Polishing brogues??

[Nanook]

Ted,

I don't know precisely what old patent leather was made of but I've been in this business for 35+ years and for most of that time "patent" leather has been a rough, poor quality leather with a plastic (vinyl?) top.

While real patent leather is not cheap material, nearly all military "patent" leather shoes--- and most so-called patent dress shoes--- these days are not leather but synthetic (Corfam). These "parade shoes" are made to be cheap, robust and look OK at a distance. I've never been a fan of true patent leather--- although I do have a patent leather sporran and belt as the regimental style that was--- but it can have a unique look. Properly polished high grade leather shoes--- the vast major of leather shoes sold including nearly ALL the highland brogues are cheap corrected grain imports--- can have a shine to rival patent leather but it takes significant effort and some skill.
To polish patent leather? To clean one uses a bit of water and soap and to finish off the common wives' methods are milk or petroleum jelly. Commercial products often use silicone oil.

[DWFII]

I might add that when a shoe is spit shined all over...as some in the military insisted upon doing...it will, inevitably be spit shined over areas that are subject to creasing.
Spit shines require a build up of wax. I've seen spit shines that were almost a sixteenth of an inch thick of accumulated wax. That kind of build up usually looks terrible when it has creased and cracked. Worse it is bad for the leather...causing the leather itself to crack.

But the point is that a heavy build up is not necessarily a sign that the shoes are patent leather. When spit shined like that they can, indeed look "like they have been painted and buffed for a century."

[Thunderbolt]

They are not patent leather, I'm sure of it.

I might add that when a shoe is spit shined all over...as some in the military insisted upon doing...it will, inevitably be spit shined over areas that are subject to creasing.
Spit shines require a build up of wax. I've seen spit shines that were almost a sixteenth of an inch thick of accumulated wax. That kind of build up usually looks terrible when it has creased and cracked. Worse it is bad for the leather...causing the leather itself to crack.

But the point is that a heavy build up is not necessarily a sign that the shoes are patent leather. When spit shined like that they can, indeed look "like they have been painted and buffed for a century."

As a shoe expert, DWFII, what to you recommend to keep them in top shape? Also, what are your opinions on hobnails and the metal heel and toe pieces to keep them from wearing?

Thanks for all the info all!

T.

[DWFII]

They are not patent leather, I'm sure of it.

As a shoe expert, DWFII, what to you recommend to keep them in top shape? Also, what are your opinions on hobnails and the metal heel and toe pieces to keep them from wearing?

Thanks for all the info all!

T.

If you are sure they are not patent, you want to strip off all that old wax. Once that's done, recondition the leather, and start your spitshine anew. I use a mixture of one part water, one part ammonia, and half part denatured alcohol. I don't believe this will harm the lacquer if it is patent but you may want to try a small patch on the inside of the arch.

As for hobs and so forth...hey, it's up to you. It's more environmentally gentle but it's certainly noisier.

[Galb]

I thought that ghillies were not supposed to be polished due to the fact that you wouldn't want to answer "the question" thanks to a reflection off your own shoes. ;)

[Thunderbolt]

If you are sure they are not patent, you want to strip off all that old wax. Once that's done, recondition the leather, and start your spitshine anew. I use a mixture of one part water, one part ammonia, and half part denatured alcohol. I don't believe this will harm the lacquer if it is patent but you may want to try a small patch on the inside of the arch.

As for hobs and so forth...hey, it's up to you. It's more environmentally gentle but it's certainly noisier.

Cool. I've always used just rubbing alcohol, that seems to woek ok. But I'll give your formula a try.

I know alcohol tends to strip all the oils out of the leather too. Should I treat it with something before starting to polish? Something to help preserve the leather?

T.

[Giuseppe]

If you are sure they are not patent, you want to strip off all that old wax. Once that's done, recondition the leather, and start your spitshine anew. I use a mixture of one part water, one part ammonia, and half part denatured alcohol. I don't believe this will harm the lacquer if it is patent but you may want to try a small patch on the inside of the arch.

As for hobs and so forth...hey, it's up to you. It's more environmentally gentle but it's certainly noisier.

DWFII, you may be able to help me. I've got a pair of new, unissued MoD brogues. They've still got a black coating on the heels and parts of the leather that's starting to flake off. There are also a couple of spots where they've been dinged and the bare brown leather is showing on the toes. Is there anything I need to do to the shoes before I embark upon the ole spit `n' polish routine? Should anything be stripped off? Thanks!

[DWFII]

DWFII, you may be able to help me. I've got a pair of new, unissued MoD brogues. They've still got a black coating on the heels and parts of the leather that's starting to flake off. There are also a couple of spots where they've been dinged and the bare brown leather is showing on the toes. Is there anything I need to do to the shoes before I embark upon the ole spit `n' polish routine? Should anything be stripped off? Thanks!

Without seeing them it is hard to tell. But the heels of course don't need a spit shine. Neither does any part of the shoe except the toe and possibly the around the back of the heel of the foot. Where-ever the leather is meant to flex, you want to keep the spit shine off of there.

If there is some sort of black coating...a lacquer or liquid polish...that seems to be flaking off that should very definitely be removed.

Bare leather cannot be repaired, it can only be covered. If the problem is on the toes, a protracted regime of spit shining will eventually fill those holes with wax and make it look like it was never damaged. Concentrate on those areas twice as long or longer when you spit shine your toes. But, again, go at it slow. You might try melting a little polish and filling any deep crevasses, but don't try spit shining over the top of that until it is at least a day old and cold.

Remember...spit shines depend on the slow build up of thin layers of wax, each one brought to a mirror shine before the next thin layer is applied. This gives depth.

good luck.

[Bugbear]

Thanks DWFII. I don't know a lot about any of this, but I do remember that there is a difference in the look of a highly shined shoe and a patent leather shoe... Kind of a softer look to the highly shined shoe like the difference between silver and chrome. I like the softer look.

Also, I looked up the history of why Kiwi polish was named after the bird... It had to do with the inventor's wife of course. Never mind.

[Squeaky McMurdo]

I looked up the history of why Kiwi polish was named after the bird... It had to do with the inventor's wife of course. Never mind.

Shucks, and here I've always thought it was so named because it was made o' kiwi poop (the bird, not the NZers you sickos!)

kidding...