**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.**

[westie187]



Hey, anyone know which stores carry Lexol? Home Depot, Target, etc?

Thanks.

http://www.amazon.com/Lexol-1013-Leather-Conditioner-Liter/dp/B000637TNM

 

[traverscao]

Hey, anyone know which stores carry Lexol? Home Depot, Target, etc?

Thanks.

Even Walmart, if you wish, or any shoe repair shops.

 

[traverscao]

Travers i cant be100% sure for all my shoes! But most of them are vegetable tanned (that is stated from the manufacturer and from what i see they look like to be veg tanned)!! one pair of monks i own even the seller was saying they were bark tanned i suspect they where chrome tanned from an undyed part of the tongue (it was blueish inside)!! i can only be sure for the pair that is made from a friend of mine cause i have seen pictures from the hide!!

Now that's a pain when they said bark tanned but turned out to be the wet blue stuff LOL!

On the contrary, beware if that might just be the effect of the dye.

The distinguish characteristic of veg tanned leather is that they can be burnished with a smooth object to a fair shine, as DW said, although, FWIW, he also mentioned of an Annonay chrome tanned capable of being burnished.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Finished veg tanned leather generally doesn't burnish, it more or less just scratches, or gets depressions in it, ime. I tried burnishing my bridle leather briefcase with the back of a spoon and it just left impressions. Maybe you just have to keep going and even it out? Seems like it would take 30 years.

 

[Beach Bum]

Thanks

 

[Layered Player]

Gentlemen, first I apologize if I'm breaching protocol by asking before reading the ENTIRE thread...ain't nobody(with small children) got time for that!


I've inherited a pair of Aristocraft ruby shell cordovan captoes and they're cracking a bit in the vamp.


What can I do to 1. stop it, if possible and 2. limit future damage?


Much obliged in advance!

 

[laufer]



Gentlemen, first I apologize if I'm breaching protocol by asking before reading the ENTIRE thread...ain't nobody(with small children) got time for that!


I've inherited a pair of Aristocraft ruby cordovan captoes and they're cracking a bit in the vamp.


What can I do to 1. stop it, if possible and 2. limit future damage?


Much obliged in advance!

No worries, it's not possible to breach a protocol in this thread. This is a showcase of humanity on its best.

There are some knowledgeable people here that can answer your question but they would need to see the pictures of shoes, especially the "cracking".

It could be something simple that can be buffed out or it could be something beyond repair so pictures would be of great help.

 

[traverscao]



Finished veg tanned leather generally doesn't burnish, it more or less just scratches, or gets depressions in it, ime. I tried burnishing my bridle leather briefcase with the back of a spoon and it just left impressions. Maybe you just have to keep going and even it out? Seems like it would take 30 years.

A spoon isn't very productive with veg tanned leather, FWIW, Pat, because metal's chemical properties imparts weird reactions to veg tanned leathers. I've had much more successes with Abbeyhorn slicker bone (what they'd call "snake head"), the deer bone, and a hammer's shaft. If at all possible, dip your finger into water, rub on the spots, and burnish, and at the end, the finish will be intriguing.

 

[traverscao]



Gentlemen, first I apologize if I'm breaching protocol by asking before reading the ENTIRE thread...ain't nobody(with small children) got time for that!


I've inherited a pair of Aristocraft ruby shell cordovan captoes and they're cracking a bit in the vamp.


What can I do to 1. stop it, if possible and 2. limit future damage?


Much obliged in advance!

You really have to identify whether if it is just the polish cracking, or is it the hide itself is falling apart.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



Gentlemen, first I apologize if I'm breaching protocol by asking before reading the ENTIRE thread...ain't nobody(with small children) got time for that!


I've inherited a pair of Aristocraft ruby shell cordovan captoes and they're cracking a bit in the vamp.


What can I do to 1. stop it, if possible and 2. limit future damage?


Much obliged in advance!

If it is truly cracking places like B Nelson shoes can patch it from the inside, but I would imagine that is very costly. Aside from that there's nothing you can do.

A spoon isn't very productive with veg tanned leather, FWIW, Pat, because metal's chemical properties imparts weird reactions to veg tanned leathers. I've had much more successes with Abbeyhorn slicker bone (what they'd call "snake head"), the deer bone, and a hammer's shaft. If at all possible, dip your finger into water, rub on the spots, and burnish, and at the end, the finish will be intriguing.

I've tried doing it with an abbey horn buffalo shoe horn with no better results. I was always under the impression it was more about the compression of the fibers and less to do with the material used (as long as it is smooth and hard).

 

[traverscao]

I've tried doing it with an abbey horn buffalo shoe horn with no better results. I was always under the impression it was more about the compression of the fibers and less to do with the material used (as long as it is smooth and hard).

I don't know, Pat, but spoons had never really worked for me. Most spoons are also high on chrome (ever seen any modern spoons rusting? That oughtta be illegitimate case LOL), and I think they don't help. But, yah, as of burnishing, it's basically glazing with an object via manual labor and a smooth object (in the case of veg tanned, it just oughtta be natural material).

Have you tried burnishing waxes on the leather? I think it oughtta be slightly different. When I burnish the sole edges of my shoes, I rubbed water along the edges, then rub the bone on, then as soon as that was smooth and shiny, I added some wax dressing (the kind of thing such as beeswax mixed with an oil, not polish), and that made a big difference. I think bridle leather benefits a lot from burnishing with a wax product, so, if possible, try and see how that works out

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I've only tried with wax polish. Just smudges around. It is funny though the back of the brief that continuously rubs on my side when walking is super shiny from the subtle but constant friction.

 

[traverscao]

Burnishing rulez LOL!!!!

Wax polish? As in regular paste wax? I don't really know, but on a constant norm, I'd conclude that as a bad decision LOL!

They used to have a specific mix for blackening bridle leather, something like 3 part beef tallow, 4 part pure neatsfoot oil, 1 part blacking (ivory black, carbon soot blacks), and one part beeswax. I'd love to try that out when I am done creating waxed calf.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I didn't really put much effort into it to be honest. I mean none of my leather really needs to be burnished as it is all black. I was just seeing if I could raise a shine with just friction. After about 30 seconds I lost interest. Other than some sort of solvent added I don't see why paste wax polish would be any different.

 

[traverscao]

My crazy explanation is that ordinary wax polish lack of a lubrication ingredients, which, while putting a shine on, doesn't do real justice for the natural beauty of bridle leather.

Your brief case, were they surface dyed or struck through? I love the surface dyed leathers. They age beautifully, even when they were dyed black.