs to be moisturized. He has had shoes made from average quality leather last over 30 years and going strong caring for shoes this way.


Shoo polish connoisseurs and rituals

Some men take their shoo shines very seriously, and they are even part of a special shoo shine club. Men do these things behind closed doors. Some are even said to polish their shoos with champagne at 3 am under a quarter moon outside because it is said to enhance the depth of the shine. Humans do all types of funny things, but wanting to use the best polish isn't such a bad thing.

Saphir and Boot Black makes polishing shoes a pleasure, but using Kiwi is a chore. Using an ideal polish gives me great satisfaction, so of course it is going to be worth paying the high price if my satisfaction is reached. Recently I used a special shell cordovan polish from `boot black' that gave me a satisfaction that surpassed anything in my shoo polishing life, and for the first time l stopped wanting anything more because l knew l had reached the pinnacle of shoo polish. A small group of the shoo polishing crowd are always chasing the ultimate in polish and shine and depth of finish, but for me the ultimate is about the feel of the shine....it's got to have a moist and soft feel that lasts, but until discovered `boot black' l have never had it from any product. The idea of an oil based cream excites me.


Berluti shoo parties where men polish their shoos with champagne.
These types of blokes buy expensive shoes and are into patina and shines....these blokes mean business! They don't monkey around with supermarket polish, they go all the way to the top. These would be the type of guys always chasing the ultimate shine and depth of shine. These men understand what it is all about. It's about achieving an artistic dream that gives ultimate satisfaction. I've been chasing the ultimate shine since l was a little kid, and l am still chasing it. My dad and the internet never inspired me to shine shoos, l always naturally did it myself because l always wanted my shoos to look flawless and brilliant. I used to polish my school shoos every night as a kid. Why? Because l was born a shooman and nothing like the Johnny come lately igents.

These men want their shoos to look great. They are men full of dreams. They want to be men with great looking shoos. I know this type of man....l relate to him.

 

[Great White Snark]

You’ve never touched a woman’s boob have you?

 

[The Shooman]

This thread was a thread for shoe shine people, but being the internet there are always a bunch of people who ruin threads with stupid stuff. I don't think l want to be part of this anymore if this is how it's going to be.

 

[formby001]

 

[Great White Snark]

This thread was a thread for shoe shine people, but being the internet there are always a bunch of people who ruin threads with stupid stuff. I don't think l want to be part of this anymore if this is how it's going to be.

Yeah that’s the spirit. You’re a credit to the memory of the Aussies who stormed the trenches at Gallipoli.

 

[Kafkann]

Well, l am really jumping into the big game of big time shoo polishers now.

Soon l will have the `Boot Black high shine collection'

The High-Shine Base primarily serves to smooth the leather surface so that the High-Shine Coat can be used in the next step to create a high gloss.

The High Shine coat is like a mirror gloss with extra waxes that are extra hard and hence create the shine. It comes in clear, black, dark brown and burgundy (last colour not available here)

High-Shine Coat – Mirror Gloss | Boot Black Shop

bootblack-shop.com

The acidic polish water.


000---
I already have the polish clothes and they are great for a high mirror shine.

Saphir renovateur and creams, not good enough for me

I also ordered a range of colours from the Boot Black Artists Palette. Medium brown, navy blue, mustard brown, red, green and purple. These are very expensive, but l am looking for something that is excellent. Saphir is o.k, but it is not good enough because it dries some leathers out after a short time. My Edward Green were dried out after 2 weeks from using Saphir renovateur and shoe cream. I knew l had to look for something else after a top cobbler refused to sell Saphir products because he also said they dried out the leathers of shoos.

[/URL]

Apparently the Boot Black Artists Palette are by far the best shoe creams on the market and leave Saphir products a distant second. They are oil based and l am hoping they don't dry some leathers like the Saphir creams do. According to this forum topic they are excellent creams that soften and moisterize the leather properly.

