How do you get a nice shine to new boots?

[Huntertwo]

DH bought me a nice pair of tall field boots for our anniversary. Well, he gave me his credit card and I bought...lol :)

How do you get a nice shine to them? Do you use a clear waxy polish and buff out?

They are the zip up backs and it says to lube up the zippers with paraffin wax? Where the heck do you buy that??? :confused: I'm not much of a shopper and have nooo idea where to even look for paraffin wax.:o

Thanks..

[gladys]

Ruth Hogan Poulson recently posted these exact instructions in her blog. Hope they're helpful!
http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-polish-your-boots-to

p.s. If I'm desperate and have no time I use Instant Shine then buff, but I don't know how good that is for the leather.

[SkipChange]

Here is the instructions from Beval for tall boot care. I usually use a cream polish, Vogel, and still get a very high shine.

Beval Riding Boot and Shoe Care

Quality riding boots and shoes can last a long time with proper care. Your boot’s biggest enemies are salt and acids from sweat and manure. These highly reactive agents that cause the leather to harden and eventually crack should be removed along with any mud or dust accumulated along the way. Never use saddle soap, oil soap, Hydrophane, neatsfoot oil, Tanners Oil, harsh solvents or cleaners. These products can remove the color, crack the leather or make it too greasy to shine. Never use a scrubbing brush.

BOOT CARE IS A FOUR-STEP PROCESS:

WASH: Use castile soap to wash the boot after the mud has been knocked off and heavy dirt has been wiped away. Castile soap is a soft, bland soap, which will not leave a greasy residue as will glycerine saddle soap. Don’t be afraid to use a lot of water. Lather up and scrub lightly with a sponge or soft brush. A fingernail brush will get the dirt out of the joint between the upper and the sole.

RINSE: Rinse well with cold or tepid water. Flow the soap and dirt away with the sponge, using a fair amount of water. A lot of water also rinses out and dilutes the barnyard acids that seep into the lower part of the boot and soles.

DRY: You can use a soft house towel, flannel, or an old tee shirt. This will enable you to get those little spots, etc. you missed. Let the boots stand an hour or so to completely dry.

POLISH: Boot polishes fall into two classes. The first is the wax type normally found in the small flat can. These wax polishes will give you a higher shine. Using a dauber or soft cloth wrapped around your first and index finger apply the polish. The trick is to apply only a small amount of polish, rubbing it into the leather evenly. The toes and heel box and the outside top of the boot will be harder and can be “spit shined”. Use a small amount of polish on the soft cloth and burnish the polish onto the surface. A little water added with the polish applied in a circular rubbing motion would gradually produce a high, hard shine. In the softer areas apply the polish evenly working well into the leather. After polish has been applied, buff boots with a good quality boot brush. The second type of polish that can be used is a cream polish. This polish contains no wax and therefore gives you a softer shine. One advantage to this type of polish is you do not get a wax build up. The technique is basically the same.



What I use to polish: http://www.beval.com/Products/Vogel-Boot-Creme-Polish-Black,-25-oz/6100004.aspx
Castille soap: http://www.beval.com/Products/Castile-Soap/5818001.aspx

[gladys]

Oh, and I think paraffin wax is used in regular candles, so maybe you could find some at Walmart?

[Fairview Horse Center]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kiwi-Shoe-Care-Kit-Shoe-Polish_W0QQitemZ270466573001QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_ Men_s_Shoes?hash=item3ef91062c9

[Guilherme]

The first question is what type of leather is used in making the boots?

Something like French Calf will shine very easily and well, but lacks durability and is subject to surface scatching. At the other end of the spectrum are heavily oiled leathers used in working boots. They are durable, but won't take a bright finish no matter how much you buff. (I am not addressing "rough out" boots as they are a separate conversation.)

Assuming a smooth finish leather not too heavily oiled, I first clean the leather. If there's no mud or other difficult substance I use Stubben Leathersafe. With mud I let it dry, clean off as much as I can, then use a leather soap to clean off any residue. I then wipe down the surface with an old, cotton sock to remove any surface residue.

The next step would be to use a good quality, cream polish (I like Meltonian). I apply it, let it thorough dry (often overnight), then buff it with a natural fiber brush. I might then buff it further with the old, cotton sock. This will put a reasonable shine on most boots.

