Yak Shoe Brush Owners

[ducatiti]

So, I've had this Yak Brush in my cart for months despite the promotional discounts going on. I can't seem to convince myself to purchase a $135 shoe brush. I am now so fortunate to receive one as a Father's Day Gift. But when you think about it, lots of guys in here spends thousands on their shoe collection but skimp out on maintenance stuff

Well anyways, out of the box, I noticed that the bristle density is the major difference compared to a horse brush hair. It us much thicker and more bunched together. It's also a bit less soft than a goat hair brush in a good way. Handle is also well made and crafted. It is very comfortable to grip, and just the perfect size. Can't wait to go to work with this brush.

For those who own the same or similar Yak brush, do you use it to buff of polish or wax, or rather for light dusting before and after wearing your shoes?

 

[ryanluo23]

Congrats on your sovereign Yak Brush! It will no doubt produce a sovereign grade finish - pardon my sense of humor in trying to mimic Kirby

Yak and Goat are finishing brushes

However, this might be controversial, IMHO, you don't really need a goat/yak to achieve a mirror shine. Nevertheless, congrats on the new acquisition

 

[ducatiti]

Congrats on your sovereign Yak Brush! It will no doubt produce a sovereign grade finish - pardon my sense of humor in trying to mimic Kirby

Yak and Goat are finishing brushes

However, this might be controversial, IMHO, you don't really need a goat/yak to achieve a mirror shine. Nevertheless, congrats on the new acquisition

Thanks. You are probably right but I thought that one can bring out the shine faster than an ordinary due to the more dense brush bristles, more heat perhaps?

 

[Peking_Gent]

I bought one during the last father's day sale. Honestly, I don't really know the use of it. I'm using it to buff cream or renovateur, it does create fewer scratch lines than horsehair brushes, and I guess a better shine. I think a goat hair brush is more useful than a yak hair one. I use it daily to brush off dust without scratching up my mirror shine.

 

[ducatiti]

I think in terms of softness, yak is in between horse and goat hair. Nothing will beat yak in terms of bristle density and speed to a quick shine. I just use the goat brush for the final shine or touching up a mirror gloss.

 

[Crispyj]

The Japanese shoeshiners use yak/goat (any really soft bristle brushes) to buff the mirror shine before the last step of only using water to polish. It helps meld the mirror shine with the leather parts that don't have wax polish, making it more gradual instead of a really noticeable cutoff of wax polish (mirror shine).

Example here, you can't really tell the exact line where the mirror shine ends at the toes. Also the mirror shine on the sides of the shoes blend in gradually very well.

 

[JFWR]

As much as I like Kirby Allison, who is a real gentleman and a great teacher of cool shoe techniques, sometimes he sells things on the Hanger Project which are there to impress more than to be used.

I have a feeling the yak hair brush is basically just him knowing that some dandies (myself included) are willing to pay 135 dollars for a brush to make their shoes look great. Though I question if you'll get any better result from using yak over horse hair for shining the shoe.

 

[logboy]

i’ve looked around for alternatives to this KA yak brush, as it’s too expensive.

there’s a long tradition of brush making in germany, and i noticed the two-tone look is commonplace there. there’s very few (literally) sites showing yak hair shoe polishing brushes in germany.

it seems they’re made by dim, a charity employing the disabled, as far as i can tell.

not sure about shipping from their site. their own illustration is different in top colour, but entia (a stockist) describing the same specification on brush says enough to point to the same maker, but their own illustration matches KA look.

dim >

Glanz- und Feinpolierbürste

Glanz- und Feinpolierbürste Premiumklasse der Schuhpflegebürsten. Die Glanz- und Polierbürsten erzeugen einen besonders edlen Hochglanz.

dim-berlin.de

entia, a stockist >

Glanzbürste mit dunklem Yak-Haar | Nachhaltiges aus sozialen Manufakturen

Glanzbürste mit dunklem Yak-Haar - Das Haar vom Yak macht die besondere Qualität dieser exklusiven Glanzbürste aus. Das Haar des in Ostasien verbreiteten Rindes ist für die Lederpflege hervorragend ge

www.entia.de

i’ve also noticed a shop photo of burstenhause in berlin that shows the brush has been sold there at times. they also do similar / same style horse and goat hair brushes in light and dark hair.

Home - Bürstenhaus Frankfurt GmbH

i’ve seen they’re not nailed on those horsehair brushes, but screwed to secure the top, from within the bristles; the yak appears to be nailed, and shown on the shelf behind.

ordered myself dark horse and goat hair brushes from there. no listing for yak there currently. very friendly and easy; used google translate to handle this, accepts paypal.

 

[logboy]

Home - Bürstenhaus Frankfurt GmbH

received two brushes from here this week. quick and easy to organise, payment by PayPal available.

apparently have access to other handmade shoe brushes, including the yak one by dim that KA sells for $135.

not listed on her site, but available if you ask, it seems.

 

[dogjaeja]

Home - Bürstenhaus Frankfurt GmbH

received two brushes from here this week. quick and easy to organise, payment by PayPal available.

apparently have access to other handmade shoe brushes, including the yak one by dim that KA sells for $135.

not listed on her site, but available if you ask, it seems.

I kind of get lost in the translation for some of these sites - would you have a recommended yak hair brush seller that is able to ship to the U.S?

 

[logboy]

I kind of get lost in the translation for some of these sites - would you have a recommended yak hair brush seller that is able to ship to the U.S?

Home - Bürstenhaus Frankfurt GmbH

 

[dogjaeja]

For those who own the same or similar Yak brush, do you use it to buff of polish or wax, or rather for light dusting before and after wearing your shoes?

I received a Yak brush yesterday.
Decided to use it for daily maintenance on a pair of Black Chelseas.
Unexpectedly - the Yak brush began to remove the wax polish on the toe cap.

So I gave the boots a full routine and only used the Yak for renovateur brushing and cream polish buffing.
It is a very dense brush and satisfying for those steps.
Will probably get a second as this one now has a bit of black cream.

I will still use goat hair for balancing hard waxes and maintenance, and multiple horse-hair for other uses.

 

[Thor48]

I happened to see this site for various nice brushes. The Burgol brushes are made in the Black Forest in Germany. Come highly recommend.
Good luck.

The link:

High-quality Shoe Brushes for Shoe Care

High-quality shoe brushes for optimal shoe care ▻ Dirt brushes, shine brushes & suede brushes with natural hair for clean and shiny shoes.

www.shoepassion.com