Boot Black Artist Palette

So I did order some new shoe care products because I was curious and had a "problem shoe", more later on. I thought why not share with you as I take pictures of shoe polishing quite often so I can see the before and after magic for myself:) So I usually use the Saphir Medaille D'or or regular...

www.styleforum.net

I also splashed out on the Boot Black `moisterizer'. It is highly expensive but it is said to do deep moisterizing of the leather. The Saphir renovateur tends to dry leathers are a short while and l find it not as great product. Finally l have decided to pay the money and try to find something really excellent that does the job needed.

I also bought Collonil red and pink creams this morning because l am a collector of red shoo creams. I have many. Collonil does not contain solvents and it moisterizes shoes properly, but it is not as fun to use as the creams that are easy to apply and create a shine.

I have tried the Artist's Palette.
I like how the stuff spreads easily. However, it has not completely won me over: the Palette cream is intended to have a shine effect, making the upper creases look a bit like plastic-y leather. I find myself reaching for the normal Boot Black cream more..

Regarding the polish water, a long time ago I was advised by a cobbler to use distilled water.

 

[Untermensch]

I have tried the Artist's Palette.
I like how the stuff spreads easily. However, it has not completely won me over: the Palette cream is intended to have a shine effect, making the upper creases look a bit like plastic-y leather. I find myself reaching for the normal Boot Black cream more..

Regarding the polish water, a long time ago I was advised by a cobbler to use distilled water.

The solutes in normal water, even the hardest, are in such tiny quantities that they won't leave a visible mark on your leather once the water evaporates. You get more dust and particulate matter deposited while you're shining your shoes that all the solute in the water.

I'm not suggesting we use bog water, but tap water's just fine. You don't need distilled water. As for this acid water,

 

[The Shooman]

The solutes in normal water, even the hardest, are in such tiny quantities that they won't leave a visible mark on your leather once the water evaporates. You get more dust and particulate matter deposited while you're shining your shoes that all the solute in the water.

I'm not suggesting we use bog water, but tap water's just fine. You don't need distilled water. As for this acid water,

I've tried using distilled water, filtered water, tap water and ice cold half frozen filtered water. No difference between the first three, but the frozen water is good for high shines. The only hesitation l had with distilled water was using a `hungry water' might have opposite results and pull some of the polish off, but it was only a small amount and probably dried before it had any effect.

I still haven't received the acid water yet.

 

[Untermensch]

I've tried using distilled water, filtered water, tap water and ice cold half frozen filtered water. No difference between the first three, but the frozen water is good for high shines. The only hesitation l had with distilled water was using a `hungry water' might have opposite results and pull some of the polish off, but it was only a small amount and probably dried before it had any effect.

I still haven't received the acid water yet.

Interesting. We'd have to see what happens to the waxes and the solvents in the polish at low temperatures. Off the cuff, I'd say it slows down the evaporation of the volatile components, allowing you more time to achieve that perfect shine.

 

[The Shooman]

You’ve never touched a woman’s boob have you?

Great White Snark
You mean do rude things married men do when they are full of lust?
You mean touch a woman's boobies???
You mean use a woman's boobs for toys and personal pleasure instead of having them be used their proper purpose of feeding tiny kids???

Great White Snark formby001 If l have touched boobies, I am never going to reveal my sins in public.

sorry lads for the off topic post. I felt in a playful mood....hope you didn't mind me talking rood (rude).

 

[fxh]

Shooey - I will be going to Lefflers in the new year.

You around or are you living it up down on The Great Ocean Road with all the other rich people?

 

[The Shooman]

Shooey - I will be going to Lefflers in the new year.

You around or are you living it up down on The Great Ocean Road with all the other rich people?

fxh I will be around so a trip to Lefflers could be something that could be done.

I will be going down the Ocean Road for a couple of weeks soon, but not this month.


Boot Black - results Part 1
I have all the goodies, and let me say that my shoe shines are next level now. I am doing shoe shines l have always dreamed of. It is not just about the shine, it is about also about the feel (very important) and ease of the shine. I always dream,ed about the perfect shoe shine process, but l never achieved never it until now. I never enjoyed the process and got the results l was wanting until now, and yet l haven't used all my products yet and am still in the process of experimenting and learning.

