Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[JustinW]

Regarding pull-up and CXL maintainace:

It is not a porous leather, being so oily and waxy, so dirt just washes off with water. If you get an oil stain, saddle soap is fine to use occcasionally.

To keep them looking nice, a quick brushing once or twice a week is usually enough. Then apply a little Saphir Creme Cuir Gras every few months, followed with a little wax polish for a semi-shine.

You can get a mirror shine on this leather, but it won’t hold well. I’d advise aiming for a more semi-gloss finish.

Edit to add Legal’s advice on acrylic resolene is spot-on. I redressed a natural sole edge last week after lightly sanding and it looks better than new.

Edit: final bit of advice: CXL/pull-up leather colour changes as you replace the factory oils and waxes with your own, over time. Consider buying shade lighter than you want.

 

[Davey13]

For the edges, see my acrylic resolene post here:

https://www.styleforum.net/threads/custom-whites-boots-thoughts.219173/page-745#post-9373650

Both of the above are use at your own risk, but they work for me... if you want to spend more on the Saphir Sole Guard, be my guest, to be truthful, the leather sole does not really need treatment as long as you don't wear them in the rain.

Good Luck!

Sorry for all the questions. Here is a picture to try to help explain better.
I guess I should have been more clear. After looking for the right terminology, I'm at a loss trying to explain what I meant.
The bottom of the boots are rubber mini lug soles, but on top of that is a few pieces of stacked leather. That leather extends back to the heel in a nice flowing look which I love. But, I just don't what the heck its called.

Again, I'm sure I won't really be needing it any time soon, but I do plan on wearing these a lot and would like to keep them looking good, but living in NY it does rain and snow with salt all over the place in the winter.

So, I was thinking for those times when I may scuff the nice stacked leather edge, the edge dressing or resolene is what I need. But, since the stacked leather is visible along the edge, above the rubber, I assume it has some sort of coating or protectant but I don't know if they use brown, or natural color. Even when I called Whites, they weren't sure what was used.

So, would you say I need to buy natural color edge dressing for something like what I describe? Then, I gather I should follow that up with the resolene to "seal" it?

Edit: After reading your reply again a bit slower this time, if I understand correctly, i am going to need edge dressing to cover the scuff first in order to match the color of the rest of the leather edge, and then the resolene. Thanks

Thanks again for your patience.

 

[Davey13]

Regarding pull-up and CXL maintainace:

It is not a porous leather, being so oily and waxy, so dirt just washes off with water. If you get an oil stain, saddle soap is fine to use occcasionally.

To keep them looking nice, a quick brushing once or twice a week is usually enough. Then apply a little Saphir Creme Cuir Gras every few months, followed with a little wax polish for a semi-shine.

You can get a mirror shine on this leather, but it won’t hold well. I’d advise aiming for a more semi-gloss finish.

Edit to add Legal’s advice on acrylic resolene is spot-on. I redressed a natural sole edge last week after lightly sanding and it looks better than new.

Edit: final bit of advice: CXL/pull-up leather colour changes as you replace the factory oils and waxes with your own, over time. Consider buying shade lighter than you want.

Thank you for that. It sounds like that is what I'm trying to explain, with the sole. I attached a pic on my last post to help, would you say that is what's referred to as "natural" color on the edge?

And if so, did you use a natural color edge dressing before the Resolene? Just trying to understand. Thanks again.

 

[iamntbatman]

In the photo the midsole/stacked leather heels have a natural edge dressing. White's also offers brown and black. After the edges get beat up, you can either apply the natural edge dressing yourself (if it is just worn away) or carefully, lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper before applying the edge dressing.

 

[Legal Eagles]

In the photo the midsole/stacked leather heels have a natural edge dressing. White's also offers brown and black. After the edges get beat up, you can either apply the natural edge dressing yourself (if it is just worn away) or carefully, lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper before applying the edge dressing.

Edge dressing will restore the color... good for minor touchups... Resolene will seal the leather layers and give a little sheen... this helps keep moisture out and avoid heel layer separation. Colored Resolene will both restore the color and seal.

 

[JustinW]

Edge dressing will restore the color... good for minor touchups... Resolene will seal the leather layers and give a little sheen... this helps keep moisture out and avoid heel layer separation. Colored Resolene will both restore the color and seal.

^ This.

Don’t get too hung up on dressing color. I opted for White’s brown sole edge on my bounty hunters. It is definitely darker than natural at first- but not that much (actually looked pretty close to your pic of MPs above). Within a few months of wear, it looked about the same as the natural finish on the other pair I got at the same time.

