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Polishing Wingtips

Discussion in 'General Attire & Accoutrements' started by Undertow, Jun 6, 2007.

  1. Jun 6, 2007 #1
    Undertow

    Undertow My Mail is Forwarded Here

    Messages:
    3,127
    Location:
    Des Moines, IA, US
    If there is another thread covering this info, please respond with a link and I would be happy to go there. I have looked over the search results and a few threads and I could not seem to find what I was looking for. </disclaimer>

    Could someone please give me tips on polishing wingtips? I own and have been polishing my wingtips for some time (using both cream and kiwi wax) but I find that when I buff a shine out, my buff rag tends to be quickly inundated with excess polish. So, I've tried using less polish and more brush but I still run into the same excess.

    I've determined that no matter how much or how little polish I apply with an applicator (foam or brush), excess polish wedges in the holes and articulations of the shoes, thereby coming loose while buffing.

    My solution thus far has been to go over the shoes with cream first, brush, then apply the Kiwi only to flat areas (no pointy articulations rife with holes, etc). This has seemingly worked but I'm afraid of not protecting the leather enough by skimping on polish, or is there simply a better way to do all this?

    And unless I'm doing something completely wrong, I'm not looking for a guide on how to polish; just tips on the 'tips. :)
     
  2. Jun 6, 2007 #2
    DELTA0321

    DELTA0321 New in Town

    Messages:
    35
    Location:
    Virginia, USA
    Wingtip Polish

    I've found success shining wingtips using a brush & kiwi to put on an all-over brush shine. The brushing seems to limit the excess buildup. After that a quick shine w/ slightly damp cloth & a touch of polish in a spit-shine style on the smooth parts.
    This isn't from any expert opinion I read, just experience shining my dad's by brush when I was young & adding on the last bit from military spit-shining.
    Hope that helps -

    v/r
    Steve
     
  3. Jul 3, 2007 #3
    Edward

    Edward Bartender

    Messages:
    19,566
    Location:
    London, UK
    I prefer a brush myself too. Also, I find that leaving them overnight with the polish on to soak in means there's a lot less to buff off to an easy shine, and it's presumably better for the leather too as the polish has more time to "feed" the leather?
     
  4. Jul 3, 2007 #4
    Undertow

    Undertow My Mail is Forwarded Here

    Messages:
    3,127
    Location:
    Des Moines, IA, US
    Now there's something I've never heard of before. That sounds like something I will need to try. Has anyone else had experience with this method (leaving it overnight)? And pros or cons?

    Thanks Edward!
     
  5. Jul 3, 2007 #5
    griffer

    griffer Practically Family

    Messages:
    752
    Location:
    New Hope, PA
    With Kiwi, I find lots of folks are way to quick to buff.

    While I have never left them overnight, I have certainly left them for quite a while.

    They should get nice a dull with almost a dusty cast to them, then hit them with a brush.

    I find this, along with patience in applying thin coats, several at a time, gets you a more durable shine while avoiding buildup.

    But eventually, you will want to saddle soap and clean them out, then start all over again.

    That's my two cents...
     

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