Boot Black `moisterizer' - truly nothing better!
Never again will l use the Saphir renovateur. It never did the job l needed it to. I took out my Vass oxfords today that are notoriously difficult to moisterise and used the boot black product on them. Straight away the leather softened and moisterized to levels previously unknown. Saphir could never do this in the past. I also used it on some Vass derby shoes and the results were even better, l was stunned at how good it was, it softened the smoothed the leather to levels never felt before. There is nothing like the boot black moisterizer.

Boot Black Two Face Plus Lotion - truly nothing better
A bloke begged me to buy the two face plus lotion. It cleans and nourishes the leather and smooths it out to allow for a greater shine process. I used it on a pair of John Lobb and the results were amazing. It delicately cleaned and moisterized and nourished with argon oil and the results were outstanding because the feel of the leather was unlike anything l have ever felt. It felt like super fine soft leather. It was then that l started to understand what the ultimate shoe shines are about, and it is something that Saphir could never do...this is truly next level shoe shining.

See, at first l applied the artists palette without the Two Face Plus Lotion and the application was a touch rough as with normal polishing, but now l followed a bloke's advice of using the lotion first and then following up with artists palette and the results are much better because the artists palette goes on smoother. My leathers are transforming to states never seen or felt before.

I am still learning, but now l am starting to understand how to do shines to the highest level. Yes, l now have the special polish water, the high shine base and the high shine coat and special polish rags. I will report back on these products soon.

What do l think of the artists palette? Some say it is the best shoe paste ever made (probably is), but I am not sure yet because l need to use it on various difficult shoes to really see how it performs, but l will say that Boot Black Rich Moisterizer and Boot Black Two Face Plus Lotion is out of this world!!! The conventional creams and waxes from Boot Black are similar to Saphir. What makes Boot Black special is the connoisseur process to shoo shining, it does things at the highest level possible and makes the Saphir processes crude in comparison.

At last l have reached the Mt Everest of shoo shining processes, and it is right up my alley!

 

[fxh]

I’m thinking of going to lefflers on Monday

 

[The Shooman]

Boot Black - results Part 2 and the verdict

I gave the products the ultimate test and tried them on a stubborn tan Vass shoe that is tough to moisterise and one which lacks depth of colour/patina. I went through the entire process.

I started off using `rich moisture' to really moisturize and nourish the leather and smooth out the leather. After doing that the leather felt so much better, not rough and dry and porous like it usually is, it actually felt luxurious. Amazing how the leather as transformed.

Next I used the Two Face Plus Lotion to clean and further moisterise and nourish the leather. Note: this will darken the leather slightly because the solution has argon oil in it, but the slight oil darkening gave the shoos a spectacular patina and depth to the leather that is something l have ever only dreamed of.

Next l used the mustard colour artists palette cream. That also has oil in it and further added to the patina. The oil really nourishes the leather and gives a great patina in brown shoes. Being an oil based paste, l think it is best to use a lighter colour.

After buffing l used the high shine coat twice on each shoe and rubbed it in well. It was easy to rub in because the previous layers had already smoothed out the surface of the leather. The shine really started to come out.

Next l used a light tan wax, but already l see this was a mistake because l can see the pore of the darkened shoe now shows lighter wax in some small parts of the shoo. Ughh. I skipped the high shine wax in this case because it is a casual tan shoe.

Beware - some Boot Black oil based products can darken shoos a tone.

The Two Face Plus Lotion and Artists Palette cream will darken the shoos a shade. For many shoes it will make them look much better with depth of patina, but for dark navy shoes with a museum calf patina it makes them too dark for the patina highlights to come out properly, so best avoiding Artists Palette for some shoes with fancy patinas.

The mirror shine - perfecting it and common mistakes to avoid

Glass mirror shines are easy to get with Boot Black products. The polish water is magnificent, especially when ice cold, it really works to smooth out that wax with ease and bring out the high shine. The best way to get the ultimate high shine is to use the Boot Black high shine base followed by a combination of Boot Black high shine coat with Saphir mirror gloss with the Boot Black polish water. The effect is stunning, and the water does have some alcohol in it, but it is not enough to dry out the shoes, especially since oil based creams and lotions are also used to keep it moist.

