Spit Shine and Hot Sunny Day

[HitMan009]

Yesterday, while I was outside in NYC on a street bench admiring the scenery during lunch time, I began to see my gleaming glossy spit shine melt away under the heat of the sun... What gives? Is this normal?

 

[johnw86]

I heard it was hot yesterday on the east coast, but it melted your shine?.?

 

[bch]

Too much polish, maybe? Would it come off on a clean rag?

 

[gardel]

I've heard of guys using a hair dryer to force the leather to absorb the wax. Perhaps you've found a natural variant of this technique?

 

[HitMan009]

I went home, let the shoes dry out for a few hours and put the shoe in front of my AC for a couple of minutes. Â After that, wipe the shoe clean with a damp rag and applied a new coat of wax polish. Â The results were nothing sort of amazing. Â I got a better shine with just a few buffs using nylon hosiery then any other time.

I use Kiwi wax polish and Meltonian shoe cream exclusively on all my shoes. But after reading Riders comments on leather conditioner/cleaner, I am tempted to buy some Lexol right away.

 

[Teacher]

As bch said, it does sound like there was a wax buildup. Be sure to strip the wax away once in a while; your leather will breathe better, and your shines will look nicer.

 

[bch]

Best shine I get is by lighting can of Kiwi afire with a match. Snuff out with lid. Apply melted wax with horsehair applictor. Allow to dry for a couple hours. Buff with horsehair brush and cloth diaper to remove any excess.

 

[Teacher]

Best shine I get is by lighting can of Kiwi afire with a match.  Snuff out with lid.  Apply melted wax with horsehair applictor.  Allow to dry for a couple hours.  Buff with horsehair brush and cloth diaper to remove any excess.

Cloth diaper? Good Lord, man, where do you even find something like that any more? At any rate, I use one of my wife's old flannel (and ugly) night gowns. The day she offered it for my shoe box, I cut it up with such zest, fervor, and gusto that she has yet to replace it. Good.

 

[bch]

Quote:

(bch @ June 16 2005,12:26) Best shine I get is by lighting can of Kiwi afire with a match. Snuff out with lid. Apply melted wax with horsehair applictor. Allow to dry for a couple hours. Buff with horsehair brush and cloth diaper to remove any excess.
Cloth diaper? Good Lord, man, where do you even find something like that any more? At any rate, I use one of my wife's old flannel (and ugly) night gowns. The day she offered it for my shoe box, I cut it up with such zest, fervor, and gusto that she has yet to replace it. Good.
They still sell them at baby stores, but most parents just use them as burp cloths nowadays. The disposables just don't give the shine I'm looking for.