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Son Of Saphir

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How about we finally see your collection @Son Of Saphir ?
I'd love to see which pairs you polih with those Saphir products.

I don't use Saphir products much anymore, l have advanced to better things.

I've been meaning to post some of my collection for an instagram post, so l might post some of my collection here. I might do 50 pairs or l might do 100 pairs, we'll just have to see how l feel. Organising these shoots is hard work, and it is something l am not going to enjoy doing. When l have spare time and l have plenty of energy i'll do it (i'll message you).

Mean while, bespoke addict has sold 100 pairs and it has hardly made a dent in his massive collection. He has 100 pairs of this style and 100 pairs of that style etc. He has endless pairs.

Meanwhile l have another pair on the way. You wait until you see them, they are my craziest pair yet. Have wanted a pair like this for 20 years. I am so excited. Eye popping. Sometimes you need something crazy in your life, and these are it!
 

chrlsful

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once it reaches the hi numbers (place it anywhere above... for me it would B 50) I dont think one is creating their ‘fashion’. Ie I would think: “Today the grey suit, pink shirt...” etc. Shoes?/which would B part of the ensemble. Having so many I dont think they’re all in the mind and 1 selected for a match. A random selection? W a y out of my league... can a member enlighten me? Cant there be too much? (May B not. Man is the most adaptable animal on the planet, Inuit way up there in the cold, some in the darkest jungle of Amazonia).
 

Satmoche

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I don't use Saphir products much anymore, l have advanced to better things.

I've been meaning to post some of my collection for an instagram post, so l might post some of my collection here. I might do 50 pairs or l might do 100 pairs, we'll just have to see how l feel. Organising these shoots is hard work, and it is something l am not going to enjoy doing. When l have spare time and l have plenty of energy i'll do it (i'll message you).

Mean while, bespoke addict has sold 100 pairs and it has hardly made a dent in his massive collection. He has 100 pairs of this style and 100 pairs of that style etc. He has endless pairs.

Meanwhile l have another pair on the way. You wait until you see them, they are my craziest pair yet. Have wanted a pair like this for 20 years. I am so excited. Eye popping. Sometimes you need something crazy in your life, and these are it!
What products do you use now? What did you not like with Saphir products?
 

Son Of Saphir

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What products do you use now? What did you not like with Saphir products?

I had some stubborn shoes that always remained dry and lacked depth in colour, no matter what l did with Saphir products those shoes never got any better. After I started using certain products from the Boot Black range (deep rich moisturiser + two face plus lotion) the difference was like night and day. Finally the leather had depth and the leather was no longer dry, and the leather looked great instead of anemic and lifeless. It convinced me to make the change.

Boot Black is a real connoisseurs product, and it takes time to know when to use certain products. When does one use Rich Moisture v's Leather Lotion v's Two Face Plus Lotion v's creams, v's waxes v's Artists Palette. The collection also has `polish water' that l like to put in the freezer and use. Many of the people I know will not use Saphir renovateur.

Boot Black.jpg



@chrlsful having a wide range of shoes is always a luxury because we can select a certain shoe to create a certain look with an outfit. My memory is not always the best, but l can recall every single shoe l have and the maker, and remember where l bought it. Finding those shoes is another matter however. I have some shoes l know that l have, but they haven't been found in 20 years.

I have so many different browns in my collection so l need the huge range of Boot Black and Saphir to cover all the colours. For eg, it is difficult to match my Lattanzi cognac shoes, so l need to use products from both Boot Black and Saphir to get right shade just right. Sometimes none of the Saphir and Boot Black range will cover the colours of certain shoes so l then need to dip into a third draw and use the extra colours from the Collonil range, for eg, sometimes l want put to extra fire engine red into the shoe (no deep rich bright red is available from Saphir or Book Black, and the Collonil range has about 4 reds). Collonil also has many brown shades. In all l probably have over 100 shoe care products and polishes to cover all needs.
 
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Son Of Saphir

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Consider this.....

- you have 100 + pairs from the shoe room
- you unpack each shoe, take it outside, line it up for a photo, walk back inside to get another
- 4 minutes each time = 6.6 hours just to unpack and prepare everything
- 13 hours at least spent unpacking and packing everything up.
- 26 hours work straight for a 200 pair collection.

or

- Hire a truck and take everything down to the local park.
- Line everything up for a photo
- hire a drone to take above shots etc
=> result is a collection so big that the shoes look like dots. Are dots impressive?