Beware...like with most people, they mess up the mirror shines because they finish the process with buffing with a smooth cloth. BIG MISTAKE. After buffing the mirror shine, the shine will end up with scratches, so then you need to go back a final time with a hint of wax and water and just go over it again and let dry without any final buffing. This will bring a flawless glass shine.

I will try and take good pictures soon.

 

[fxh]

Leather care - www.leather-dictionary.com - The Leather Dictionary

www.leather-dictionary.com

 

[weaksauce]

Boot Black - results Part 2 and the verdict

I gave the products the ultimate test and tried them on a stubborn tan Vass shoe that is tough to moisterise and one which lacks depth of colour/patina. I went through the entire process.

I started off using `rich moisture' to really moisturize and nourish the leather and smooth out the leather. After doing that the leather felt so much better, not rough and dry and porous like it usually is, it actually felt luxurious. Amazing how the leather as transformed.

Next I used the Two Face Plus Lotion to clean and further moisterise and nourish the leather. Note: this will darken the leather slightly because the solution has argon oil in it, but the slight oil darkening gave the shoos a spectacular patina and depth to the leather that is something l have ever only dreamed of.

Next l used the mustard colour artists palette cream. That also has oil in it and further added to the patina. The oil really nourishes the leather and gives a great patina in brown shoes. Being an oil based paste, l think it is best to use a lighter colour.

After buffing l used the high shine coat twice on each shoe and rubbed it in well. It was easy to rub in because the previous layers had already smoothed out the surface of the leather. The shine really started to come out.

Next l used a light tan wax, but already l see this was a mistake because l can see the pore of the darkened shoe now shows lighter wax in some small parts of the shoo. Ughh. I skipped the high shine wax in this case because it is a casual tan shoe.

Beware - some Boot Black oil based products can darken shoos a tone.

The Two Face Plus Lotion and Artists Palette cream will darken the shoos a shade. For many shoes it will make them look much better with depth of patina, but for dark navy shoes with a museum calf patina it makes them too dark for the patina highlights to come out properly, so best avoiding Artists Palette for some shoes with fancy patinas.

The mirror shine - perfecting it and common mistakes to avoid

Glass mirror shines are easy to get with Boot Black products. The polish water is magnificent, especially when ice cold, it really works to smooth out that wax with ease and bring out the high shine. The best way to get the ultimate high shine is to use the Boot Black high shine base followed by a combination of Boot Black high shine coat with Saphir mirror gloss with the Boot Black polish water. The effect is stunning, and the water does have some alcohol in it, but it is not enough to dry out the shoes, especially since oil based creams and lotions are also used to keep it moist.

Beware...like with most people, they mess up the mirror shines because they finish the process with buffing with a smooth cloth. BIG MISTAKE. After buffing the mirror shine, the shine will end up with scratches, so then you need to go back a final time with a hint of wax and water and just go over it again and let dry without any final buffing. This will bring a flawless glass shine.

I will try and take good pictures soon.

What is your new process for shell cordovan?

Do you use all Boot Black with the moisturizer, two face plus lotion, artist palette cream, high shine base, and lastly high shine coat? Or do you replace the artist palette cream with the shell cordovan cream? Or do you use both creams (...two face plus lotion, shell cordovan cream, artist palette cream, high shine base, etc.)?

Thank you for posting your experiments with Boot Black, it's been difficult finding information about their products.

 

[güero]

You can find plenty of Information here: https://bootblack-shop.com/?lang=en
Tells you pretty much everything you need to get started. You will also find most if not all video instructions provided by Columbus there.

 

[The Shooman]

What is your new process for shell cordovan?

Do you use all Boot Black with the moisturizer, two face plus lotion, artist palette cream, high shine base, and lastly high shine coat? Or do you replace the artist palette cream with the shell cordovan cream? Or do you use both creams (...two face plus lotion, shell cordovan cream, artist palette cream, high shine base, etc.)?

Thank you for posting your experiments with Boot Black, it's been difficult finding information about their products.

W weaksauce I find the bootblack videos of little use. The best way is to experiment and see what works best. Here is a method I used for polishing shell leather. I feel confident on how to use the products now.

