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My boots won't get shiny!

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  • My boots won't get shiny!

    Last year, I had to retire my Ariat Heritage tall boots because they were too tight in the calf. I ended up buying a nice pair of used Konigs on eBay (yes!) to replace them. They're gorgeous boots, although I have to say I miss the Ariat footbed.

    The other big issue is that I can't seem to get any sort of shine on these boots. My dad taught me how to polish boots (he was in the military), and I was able to get a blindingly shiny finish on my Ariats. These guys... not so much. For some reason, I cannot get any sort of shine to come through, despite how much scrushing and rubbing I do.

    The only thing I can think of is that the leather on the Konigs is better than the stuff used on the bargain-level Ariat boots, and for some reason it can't get the same sort of patent-leather luster. Are my Konigs doomed to a life of matte-finishes?
    Road to the T3D
    Translation
    fri [fri:] fritt fria (adj): Free
    skritt [skrit:] skritten (noun): Walk

  • #2
    It could be that there's something on the leather that's interfering with the polish, or you might need to use a different sort of polish. I'd try stripping them back and starting again.
    Horse Show Names Free name website with over 6200 names. Want to add? PM me!

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    • Original Poster

      #3
      I've been using the regular Kiwi polish that comes in the round, flat tin... how does one get them stripped?
      Road to the T3D
      Translation
      fri [fri:] fritt fria (adj): Free
      skritt [skrit:] skritten (noun): Walk

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by FrittSkritt View Post
        I've been using the regular Kiwi polish that comes in the round, flat tin... how does one get them stripped?
        That should get you started and there are some similar topics you might find useful.
        Thus do we growl that our big toes have, at this moment, been thrown up from below!

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        • #5
          Very cool - thanks!

          Comment


          • #6
            The number and diversity of chemicals in this process sounds fun.
            If the pony spits venom in your face or produces a loud roar, it is probably not a pony. Find another. -The Oatmeal

            Comment


            • #7
              Have you tried dipping the kiwi polish pad in ice water-lots of ice, then back in the polish then on the boots? My brother was military and told me that trick. Rubbing them with an old pair of panty hose afterwards can really buff up the shine.
              Life is great when you can hug a horse.

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              • #8
                I just sent a pair of boots to ridingbootrepair.com which was recommended by another COTHer and they came back with a gorgeous shine. I'm guessing your Konigs have a buildup and need to be reconditioned. I highly recommend them based on my experience.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Another possibility is that someone put something they weren't supposed to on them. I've never actually seen it, but have heard that oiling tall boots can make it very difficult to shine them in the future. I suspect that would be a very different problem to deal with than simply having polish residue build-up.

                  I see that you're in NoVa- it might be worth a trip down to Middleburg to have them checked out at Journeyman or something. Somewhere that really knows leather.

                  (Plus, I mean, it would give you an excuse to go to M'burg... )

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I'd be very careful with some of those methods. Yes, Königs are very good quality leather, but acetone, lighter fluid, mineral spirits, etc, are going to get into the leather and break down the fibers. This will eventually lead to the leather splitting and separating in points of wear such as the ankle creases. It might be OK for ordinary shooes, whose leather doesn't have to flex much, but not for dress boots.

                    I also wouldn't use saddle soap (one of the other methods recommended) because of the glycerin oil in it- that ( or neatsfoot oil) is probably what the boots were treated with originally that erased their shine-ability and is likely to make the problem worse. Oil and shoe polish mixing prevents the shoe polish from drying properly and so the wax in it won't buff up hard and shiney.

                    However, when starting again with new boots, use the proper boot care items. König supplies specially formulated boot creme to be used with their leather. This is not the same as shoe polish, which generally has more solvents in it and is harder on the leather.

                    However starting from where you are, I would probably take them into a warm shower room to warm up the wax and oil and make it more mobile, but don't soak them. Scrub off as much of the polish as possible with plain warm water and a rough piece of towelling and an old toothbrush for the seams (the towel will be ruined, so use an old one and change pieces frequently) perhaps using a very mild, diluted detergent such as dilute dishwashing liquid if absolutely necessary and make sure you rinse the detergent off throughly if you use it- don't let it sit on the leather for more than a minute or two so it doesn't soak in. Let them dry thoroughly away from direct heat or sunlight for a few days and then try the proper boot creme. It is unlikely to hurt, is likely to lift a lot of the oil out of the leather, but is a pretty hard job.

                    Also if you have a grinding wheel in hubby's workshop, put a soft sheepswool buffer on the wheel and shine the boots with that after the creme is applied and dried.
                    Last edited by CatOnLap; May. 10, 2011, 11:16 AM.
                    "The Threat of Internet Ignorance: ... we are witnessing the rise of an age of equestrian disinformation, one where a trusting public can graze on nonsense packaged to look like fact."-LRG-AF

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                    • Original Poster

                      #11
                      Thanks guys, this really helped!
                      Road to the T3D
                      Translation
                      fri [fri:] fritt fria (adj): Free
                      skritt [skrit:] skritten (noun): Walk

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I had a difficult time getting a shine on my old Ariats (coming up on 12 years old, now) with regular Kiwi polish. Over time, they eventually got kinda shiny, but they really picked up a shine when I switched to the Urad polish. I also use a piece of polar fleece for the last buffing step, flannel works too, neither seem to leave bits of material on the leather.
                        Leap, and the net will appear

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                        • #13
                          I second using the Urad... Got it from my cobbler after I had a repair done on my boots and loved the shine he put on them. Just a warning: A little goes a long way
                          Who say's your best friend has to be human?

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                          • #14
                            You guys are working WAY too hard. Clean and polish your boots, but seriously, just get the boot shine things you can get at the $1 store, or anywhere, and wipe it over your boots. Viola. Shine. You can wipe off a dirty boot with water and then get a shine with them.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              First of all, I love Konigs and I'm jealous!

                              This was the case for my Vogels when I first got them. You have to first build up a good wax base on them before they'll really take a shine.

                              Do not use Kiwi.

                              I agree with using Urad and then, for good measure, I'd use either Vogel's boot cream or Propert's boot cream. I don't like the pedestrian-version wax polishes. I've had them leave 'slubs' on my boots in the past that were nearly impossible to get off. Gross.

                              Keep at it, don't use anything but water on them to get the dirt off of them and put the Urad / boot cream over that.

                              "If you have the time, spend it. If you have a hand, lend it. If you have the money, give it. If you have a heart, share it." by me

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