These collections are not really glamorous like people think they might be. People with big collections would have to work all day and all through the night to prepare a photo. Just photographing 20 pair is enough.

Some of my pairs below.

Vass
Vass collection 4.jpg



Silvano Lattanzi
Lattanzi circle 8A - best.jpg



Years ago I was cleaning out the shoe room and took some pairs out to make more room. Put some pairs on a table and took a photo. Not a huge amount, but it took a nice photo. Even doing that took hours.

Old photo.

Shoes collection - mine.jpg
 

DorianGreen

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Consider this.....

- you have 100 + pairs from the shoe room
- you unpack each shoe, take it outside, line it up for a photo, walk back inside to get another
- 4 minutes each time = 6.6 hours just to unpack and prepare everything
- 13 hours at least spent unpacking and packing everything up.
- 26 hours work straight for a 200 pair collection.

or

- Hire a truck and take everything down to the local park.
- Line everything up for a photo
- hire a drone to take above shots etc
=> result is a collection so big that the shoes look like dots. Are dots impressive?

These collections are not really glamorous like people think they might be. People with big collections would have to work all day and all through the night to prepare a photo. Just photographing 20 pair is enough.

Some of my pairs below.

Vass
View attachment 2316365


Silvano Lattanzi
View attachment 2316367


Years ago I was cleaning out the shoe room and took some pairs out to make more room. Put some pairs on a table and took a photo. Not a huge amount, but it took a nice photo. Even doing that took hours.

Old photo.

View attachment 2316361

Fantastic shades on those Lattanzi.
 

chrlsful

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OK, that’s helpful, I get a lill of the idea now.
“...@chrlsful having a wide range of shoes... a certain shoe to create a certain look with an outfit (what I mentioned). My memory is not always the best, but l can recall every single shoe l have... Finding those shoes is another matter however..."
Perhaps back to that ‘adaptability’ comment I posted above. If there is interest the mind can be turned to the task (100s of shoes). Thnx again.
 

Satmoche

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I had some stubborn shoes that always remained dry and lacked depth in colour, no matter what l did with Saphir products those shoes never got any better. After I started using certain products from the Boot Black range (deep rich moisturiser + two face plus lotion) the difference was like night and day. Finally the leather had depth and the leather was no longer dry, and the leather looked great instead of anemic and lifeless. It convinced me to make the change.

Boot Black is a real connoisseurs product, and it takes time to know when to use certain products. When does one use Rich Moisture v's Leather Lotion v's Two Face Plus Lotion v's creams, v's waxes v's Artists Palette. The collection also has `polish water' that l like to put in the freezer and use. Many of the people I know will not use Saphir renovateur.

So far, I have not had any issue with Saphir except for the Saphir renovateur. If you have a shoe with a good mirror shine on it, it will take some elbow grease, and it is quite abrasive, by its nature.
Thank you for sharing the Boot Black name, I will do my research now.
 

Son Of Saphir

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So far, I have not had any issue with Saphir except for the Saphir renovateur. If you have a shoe with a good mirror shine on it, it will take some elbow grease, and it is quite abrasive, by its nature.
Thank you for sharing the Boot Black name, I will do my research now.

Saphir renovateur doesn't have to be abrasive if you put it on the shoes quickly and gently. What some of us don't like is that it dries the leather dry out pretty quick after applying it on certain leathers. Others say it ruins certain leathers by making them stretch/pucker when one applies too much renovateur. Numerous shops refuse to stock Saphir for these reasons.

Regarding using moisturiser for shoes, it needs to be done very carefully because some leathers are not suitable for regular mositerising in my experience. I was using too much Deep Rich Moisture (Boot Black) on some of my Lattanzi leathers and it was also causing issues like puckering of the leather. The highend shop owner also experienced the same with Saphir renovateur and stopped stocking it for ages until client demand forced him to change his mind. The artform of polishing is knowing when to use things and how to use things. Often l will use Two Face Plus Lotion and that is it.