Film Noir Buff Style Forum / How to polish stubborn shell cordovan

Note: you don't really need the wax for cordovan unless you want a high shine toe etc. Also note, if you choose to use wax at the end of the shining process it will be much easier to have shell cordovan looking like mirrors with the wax than on calf.

Note 2: When doing calf shoes it is best to use the artists palette in place of the shell cordovan cream, and use wax with the polish water at the end.

Note 3: the whole process outlined needs to be done rarely. To touch the shoes up you just need perhaps the `deep moisture' or `two face plus lotion' if the boot gets dirty' and/or the cream. Sometimes just a buffing will do.

Note 4: (for calf shoes) sometimes if you want to have a 3/4 session with a decent shine but don't want too much wax build up you do the moisterizer and two face plus lotion followed by artists palette followed by high shine base and finish with high shine coat.

Note 5: (for calf shoes) waxes only need to be applied once or twice a year to keep junk and rain water from staining the shoes.

 

[The Shooman]

I will write a complete guide to using Boot Black soon.

 

[The Shooman]

I had written a complete guide to using Bootblack, but it was on another forum that now doesn't exist. None-the-less, l have ordered some more products and will have a good reason to re-write it.

Some stuff l ordered, mainly black and brown pastes and waxes because my old ones are almost finished and are getting too dry. I will still use the old ones up

Boot Black - intensive cleaner


Boot Black - shoe paste in medium brown, darker medium brown, dark brown, very dark brown and black


Boot Black - wax in black, dark brown, medium brown, lighter medium brown


Boot Black - artists palette - medium brown



Boot Black - edge dressing


Boot Black - horse hair brush

(just a basic one for now).

 

[florisgreen]

I didn't know this brand, never seen in person. It seems high quality, but as I'm glad with Saphir, Cordonnerie Anglaise and, even more with Famaco recently, I don't think I'll be wanting to try that, unless you say it's really exceptional and superior quality.
As I said, since I discovered Famaco I'm a great fan: they are excellent products and the shoe cream is available in a huge selection of colours.

 

[güero]

I didn't know this brand, never seen in person. It seems high quality, but as I'm glad with Saphir, Cordonnerie Anglaise and, even more with Famaco recently, I don't think I'll be wanting to try that, unless you say it's really exceptional and superior quality.
As I said, since I discovered Famaco I'm a great fan: they are excellent products and the shoe cream is available in a huge selection.

Even the regular Boot Black shoe polish is far, far superior to Saphir (don't know about the other ones). The Artist Palette and some other products are out of this world.

 

[florisgreen]

Even the regular Boot Black shoe polish is far, far superior to Saphir (don't know about the other ones). The Artist Palette and some other products are out of this world.

Thanks. So it seems that I have to give a try.

 

[Journeyman]

Boot Black - horse hair brush

At the risk of sounding odd, how firm are the bristles on the horse hair brush?

I have four old polishing brushes - two for black, two for brown, one of each for applying polish, one of each for buffing - that I inherited from my dad decades ago. The brushes are fairly small and the bristles are quite stiff.

I also have a horse hair brush that I bought a couple of decades ago. It's larger and the bristles are longer and softer. Even though horse hair brushes are supposed to be good for polishing shoes, I never really use it because the bristles just seem too soft - it's difficult to really apply much force and so I can't really buff the shoes with it. I'm interested in what other horse hair brushes are like, and whether I just got a dud.

 

[güero]

At the risk of sounding odd, how firm are the bristles on the horse hair brush?

I have four old polishing brushes - two for black, two for brown, one of each for applying polish, one of each for buffing - that I inherited from my dad decades ago. The brushes are fairly small and the bristles are quite stiff.

I also have a horse hair brush that I bought a couple of decades ago. It's larger and the bristles are longer and softer. Even though horse hair brushes are supposed to be good for polishing shoes, I never really use it because the bristles just seem too soft - it's difficult to really apply much force and so I can't really buff the shoes with it. I'm interested in what other horse hair brushes are like, and whether I just got a dud.

I think for buffing you want as little pressure as possible and very soft hair, because you get the shine from the heat. That’s also why you can get a pretty good mirror shine with only using your hand, with Boot Black at least.

