**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.**

[badsha]



I agree with everything Patrick Booth has to say about Renovator. It's the Swiss army knife of shoe care products and useful for: blending previous coats, re-energizing a tired looking surface, softening the leather and imparting a subtle sheen. I use it often, even under the mirror shine. However, unlike Patrick Booth, I always leave overnight to dry. Also, don't try to buff Reno with a fluffy cloth, as bits of lint will grab and stick. Plain old cotton rag works best here.

Lear

I must not be doing something right. I left Renovator overnight and it became very difficult to remove, almost caked on there. I applied a thin layer with my fingers. Does Renovator remove cream polish?

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I have had similar experiences with leaving renovateur on too long. It does act as a solvent to remove old polish such as cream.

 

[Lear]

Happened to finger on a coat of Reno late last night. The previous state was mirrored on the caps & heels, with a normal high shine elsewhere. I'll do this (Reno) about once a month. Anyway, just buffed with an old cotton handkerchief, then applied an all over 'normal' thin coat of wax and buffed again with cotton handkerchief. Absolutely no deterioration whatsoever. In fact the mirror is already (slightly) visible, with the rest of the shoe looking very shiny indeed.

Might it be because I'm using cotton and not brushes? In fact, I rarely take brushes to my good shoes anymore (maybe I should). Using cotton does involve more work, but seems to preserve the previous mirror.

Yes, I realize there's more to life than polishing shoes. Once you get the mirror down though, it's just a couple of minutes per week.

Lear

 

[KitAkira]

Quote: This is depressing. My favoritest boots are living by the clock

 

[Louis XIV]

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[NOBD]

You forgot the sole edges, Louis...

 

[patrickBOOTH]

You need Saphir Renovateur, Saphir creame or wax polish and a brush. That is it.

 

[NAMOR]

Installed Plastic Tap on a new pair of C&J for BBBF saddles







1: apply plastic heel tap
2: predrill the holes in the shoe going as deep as the screw requires. No more, no less
3: apply silicon to the opening
4. screw in the wood screw. I used a 1/2 screw in the heel and a 3/8" screw in the front

comments and critique welcomed. I wanted to put two screw in the front but the stitching didnt allow for it

before:


after:

 

[NOBD]

^
I like posts like that. I wonder about the screws you used: won't they rust? And I like old screws better: (-) in stead of (+). (How's that for a nitpick?)

 

[NAMOR]



^
I like posts like that. I wonder about the screws you used: won't they rust? And I like old screws better: (-) in stead of (+). (How's that for a nitpick?)

I didnt consider the rust factor until after I put them in. The following day I went to another hardware store where I found the #2 (thinner than 4) flat screws in addition to #2 phillips screws. You can also get treated screws but again, I didnt consider it until afterwards.

As far as durability goes, I have worn them twice thus far and they are rock solid. They havent budged at all.

Your nitpick is a worthy one. Why do you prefer flat over phillips? Does it have to do with the G&G/Vass recessed metal toe taps? they use flat screws, no?

 

[Lear]

Don't know why I'm suddenly double posting -please delete

 

[Lear]



I must not be doing something right. I left Renovator overnight and it became very difficult to remove, almost caked on there. I applied a thin layer with my fingers. Does Renovator remove cream polish?

To answer your question (again), look at these pics I posted a couple of days ago:







The shoes had a fading shine, and needed a monthly Reno and re-mirror.

So, they were completely coated in a layer of Renovator, and looked as matte as a Teflon coated saucepan in the middle of a Norwegian winter. Not a ***** of sparkle coming from any pore of the leather. Left for about 24 hours to completely dry, they were then buffed with a cotton handkerchief. I immediately went from this to what you see in about six coats of Saphir wax polish (6 on toes & just 2 on rest of shoe). But believe me, if I'd also included a single coat of cream polish, the results would've been exactly the same. I'll occasionally include this single layer of cream when I feel the colour needs a little lift.

What I've found, is that although I'll happily leave Reno to dry overnight, I'll NEVER leave Saphir cream polish to sit for more than 10 -15 minutes. Leave for too long, and it'll set solid around the welts and seams. Could it be your cream polish that has set solid? I simply don't know.

The above works for me, with photographs as evidence. I use a lot of Reno, and find it compatible with a beautiful mirror. Have you even tried to buff the Reno yet? It'll appear to have set solid, but once you buff it, the shoe will take on a soft sheen. It's after this that the fun starts.

Lear

 

[Lear]

Double post - Please delete

 

[Louis XIV]

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[Naka]



Thanks a lot mate.
How do you apply the Renovateur as well as the wax, just some old piece of cloth like a worn out sock or something, or do you use one brush for appyling and one for polishing?

Also should I buy colored wax/polish so I can get rid of the places the leather aged darker at than the rest of the shoe?

Not patrick, but I usually apply any sort of creme with my fingers as it is easy to wipe off, and you don't waste any of that expensive stuff by soaking a cloth with it. I recall another member applying Renovateur with fingers for that reason aswell. I believe the heat from my hands also helps in evenly distributing the cream.