Refinishing is easy and gives you a chance to dress them lighter or darker.

 

[Netvine]

Leather Sole - see my boiled linseed oil post (and general reflections of pros and cons of leather sole) here:

https://www.styleforum.net/threads/custom-whites-boots-thoughts.219173/page-720#post-9302408

For the edges, see my acrylic resolene post here:

https://www.styleforum.net/threads/custom-whites-boots-thoughts.219173/page-745#post-9373650

Both of the above are use at your own risk, but they work for me... if you want to spend more on the Saphir Sole Guard, be my guest, to be truthful, the leather sole does not really need treatment as long as you don't wear them in the rain.

Good Luck!

Do you suppose the best option than would be Brown Resolene alone for brown midsoles? Or, a neutral or brown Resolene followed by Brown Edge Dressing?

 

[Davey13]

Edge dressing will restore the color... good for minor touchups... Resolene will seal the leather layers and give a little sheen... this helps keep moisture out and avoid heel layer separation. Colored Resolene will both restore the color and seal.

Thanks, just what I was looking for. But, when I search for edge dressing, Fiebings seems to be the most popular, but I only see brown and black colors. Do they not make a natural color dressing?
Since the resolene seems to be made by Fiebings, I just kind of assumed the same company's products work well together.

 

[Davey13]

^ This.

Don’t get too hung up on dressing color. I opted for White’s brown sole edge on my bounty hunters. It is definitely darker than natural at first- but not that much (actually looked pretty close to your pic of MPs above). Within a few months of wear, it looked about the same as the natural finish on the other pair I got at the same time.

Refinishing is easy and gives you a chance to dress them lighter or darker.

I really love the idea of being able to touch up, or even change a bit the color like you say. Even hands on with the buffing and cleaning. Never had a pair of boots that needed it before. Thanks for the reply

 

[Davey13]

In the photo the midsole/stacked leather heels have a natural edge dressing. White's also offers brown and black. After the edges get beat up, you can either apply the natural edge dressing yourself (if it is just worn away) or carefully, lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper before applying the edge dressing.

Ah, "midsole" is the word I believe I was searching for, thank you.

 

[Davey13]

duplicate

 

[Legal Eagles]

Thanks, just what I was looking for. But, when I search for edge dressing, Fiebings seems to be the most popular, but I only see brown and black colors. Do they not make a natural color dressing?
Since the resolene seems to be made by Fiebings, I just kind of assumed the same company's products work well together.

Fiebings is what I use, both for edge dressing and for acrylic resolene.

Since edge dressing is for color only, it would make little sense to have a "neutral" edge dressing... that would be like trying to stain a piece of furniture with water...

Now because the resolene is for color and sealing, they do sell a neutral... for sealing leather when you do not want to change the color... the color stays the same, but you get a little sheen and protection... keeping up the furniture metaphor, think of it as clear polyurethane.

If you want to change or renew the color and provide protection, then we have colored resolene... think tinted polyurethane.

 

[Legal Eagles]

I really love the idea of being able to touch up, or even change a bit the color like you say. Even hands on with the buffing and cleaning. Never had a pair of boots that needed it before. Thanks for the reply

Beware, it is easy to go darker - natural to brown to black... much harder to get lighter... you, in essence, need to sand off the darker color to return it to neutral... neither MEK, nor acetone, nor Saphir Renotmat satisfactorily removes the dark edge dressing for me... inevitably some of the dark colors get in between the heel stack layers and will not come out... this leaves a most unfortunate look which must be removed mechanically through sanding.

Be careful about going too dark, it is hard to reverse.

 

[Legal Eagles]

Do you suppose the best option than would be Brown Resolene alone for brown midsoles? Or, a neutral or brown Resolene followed by Brown Edge Dressing?

@Netvine ... if I can get away with just using one product, I will... for brown midsoles, I just use the brown resolene. If I were compelled to use two products, I would use the edge dressing first, then when happy with the color (which is all edge dressing does) allow it to dry completely then add neutral resolene on top for the seal... I am not sure edge dressing would soak in if applied over a freshly cured coat of resolene...

Color only or small touchups - Edge Dressing
Seal only (keep existing color) with sheen - Neutral Resolene
Color and seal with sheen - Colored Resolene

Don't overthink it... and always test in an inconspicuous location (front of the heel) first...

 

[JustinW]

I still love that heel!