Anyone ever use the "Shine Butler" contraption?

[patrick_b]

http://shoeshinekit.com/shinebutler.html I've been looking for something heavy duty to securely hold shoes while shining. For the last buffing step, I need both hands and the shoe/boot secure. My wife's getting sick of helping me and I thought about a DIY contraption using vintage cobbler tools, like a cast iron shoe anvil that I found at a flea market. I finally stumbled across the shine butler and it seems like just the thing. It'll allow me to perform the final buffing step holding the shine cloth on each side of the shoe and pulling downward on the cloth which is easy when getting a shine w/the shoe on foot. Off foot is virtually impossible without securing the shoe. For example, this is the step to which I'm referring:

My concern is that the shine butler wouldn't work with boots. My regimen's been working well. For reference, my RMW's after almost 2 years still look great. Black Craftsman just had vibram 1/2 sole attached. Photographed next to chestnut craftsman with orig leather sole. On an unrelated note, the cobbler did a great job:

I just got the chestnut back from having the vibram sole attached as well.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

No, but honestly I don't know how you can get as good of a shine as just holding the shoe and turning it and handling it in different ways.

Those vibram soles are really ugly and ruin the leather sole, in my opinion.

 

[Harold falcon]

That contraption doesn't appear it would work well with boots. Looks kind of handy, though.

 

[Sartorial1]

I have managed well without one.
But if you need the help, why not?

 

[VaderDave]

My dad bought one of those and brought it home when I was about 13. For the next several years, one of my jobs was to polish his shoes every week. I had a couple of pairs of dress shoes at the time, so I would keep mine polished as well.

Although it doesn't work for boots it was really quite handy for polishing shoes, especially if you wanted to go two-handed with the polishing cloth (back and forth). I sort of wish I had one now, although I get good results just holding my shoes with my hands.

 

[ajv]

I can see why one would like to use such a tool, but I have no use for it. I prefer to do it the old fashioned way with the shoe on a table, shoe trees in and moving the shoe around with the left hand while polisihing with the right one.

Adrian

 

[Cant kill da Rooster]

You are overthinking it. Just put the shoe on a your hand and then on a box to buff. No way would I want that thing hanging on my wall.

 

[R-H]

Before pictures? These don't looks shined.

 

[MyOtherLife]

If you haven't the strength in your hands I can see the appeal for this device.
It appears to be rather flimsy though and would have to be screwed into a wood stud in the wall.
Screw that thing into drywall or a plaster wall and it will probably rip right out of the wall when you work on the shoe,
even with plugs. I would also wager that shoe polish will mysteriously get on the wall with this thing.
Better to buy of those portable drill-like polishing contraptions before this wall unit.
Why not just drape an olf T-shirt on your lap and hold the shoe between your knees as you polish.

 

[patrick_b]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Those vibram soles are really ugly and ruin the leather sole, in my opinion.


I hear you, but this gives me the option to wear them in the winter. Fortunately it's virtually impossible to tell there's a rubber sole on there, when viewed from the side.

Originally Posted by Cant kill da Rooster

You are overthinking it. Just put the shoe on a your hand and then on a box to buff. No way would I want that thing hanging on my wall.

Good point, I have made it through 40 yrs without it after all. As for hanging it on the wall, that's where I disagree. It would be a shame to hide such a tool in the basement or garage workshop. This thing belongs in one's living room next to a flat screen TV...or along side some nice built-in bookcases

 

[Cant kill da Rooster]

Put it in the bedroom.

 

[Bounder]

Originally Posted by patrick_b

For the last buffing step, I need both hands and the shoe/boot secure. My wife's getting sick of helping me
Do you make her wear them while you buff them?

 

[VaderDave]

If you look at the wall mount you can see that the part that sticks out slides into a baseplate. Once you take it off the plate is the only thing attached to the wall. The one we had was quite solid. I agree that you would have to screw it into a stud. We attached ours to a stud in the garage.

 

[TintoTerra]

"Shine butler" sounds like some sort of slang term.

 

[espo211]

I have held in my hand a cast iron shoe butler which sells for $97 at shoe repair shops. It looks sturdy enough for the side-to-side force that is applied while buffing. I have SEEN on-line a TALLER version which seems to be long enough for 10 inch boots( long enough down to before the bend where the front shoe-form attaches to), but I have not been able to locate it again.Good luck.