Back when I was on Active Duty, I would take the next step and use a wax polish (Kiwi is popular). I would apply it with a brush applicator and then buff it out with a natural fiber brush. For inspections I would then use a soft, damp cotton cloth and apply a final coat of wax polish. This takes some patience and you don't buff after you get the finish you want.

The problem with wax polishes is that eventually they will build up over time and must be removed. The "stripping" process requires a good soap and some elbow grease. Once you get back down to the leather you start all over again. This one of the reasons that most military folks have a pair of "inspection" shoes. ;)

There are any number of ways to get a good shine; my way is just one. Find a couple of Marines and you'll get some other ideas!!! :cool:

G.

[BeaSting]

You can buy paraffin wax at the grocery. They'll be near the canning jars and lids.

[bird4416]

Get someone from the military to show you how to do a proper spit shine. My husband, who was in the air force, can make my boots shine like patten leather. I've almost perfected his technique but he can still do a better job than I can. (or so I let him think):D

[Huntertwo]

You can buy paraffin wax at the grocery. They'll be near the canning jars and lids.

Ah, didn't think of that. I just ordered some on-line.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas and suggestions.:)

[Huntertwo]

Find a couple of Marines and you'll get some other ideas!!! :cool:

G.


Believe me Guilherme, if I find a couple of Marines, I sure ain't gonna be discussing boot shining techniques...lol ;)

[gottagrey]

To get a good shine - first DON"T EVER USE Saddle soap or any type of saddle leather cleaner/conditioner on them... Vogels Leather Conditioner is Great! you can use that - it's comes in a yellowish/beige bottle. Sometimes the cream type boot polish doesn't get a good shine -and will come off on your pants... So the cheap Kiwi type polish is the best.. Wipe some boot polish on w/ rag, buff w/ brush/towel - you can add a little water (hence the "spit" shine) and buff some more. Also for whatever reason an old pair of pantyhose (or kneehighs) really helps buff boots to shine. Quite frankly though - I didn't have to polish that much to get a good shine - I mostly use Vogels on my boots and one of those boot shiners just before going into the ring.. Some boots now seem to just not be able to get that shine -

[Fairview Horse Center]

My favorite thing to use for final buffing is a few Bounty paper towels. I only use Bounty because they are super soft. They also let me see when they are coming up clean, so the black wax won't rub off on white show breeches.

[LoriO]

If you want the I can see my face in my boots like a mirror type shine, come on up and visit me in Berlin and I can teach you. 4 years of military school was usefull for at least one thing!!! :D:lol:

[nightsong]

shine like patten leather.

"Patent leather" is an artificial leather, suppposedly named because the makers took out a patent on it. If anybody cares.

[bird4416]

Actually patent leather is real leather with a high glossy shine.


Patent leather is leather (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather) that has been given a high gloss, shiny finish. The original process was developed by Newark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark,_New_Jersey)-based inventor Seth Boyden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Boyden) in 1818 with commercial manufacture beginning September 20 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_20), 1819 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1819). His process used a linseed oil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil)–based lacquer coating. Modern patent leather usually has a plastic coating[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_leather#cite_note-0).
Patent leather is sometimes confused with poromeric imitation leathers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poromeric_imitation_leather) such as DuPont (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuPont)'s Corfam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corfam) and Kuraray Co. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuraray_Co.)'s Clarino which are manmade materials with a similar glossy appearance.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_leather

[oharabear]

Get someone from the military to show you how to do a proper spit shine. My husband, who was in the air force, can make my boots shine like patten leather. I've almost perfected his technique but he can still do a better job than I can. (or so I let him think):D

Ditto. I have a standing agreement with my military friends that if they shine my show boots, I'll bake them cookies or something else they love but aren't exactly talented at making themselves.

Works for me!

[Equibrit]

Zipper wax; http://www.zukioutdoors.com/product/28115
US military spit shine; http://www.stompersboots.com/extras/spitshine.txt

Kiwi polish is the best.

[5]

From my experiance to get a spit shine it will take several layers of wax to fill in the pores of the leather. Apply polish to boot except where it will touch the horse/saddle, let dry, polish let dry etc.
Then when the boots look to have a good smooth base and are ready to polish for shine, wet a cotton ball (real cotton the poly will leave fibers) wring out then use the cotton ball to rub in the wax until it shines. Apply in small areas and go right to left across the boot.