 

[florisgreen]

At the risk of sounding odd, how firm are the bristles on the horse hair brush?

I have four old polishing brushes - two for black, two for brown, one of each for applying polish, one of each for buffing - that I inherited from my dad decades ago. The brushes are fairly small and the bristles are quite stiff.

I also have a horse hair brush that I bought a couple of decades ago. It's larger and the bristles are longer and softer. Even though horse hair brushes are supposed to be good for polishing shoes, I never really use it because the bristles just seem too soft - it's difficult to really apply much force and so I can't really buff the shoes with it. I'm interested in what other horse hair brushes are like, and whether I just got a dud.

I have many horse bristles brushes (I know, it sounds odd and it's probably unnecessary), with dark and light (mostly) hairs, and they are all pretty soft and long.
Curiously I've seen recently in many videos (Instagram) by bespokeaddict that he uses old brushes with short bristles: possibly better? Don't know, as any new brush has long bristles.

 

[The Shooman]

At the risk of sounding odd, how firm are the bristles on the horse hair brush?

I have four old polishing brushes - two for black, two for brown, one of each for applying polish, one of each for buffing - that I inherited from my dad decades ago. The brushes are fairly small and the bristles are quite stiff.

I also have a horse hair brush that I bought a couple of decades ago. It's larger and the bristles are longer and softer. Even though horse hair brushes are supposed to be good for polishing shoes, I never really use it because the bristles just seem too soft - it's difficult to really apply much force and so I can't really buff the shoes with it. I'm interested in what other horse hair brushes are like, and whether I just got a dud.

Journeyman Your mate Kirby might be the best bloke to answer. He swears there is a special purpose for short hard horse hairs and long soft haired brushes.

 

[The Shooman]

Should Boot Black be used over Saphir?

The short answer is yes. Why? Mainly for these reasons:

1). cordovan cream
2). Two face plus lotion
3). Deep rich moisture
4). Artists palette

1). The cordovan cream is definitely superior to the Saphir cordovan cream. The finish on my cordovan was better/deeper and longer lasting than the Saphir. Both are good, but Boot Black definitely has the edge here.

2). Some leathers are stubborn, and it is difficult to get good results. For example, my tan Vass half brogue derby was nearly always dry and rough on the vamp despite me always using Saphir renovateur to try and moisturize it. Upon using `Two face plus lotion' my leather smoothed out and l got depth to the leather for the first time ever. It laid a foundation that was to allow for great connoisseur results to come that Saphir can't begin to replicate.

3). The application of `deep rich moisture' (let it soak in overnight and then buff shoe the next day before the next procedure) really gave the shoe a moisturizing that the Saphir renovateur could never replicate. It gives the shoo a deep drink which has the effect `bespokeaddict' often talks about...the rubbery and pulling of the rag along the leather. The moisturizing last a lot longer than the Saphir too. The key is not to overuse it. I learned from experience that the `deep rich moisture' only needs to be used occasionally with the convenional cream being the main thing to keep a shoe maintained for best and longer lasting results.

4). With the `deep rich moisture' (let dry overnight and buff) followed by one or two coats of the `Two face plus lotion' the next day (let sit for 5 minutes and buff) followed by the Artists palette, the most stubborn leathers can take on the most moisturized rich patina with a leather transformed from a shallow dry rough surface to one of smoothness that actually feels and looks luxurious. This is what happened to my stubborn tan Vass derby. After having that session that leather looks and feels much better than it ever was before. That is why l know that Boot Black has special products that puts it way above the Saphir. Boot Black is a bunch of products that offer connoisseurs results.

Note: sometimes the Boot Black connoisseur treatment won't make much oif a difference to shoes (eg, some of my John Lobbs), but with other shoes it makes a huge difference. It all depends on the leather. Still worth owning Boot Black if you are a shoo connoisseur who wants impeccable looking shoes.