If leathers are really top notch a mirror shine won't need much elbow grease, but those type of leathers are not so common sadly.
 

thesartorialistbanker

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Where do you get your shoes shined in NY? Do you also have a reliable cobbler for resoling or heel replacement?
For best shoeshines in New York City I go to:

1. Eddie's Shoe Repair in the lower level of the Rockefeller Center (basement). Best shine in town by far. They don't use Saphir cosmetics for shoes but they take the longest and really polish shoes very well.
I've been going there since 2014 and they're unbeatable at that price.
They never rush you even if there is a long line.
Pro tip, never go there at lunch time or right after 5pm. The lines are out of the door and you will wait for a long time.
30, Rockefeller Plaza - Floor 1, New York, NY 10112

They have another location at: 45 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017.
I usually go to the Rockefeller Building location, as I've been going there for over 10 years. Both locations do a great job on the shine.

2. LEATHER SPA on 55th Street location.
55 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
They are pricier but use Saphir products. The shines are great at Leather SPA and they don't rush you.

LEATHER SPA also has other locations at:
- LEATHER SPA at Grand Central Train Station - 87 E 42nd St - Floor L, New York, NY 10017 (lower level)
- LEATHER SPA right next to Grand Central location - 420 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10170
- LEATHER SPA at Saks Fifth Avenue - 611 5th Ave 8th floor, New York, NY 10022
- I've heard that LEATHER SPA at Penn Station location is coming soon

I can highly recommend both Eddie's Shoe Repair at the Rockefeller Center and LEATHER SPA on 55th Street. Eddie's is cheaper and more meticulous but uses non Saphir shoe cosmetics. Leather SPA at 55th Street uses Saphir cosmetics for shoes but takes slightly less time to polish your shoes.
The outcomes are great for shoeshines at both of these businesses.

Both places also do resoling and heel replacements.

I hope that helps.
 
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epsilon22

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For best shoeshines in New York City I go to:

1. Eddie's Shoe Repair in the lower level of the Rockefeller Center (basement). Best shine in town by far. They don't use Saphir cosmetics for shoes but they take the longest and really polish shoes very well.
I've been going there since 2014 and they're unbeatable at that price.
They never rush you even if there is a long line.
Pro top, never go there at lunch time or right after 5pm. The lines are out of the door and you will wait for a long time.
30, Rockefeller Plaza - Floor 1, New York, NY 10112

They have another location at: 45 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017.
I usually go to the Rockefeller Building location as I've been going there for over 10 years. Both locations do a great job on the shine.

2. LEATHER SPA on 55th Street location.
55 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
They are pricier but use Saphir products. The shines are great at Leather SPA and they don't rush you.

LEATHER SPA also has other locations at:
- LEATHER SPA at Grand Central Train Station - 87 E 42nd St - Floor L, New York, NY 10017 (lower level)
- LEATHER SPA right next to Grand Central location - 420 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10170
- LEATHER SPA at Saks Fifth Avenue - 611 5th Ave 8th floor, New York, NY 10022
- I've heard that LEATHER SPA at Penn Station location is coming soon

I can highly recommend both Eddie's Shoe Repair at the Rockefeller Center and LEATHER SPA on 55th Street. Eddie's is cheaper and more meticulous but uses non Saphir shoe cosmetics. Leather SPA at 55th Street uses Saphir cosmetics for shoes but takes slightly less time to polish your shoes. The outcomes are both great for shines at both of these businesses.

Both places also do resoling and heel replacements.

I hope that helps.
Very helpful, thank you. I'll check them out.
 

Son Of Saphir

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Another old photo showing off a range of pretty colours. Some bespokes, numerous English rtw, and a Bemer. Look at that epoch Lobb two eyelet derby in purple museum.

Gina shoe.jpg


Just a few of my norvegese pairs with two of my best to the right of photo. Santoni followed by the greatness of Lattanzi and Branchini. The Branchini wholecut is a sight to be seen, it blows most norvegese shoes completely out of the water; it is a masterpiece.
Norvegese stitching 1.JPG



O.k, i've shown some of mine, how about someone else show some nice photos of their collection.
 

MrFingers

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I guess while we’re here, if anyone wants to unload Edward greens in size 9.5/10E let me know!
 

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