Can I sand my leather shoes to remove scratches? - Page 4

I prefer Crat's finish to Corthay's. Now, don't spill shoarma sauce again.

Yes I only sanded the toes as that was were the damage was on one shoe. I sanded both though to achieve a similar patina on both shoes.
It is indeed 240 grit which is a bit on the coarse side. I sanded applying only the slightest of pressure.

Interesting.....pretty unusual for someone to take that sort of things into their own hands - and on a Corthay!? Ended up very well. I will use OOOO steel wool on occasion while refinishing - but very rarely, and it's a last resort. For most pairs like this, I'd say use the Renovatrice or, easier, just layer in some wax and melt it, repeat, buff....that's the time tested method.

+1 on the improvement.

Thats what I'd normally do as well. Here however moisture (rain) had gotten into the light leather at the toe through a scratch and had been trapped there due to the glazing. Even after removing the glazing it wouldn't work according to my wishes. This did though

I try to avoid sandpaper and agree w/Ron on the steel wool.
The Corthay's came out great though. Nice job.

Another method for the OP is a black crayon.
Melt the tip. While the wax is wet, apply it to the gouges. Let set until barely soft.
Take the back of a spoon and rub the the area to level out the high edges.
Polish.
This process takes some perfecting so you may need some practice. Once you get the technique down it yields great results.
You can use it with many colors using different color crayons to match the leather.

Interesting...never thought about crayons. It's also a good reference to so many shoe care posts on-line.....there really is no one way. So many different leathers, so many different finishes, so many different products. Many of the questions I get pinged on are best answered 'take them to the best, local shoe repair shop in your town and let them fix them up for you'. Can't tell you how many people referenced those old refinishing threads I did from years ago here, tried it themselves and ruined the finishes, and ended up sending to me to be fixed. Many times the best thing is to simply take your shoes to the folks how do it for a living.

Good tip, I hadn't heard of using crayons. I'll bear it in mind for future mishaps that don't include water. I presume you use the spoon in the same way one would use a cobbler's bone?
Spoons actually are hot stuff right now over at the dutch styleforum, I might have to take a picture



This is very true. I actually had quite a long talk with one of the guys from Corthay about this. No two pieces of leather react to a procuct in exact the same way. This gives handmade shoes their charm though
Edited by Crat - 3/28/12 at 12:00pm

Not sure how many people here knows how to sharpen knives or razor blades, but 1000 grit sandpaper is already very fine and won't hurt your skin and over 1k grit sandpapers can be used to create a mirror finish on coppers. Auto detailing uses 600 to 2k range sandpapers on car finishes.

And suede can be polished to a high shine as well, see Zonkey Boots.

0000 steel wool feels like 500ish grit AFAIK.

Spoons = layman's sleeking bone.

Acetones sucks in getting colors out. Bleach is better. Just don't wet the shoe and rub too much, leather will be etched. And then you have to sand to level. Don't ask me how I know.

This thread delivers!

gotta love SF

WHAT!

 

Go pay Zonkey boots a visit.  I think its wax, low heat ironing.

How did I miss this thread the first time around?