Shoe polish: thoughts, fun facts, questions

[kilted redleg]

Tobus

I was taught to shine shoes by my dad [WW2 vet and NYPD member] who taught me and my brother the fine art of button
polishing and shield [badge] polishing. In the military I always got compliments on my footwear but, to Nomad's point when
I was in law enforcement I had guys chide me about my shoes. When I pointed out their shoes I would get the reply "I want
people to know that I work for a living." Apparently sloppiness is associated with being able to work.
The best shoe polishing story I've ever seen was on you tube involving a BBC documentary I think it was called Guarding the
Queen. A new solider get assigned to his unit whose turn it is guard her majesty at Buckingham Palace, a corporal sends the newbie
outside with his dress shoes. There stands three sergeants one has like a paint buck full of shoe polish over a sterno fire can he stirring
with a paint brush. Next to him is one with a blow torch, next to him is one with a mountain of rags. As the newbie hands over his shoes
they get painted with polish the next guy blow torches them then hands them to the third guy who wipes them down leaving a mirror
shine and says something to the effect of welcome to the unit son like this every time you guard her majesty understood! I've never
seen that done in my life!

[FossilHunter]

Tobus

I was taught to shine shoes by my dad [WW2 vet and NYPD member] who taught me and my brother the fine art of button
polishing and shield [badge] polishing. In the military I always got compliments on my footwear but, to Nomad's point when
I was in law enforcement I had guys chide me about my shoes. When I pointed out their shoes I would get the reply "I want
people to know that I work for a living." Apparently sloppiness is associated with being able to work.
The best shoe polishing story I've ever seen was on you tube involving a BBC documentary I think it was called Guarding the
Queen. A new solider get assigned to his unit whose turn it is guard her majesty at Buckingham Palace, a corporal sends the newbie
outside with his dress shoes. There stands three sergeants one has like a paint buck full of shoe polish over a sterno fire can he stirring
with a paint brush. Next to him is one with a blow torch, next to him is one with a mountain of rags. As the newbie hands over his shoes
they get painted with polish the next guy blow torches them then hands them to the third guy who wipes them down leaving a mirror
shine and says something to the effect of welcome to the unit son like this every time you guard her majesty understood! I've never
seen that done in my life!

The doc sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

[gsmacleod]

I spent many hours polishing my parade boots to a mirror shine; my father taught me and although I spent lots of time doing polishing, I was never able to achieve his level of mastery.

As I did some drill instruction through my time in the military I always had a pair of parade boots highly shined and ready to go. I also attended many mess dinners I also had a highly shined pair of oxfords for those occasions and when not on parade.

Since leaving the military, I have one pair of highly shined oxfords (and maybe parade boots somewhere) but my other shoes are kept clean and buffed. Certainly not sloppy but a little polish and a buffing brush usually keeps them good for daily wear.

Shane

[Queenslander]

I had never owned a pair of brown leather shoes or boots until a couple of years ago, having required black boots in Corrections and the Police. Now with several pairs in differing shades of brown I do something similar to the black polish on brown, but use different tones of brown polish. This gives a real depth (not sure if patina is the right word) and character to the leather that I find very appealing. Incidentally my oldest son joined the Australian Navy Cadets last year and his PO advised against Kiwi Parade Gloss for spit polishing, and to use the regular Kiwi black.

[Blaidd]

..........his PO advised against Kiwi Parade Gloss for spit polishing, and to use the regular Kiwi black.

I think I have also said similar elsewhere - it leaves a strange mist'! Good advice for your son.

[Benning Boy]

A good hand using diaper cloth and spit with basic kiwi black can out shine parade gloss any day of the week. Going over a spit shine with Johnson's glow coat liquid floor polish will amplify the shine several times.

[Farmer Jones]

When I started my military service our Warrant Officer taught us to use a hot spoon to melt the wax into the boot. This worked very well and I have continued to do so. Polishing boots and cleaning my tobacco pipes because a sort of quiet contemplative thing to do. I like to lay everything out on a table, sit comfortably and work away in silence.