Conclusion part 1
It doesn't mean you need to use Two face plus lotion, deep rich moisture and artists palette every time. Experience has shown that there is no need. Those things are definitely needed at the start for laying glorious foundations to bring a shoo to it's highest levels of appearance and feel, but after that those products only need to be used sometimes. The Saphir or Boot Black paste will do for general maintenance and feed the leather enough. If you feel the need to feed the leather some extra you use the oil based artists palette to deep nourish the leather more and add the extra pigment and patina. Of course you wax the shoe once or twice a year with Saphir or Boot Black wax.

More to come......

 

[florisgreen]

At the risk of sounding odd, how firm are the bristles on the horse hair brush?

I have four old polishing brushes - two for black, two for brown, one of each for applying polish, one of each for buffing - that I inherited from my dad decades ago. The brushes are fairly small and the bristles are quite stiff.

I also have a horse hair brush that I bought a couple of decades ago. It's larger and the bristles are longer and softer. Even though horse hair brushes are supposed to be good for polishing shoes, I never really use it because the bristles just seem too soft - it's difficult to really apply much force and so I can't really buff the shoes with it. I'm interested in what other horse hair brushes are like, and whether I just got a dud.

I found this one from Boot Black with rather short bristles, at a horrible price though.

 

[The Shooman]

How to use the Boot Black range. Achieving the high shine from stratch.

1). Use the Two Face Plus Lotion as the starting point.


- Rub it gently over the surface. Apply two layers.
It will clean it and smooth the surface so the layers of creams smooth out over the shoe better. The leather will feel smoother and the lotion can also give a natural antique appearance due to the argon oil. This provides the best preparation l have experienced, and nothing comes close. It doesn't have much effect for some leathers, but for others the difference is very noticeable. I had a tan pair of Vass shoes that were always so dry and stubborn, but after providing the layers of Two Face Plus Lotion and creams the results were stunning....completely transformed my shoes. Boot Black can deliver connoisseur results.
- Buff off with rag.

2). Do a good soaking of Deep Rich Moisture. Do it twice and let them sit overnight. Buff off the next day.


3). Rub the cream paste over the surface with an old smooth rag. Let dry and buff off.


4). Rub the Artists Palette over the surface with an old smooth rag. Let dry and buff off. Do it twice to add good depth. Enjoy the process, the Artists Palette is special.


At this point the shoe should be reasonably smooth with good depth of colour added, and now a shine is starting to occur with the oil based Artists Palette. Slowly the layers are starting to be built up. Not all shoes need the build up and higher shines, only the dark colours. Navy, Purples, black, dark brown and burgundy.

5). Rub the High Shine Base over the shoe with a special high quality polishing rag.

- The key is to start taking the shoe shine to the next level, so a nice layer needs to be added to start smoothing out the leather and further nourishing it. One layer is enough, just a thin layer and rub it in well.
- Buff it off with a rag. Buffing rag doesn't need to be as high quality as the rag used to apply the wax based layers.

6). Put your Polish Water in the freezer for an hour.


7). Apply the black wax once with a high quality cloth using exactly the same spot on your finger as the previous High Shine Coat. Use the odd drop of ice cold Polish Water water when you add wax to the shoe. Waxing high shine shoes is an artform, so it will take time to develop your technique. Buff off using fast motions after an hour with a smooth cloth.


8). Apply the High Shine Coat.


Apply the High Shine Coat using the same bit of cloth previously used to apply the High Shine Base and Wax. Always use that bit of cloth. Use drops of Polish Water, and sometimes add in smears of Wax. It is an artform that takes time to develop. Keep on adding layers until the desired finish. Sometimes a Saphir Mirror Gloss can also be added.

Conclusion
- This in depth shoe shine only needs to be done once in a bloo moon. A quick do over once a year is o.k. But a good solid polish session is always good to start a shoo's life.
- After the wax and High Shine Base and Coat are added, only quick touch ups are needed.
- Usually only paste is needed.
- Sometimes Deep Rich Moisture is good as a preparation when we want above average results.
- Occasionally the artists palette is used for an extra smart look after the Two Face Plus Lotion.
- When the wet season comes, a wax and some layers are good.


Of course this is good too. Edge dressing. Well worth it.


Do the marathon session at the start, and the future shoe maintenance will be easy. It will only involve touch ups for the most part while your shoos look stunning.

Stubborn shell cordovan should use Boot Black cordovan polish. It is fantastic.

