Polishing duty boots
- Thread starter jmcrawf1
- Start date
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When I used to polish the black issue boots, heat was the key. The quick way for me was to apply a thick coat of parade gloss polish, use a lighter to melt it, then buff with the brush. After that, use a stocking or pantyhose to buff it to a high shine, or use the inside of a diaper. Inspection ready in 20 minutes.
tactical723
3 Gun / F Class Player
+1 on the heat, also a new pair has no wax, you need to build up some wax
Ben Draughn
Well-Known Member
spit lots of spit
nickatnite
Crybaby Hater...
The easy way is leather luster...
Other than that,
Kelly Lynn shoe wax. The key to it is, take a lighter and light the polish in the can, then after some of it melts, blow it out and take a soft cloth (preferably a white cotton baby diaper) and start with small circles...
Other than that,
Kelly Lynn shoe wax. The key to it is, take a lighter and light the polish in the can, then after some of it melts, blow it out and take a soft cloth (preferably a white cotton baby diaper) and start with small circles...
dragginaknee
Gun Addict!!
Leather Luster!!
Or Tip Top Shoe Repair can put 1 heck of a shine on them for you
Or Tip Top Shoe Repair can put 1 heck of a shine on them for you
First thing we did with ours (plain GI stlye) was to get them soaking wet in the showers, then mush, twist, and smash them to soften them up. Let dry, then apply leather dye and let dry again. Then polish, buff, repeat a few times, then to get shine you apply polish (without any fire, you don't have to become an arsonist to get this right) and sprinkle water on top before buffing in small circles with a cloth, a cotton t-shirt works fine pulled tightly over your fingertip. The pantyhose thing works for a finish-up shine, too, but best when pulled taut between two hands while the boot is supported in front of you or actually on your foot. Use saddle soap to keep soft. For really soft boots, once wet initially, turn toe down and beat on floor to crush down the formed, rounded toe, the front will become much more pliant and flexible. I had a pair of jungle boots that I had done this to and with Dr. Scholl's insoles it was almost like running in a pair of tennis shoes, I almost cried when those boots finally fell apart after several years.
Guate_shooter
LA CHP Instructor # 522
The way that I was thought was as mentioned B4 with heat, we used a candle and wax, something that nobody has mentioned is for some weaird reasson we used to keep the cloth moist with water as well, and doing very small circles.
I guess if you melt the wax no need to use water, dry the wax up with the lighter and polish fast while its hot, then repeat about 500 times, once you build up a base it becomes really easy to do after.
I guess if you melt the wax no need to use water, dry the wax up with the lighter and polish fast while its hot, then repeat about 500 times, once you build up a base it becomes really easy to do after.
buy [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Stain-Polish-Marine-Cordovan/dp/B003UIFAEU[/ame] and apply with a moist brush, use big brush to buff shiny while still moist.
this stuff kicks kiwi ass.
and leather luster will cause your boots to crack.
this stuff kicks kiwi ass.
and leather luster will cause your boots to crack.
I've always been taught hot then cold.
Apply kiwi with dry cotton ball. Use lighter or candle to melt it on the boot. Have a bowl of water with ice in it, and dip a different cotton ball (or t-shirt, whatever) in, then small circles on the boot. Repeat until you feel you are done.
Apply kiwi with dry cotton ball. Use lighter or candle to melt it on the boot. Have a bowl of water with ice in it, and dip a different cotton ball (or t-shirt, whatever) in, then small circles on the boot. Repeat until you feel you are done.
Patent leather > *
I love the look of my Thorogood patent leather duty boots, but they are hot as hell. My feet sweat even with the temps we have now. But man they are shiny!
For plain leather, I put a thick coat of polish on the boot and melt it into the leather with a lighter, then buff it hard with a cotton towel. This usually gets it damn shiny in 1 coat.
I love the look of my Thorogood patent leather duty boots, but they are hot as hell. My feet sweat even with the temps we have now. But man they are shiny!
For plain leather, I put a thick coat of polish on the boot and melt it into the leather with a lighter, then buff it hard with a cotton towel. This usually gets it damn shiny in 1 coat.
Do you let it dry between applying the polish and buffing?
You don't have to let it dry. I normally don't. I go coat after coat after coat when I do it. I have been known to polish boots for an hour and a half before too. But it doesn't take that many to get a good shine. The first polish is going to be the toughest.
One suggestion for you. The first time you do it, you may want to use some acetone (nail polish remover) and strip the boot first. It'll remove whatever is on it first, and take more work to shine, but it'll be shinier. The only down side is, if you do this, you will HAVE to polish boots regularly. If you don't the leather will be permeable by water.
One suggestion for you. The first time you do it, you may want to use some acetone (nail polish remover) and strip the boot first. It'll remove whatever is on it first, and take more work to shine, but it'll be shinier. The only down side is, if you do this, you will HAVE to polish boots regularly. If you don't the leather will be permeable by water.
Thanks. I think I was getting discouraged by these being new boots and the first time they were being polished. I could not buff them to a shine at all. They stayed hazy and had a "film" that couldn't be buffed off seemingly. Finally I wiped them down with rubbing alcohol and re applied a coat of kiwi and buffed. Now, the boots look like they did when I first bought them. Which is fine, but now I want to shine them up.
