THE SPIT SHINE
Asking how to get a pair of boots to shine like black
glass will instantly collect everyone in earshot for a quick debate.
There are a number of ways to do it and much debate over what works best,
from flaming polish to cotton balls and real spit (all of which work).
A black glass level "spit" shine requires that a very smooth shell of wax
has been built up on the leather. To get that perfectly smooth shell, the
pores of the leather must be filled and the normal irregularities on the
surface filled in and smoothed over.
The debate is over how to accomplish that.
Some types of boots, such as oil tanned or silicone treated, will never
take a spit shine. Some boots, such as Corcoran II Field Boots, can only
be spit shined on the toes and heels; the rest of the boot must be done
with a conventional brush shine.
First, if your boots are new, give some serious thought to breaking them
in first. They actually change shape and it's best to work on a stable
platform.
Here's a method that works:
Wash your hands. Your skin contains natural oils and you can't polish a
boot that has oil on it, nor can you polish a boot with the oil on your
skin.
Step 1: Clean the boots. For a new or relatively clean pair,
all you will need is a damp cloth. If they're really dirty, put a small
amount of saddle soap on a soft shoe polish applicator, dip it in water,
and lightly scrub the boots. The saddle soap should foam a bit. Wipe off
the soapy water and dry the boots with a clean towel. If they're oily,
you'll need to wipe them with mineral spirits.
Step 2: If the boots already have old layers of polish on
them, strip the old polish off using mineral spirits on a clean cloth. If
you use "paint thinner", read the label to make sure it is indeed mineral
spirits. Provided it is mineral spirits, the cheap stuff works just as
well as the major brand names - be sure to use it in a well ventilated
area.
Step 3: If any areas show anything but deep black leather, dye the
entire boot with black shoe dye. Kiwi works great.
Step 4: Using any cotton cloth, rub in a relatively thick
layer of shoe polish onto one boot. Again, Kiwi shoe polish works just as
well as any I've tried. Get the big tins, as you will use a lot of polish.
Remember to apply polish to the tongue of the boot, and also to the edge
of the sole and heel. Use a toothbrush to apply polish to the "seams"
where the sole meets the upper shoe leather.
Step 5: Here's the hi-tech part: After you have applied the
polish to the boot, take a hair dryer using the hot setting, and slowly
blast hot air over the boot. You will see the polish melt briefly. This
melts the polish into the leather and seals the pores. Some folks use a
match or lighter, but that tends to burn the polish and excite the
neighbors.
Step 6: Let dry and brush (horsehair shoe brush works best)
Repeat steps 4 thru 6 for the other boot, then repeat steps 4 thru 6 three
more times, so that you have melted four layers of polish into the leather
and built up a good, smooth base. You should have a pretty decent shine at
this point, but not the "black glass" shine we're looking for.
Step 7: Put on the boots and walk around a bit. Flex the "cracks".
This will flake up excess wax in the creases - just give them a quick
brush and walk around a bit more. Take them off and dust away any flakes.
For the most part, this takes care of polishing all but the heel and toe.
You'll be able to get them to glass-up better on the following steps, but
that's quickly lost anywhere your boots flex during normal use. In order
to get the black glass effect (i.e. when you look into the toe cap you can
see your own reflection), you need to have good base layers to polish on.
Now comes the spit shine.
To do this you need the following 3 items:
- A very high quality polish such as Kiwi or Lincoln
Stain Wax.
- A damp 100% cotton cloth, cut into a square the size
of a handkerchief. An old T-shirt is ideal. Better yet is one of the tan
colored buffing cloths from a typical shoeshine kit. It must be 100%
cotton. Polyester will strip off the polish, which is the last thing you
want at this stage. Put away the horsehair brush, you won't be using it
from here on.
- Clean water to keep the cloth damp. A spray bottle
works really well. Some folks prefer spit or beer for their additional
lubricant properties, but I'm not that dedicated - and not sure there
weren't ulterior motives on the beer claim.
Wet the cloth and wring it out - you want it damp
but not dripping wet. Wrap it round the one or two fingers and grip the excess cloth so that you have a nice taut surface
at your fingertips. |
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Put a small amount of polish on the cloth at your
fingertips and begin lightly coating in little circles, working a section
at a time. Do not press hard, you only need to have a slight pressure on
the pad of your finger.
The first thing you will notice is that while polishing, it feels "rough"
and is almost putting pressure back onto the cloth. This is because you
need to lubricate the polish being applied. This is where your small
amount of water comes in. Put just enough on the cloth to allow the
rubbing to feel smooth. Start applying the polish again in a circular
motion.
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When you are applying the polish (in
a circular motion), you will see polish "swirls". Swirls are good,
they show that you are doing it right. As you keep polishing, the
swirls will start to go away - that indicates it is time for the
next layer. |
At first you will think a shine will never appear, but
keep doing those little circles on the section you are working on.
Eventually you will see a mirror shine begin to appear through the haze of
polish. Do not brush. Just keep rubbing. How long? Depending on the prep
work, an hour or so per boot. The good news is that once you've achieved a
real black glass shine, it only takes a coat or two to refresh it after a
drill.
This process takes a bit of practice. In time you will develop the
technique that works best for you. You will also find by experimenting
that variations on the little circles, such as back and forth buffing with
the damp cloth, work better on certain areas of the particular boot you
are shining. Turn the cloth to get a clean surface occasionally.
Use polish sparingly - the layers must be thin, or else the polish you
just applied will strip off ruining the shine you have so far. Keep the
cloth damp using your spray bottle or whatever. The purpose of the water
is to make the polish stick to the leather not to the cloth. It is the
thin layers of polish that gradually fill the tiny holes and bumps in the
leather, producing a smoother and smoother shell that shines like a
mirror.
As you build up the shell, use less and less
polish - keep going until you are only using a very small spot of
polish. |
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Options:
Unfortunately, wax is really a liquid and can soften and dull in direct
sunlight or hot conditions. If your boots get rough duty (or you tend to
run into things), you may want to give them a final liquid coat of KIWI
Premiere Shine Ultra-Brilliant. It provides some protection for your
hard work. Don't bother until the boots are at there best shine, as
liquids will not fill in the pores and irregularities. I'd also suggest
skipping floor wax, and other similar "tricks" - they wreck your boots and
any good NCO will spot it in a heartbeat.
Ongoing Maintenance
Maintaining the shine is much easier than the procedure just outlined.
Provided you have no major scuffs, all you really need to do is add
another layer or two of spit shine polish with your damp cotton cloth.
If you have a large scratch, you can dip your finger in mineral spirits
and melt the polish in the scratched area., then rebuild the layers.
Personally, I find it easier to strip the polish off a somewhat larger
area (typically the toe cap), and then redo the entire process described
above on that area.
Photo credits: CadetStuff
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