 

[The Shooman]

This is why you should not use Kiwi Parade Gloss. Here is a tin l have had unused for 20 years. Dark Brown wax now looks like red and white jelly where-as my 17 year old tin of Saphir wax still looks good.

Kiwi is not shoo polish. I don't care what Army men tell you, my picture tells the truth.
Kiwi is garbage.


I have never had good results on high shines using brushes, but l am going to experiment more with them and see what can be achieved.

 

[The Shooman]

At the risk of sounding odd, how firm are the bristles on the horse hair brush?

I have four old polishing brushes - two for black, two for brown, one of each for applying polish, one of each for buffing - that I inherited from my dad decades ago. The brushes are fairly small and the bristles are quite stiff.

I also have a horse hair brush that I bought a couple of decades ago. It's larger and the bristles are longer and softer. Even though horse hair brushes are supposed to be good for polishing shoes, I never really use it because the bristles just seem too soft - it's difficult to really apply much force and so I can't really buff the shoes with it. I'm interested in what other horse hair brushes are like, and whether I just got a dud.

Apparently the really soft hair brush is for a final buff to get the extra shine. See 19:00 - 19:20 of video. The stiff brush is for putting on polish and getting in the stitched welt and broguing.

 

[LeFoo1]

My tailor actually gave me boot black products when i asked for Saphir water resistant spray. Didn’t pay much attention since I trusted him and it’s made in Japan. Needless to say it worked very well. Now I’ll have to wait until I’ve used up my Saphirs before trying out the BB creams…years later unless i get a new job.

 

[The Shooman]

One thing l have noticed....the Boot Black `artists palette' adds a depth and pigment that the usual creams don't, but it is not always noticeable unless under certain circumstances. For example, when l kneel down with my shoes scraping the floor on the carpet, the tips of my shoes become lighter when polish comes off, and the usual paste doesn't replace the colour properly, OR, if l strip the shoes a little for a good cleaning the pigment is not replaced properly unless l use artists palette. Yes, this special cream does have it's special uses. It also depends on the type of leather.

 

[The Shooman]

Have discovered that the Artists Palette is the best polish for putting pigment back into the shoe and restoring it back to colour.


Situation 1
This is especially good when you are on your knees on the carpet, and the toes get scuffed where the colour rubs off exposing the natural leather underneath. An application of artists palette followed by some layers of wax with polish water restore the shoes back better than ever.

Situation 2
Sticky tape got on my shoes taking all the colour off. Artists Palette followed by wax and polish water restored it back perfectly with little effort.

I tried using saphir creams and waxes to restore original colour and it is not as effective. Artists Palette is the secret. It is expensive, but it is good to have it.

 

[The Shooman]

Another great tool to use occasionally is the Saphir mirror gloss, it is especially good when combining with normal wax after restoring the toe of the shoe with the frozen polish water.

My Boot Black collection is complete. Most of the colours and tools needed to do the various jobs. Sometimes l mix in Collonil and Saphir for extra colour variety.

Edge Dressing

This can be good too. Have the edges of the soles look nice again.



A handy tip for shoes that hurt
To help the break in period, or if a shoe niggles a bit at the toe or is tight in places, try this below.

Instructions:
1). Put on a thick sock
2). Spray the foam on the outside part of the shoe and inside the shoe where it rubs
3). Put your foot in immediately and walk around.
Sometimes fast relief is to be had.

Btw, my cobbler told me that his shoe stretchers are working 24/7. There are so many people that need their shoes stretched, and a long line of shoes are always waiting. It just goes to show; shoes might feel o.k in the shop, but when after a few hours of wearing little surprises can occur. It happens.

 

[fxh]

I have my own wooden shoo stretcher. Bit like a shoe tree with a screw thread for length and one to spread the split toe bit.

It also has little add in bumps for target areas.
I’ve found plain old water on leather just as good as so called stretching sprays.

 

[Sammy Ambrose]

Edge Dressing

This can be good too. Have the edges of the soles look nice again.

I have never used edge dressing. I routinely apply a dark brown or black shoe polish to the edges. Or a lighter colour if appropriate.