Polishing/Oiling Paratrooper Jump Boots

[Blake_E]

Hey all, just a quick question here, say i want to gradually oil some boots, with neatsfoot oil, to darken them over time, when should the oiling be done? Before, or after spit polishing?

[Bazooka Joe]

Hey all, just a quick question here, say i want to gradually oil some boots, with neatsfoot oil, to darken them over time, when should the oiling be done? Before, or after spit polishing?

 

 

Neatsfoot oil will destroy any shine you have on your boots, and after you've used it it will take a while (and a lot of polish) before you get a shine again.

[Bsquirrely]

OK,

Using saddle soap clean them very well.

Let them dry thoroughly overnight with just air.

Make shure you stuff the toes with newspaper to help out.

Take your polish, and rub it in by hand with your fingers.

Take your shine brush and brush the Heck out of them.

Take a very soft rag, a old CLEAN cloth diaper works best.

Using either alcohol, lighter fluid, or just plain water soak the rag.

Take your wet cloth tightly wrap it around your first three fingers, of your strong hand.

Lightly apply some polish to the portion of the rag that is over the tips of your fingers.

Light fast large circles applying medium pressure.

Reapply some fluid and repeat.

It should be a little tough at first then get really slick at the end when the shine comes on.

The more of a polish you get the easier it will be farther down the road.

The boots will darken over time and use without having to oil them.

 

A "Old Soldiers" trick is to take a nylon and use to buff out any scuffs between polishes.

 

Hopefully this helps you out. It helped me out at the Tomb, it's simple and effective.

I have found that most of the "easy polish" liquids and tricks such as lighting the polish, or using floor polish will wreck your boots really fast.

[Blake_E]

Hehe thats the exact method i use Bsquirrely, cheers I already spit polished them, i was just wondering if i could oil them to darken them, i guess not, will just leave it to use. Cheers guys

[Sgt_Rock_EasyCo]

Hehe thats the exact method i use Bsquirrely, cheers I already spit polished them, i was just wondering if i could oil them to darken them, i guess not, will just leave it to use. Cheers guys

 

I've spoken to several wwii paratrooper vets to compare how they spit shined, to when I was a paratrooper. Same method.

 

NEVER BRUSH SHINE YOUR WALKOUT BOOTS= Once you get your boots polished up consider them like a waxed car. Would you run a wire brush over your newly polished car? No. This is key to keeping your boots polished. If you use a brush on your boots you will have to polish out hundreds of tiny scratches and that takes time.

 

1. Clean your boots using a cotton mesh diaper. Remove the laces and put shoe trees inside.

2. Use your cotton mesh diaper- Get it wet under ONLY cold water and wash off any dust or debris. This allows any polished surfaces to maintain their shine.

3. Wring out the diaper until it's not dripping and then wipe the excess water drops from the boots.

4. Apply a layer of brown leather dye to the ENTIRE outside surface of the boots except the bottom and inside. Let dry.

5. Pick up one boot and using three fingers- dip your fingers right into the brown polish of your choice (I prefer lincoln) and rub in circular motions until your fingers start to get resistance and you see swirls. Use this method of applying a base coat to your entire boot surface, and then repeat to the second boot.

6. Fill the lid of the polish with cold water for dabbing the cotton diaper to keep moisture in the rag.

7. Use the damp diaper- wrap it around three fingers on your strong hand and spin it tight around the back of your hand and wrap around your wrist to keep it away from the boot.

8. Dip the flats of your three wrapped fingers in the polish (no chunks, just a swipe) and repeat the swirling motion on the entire boot surface. It's hard work but the boot will begin to take polish. As the boot shines more and more you will apply less polish (as needed) to the finger tips and you will apply less and less pressure. Over time you will be just touching the damp rag with small dabs of polish to the boot surface and swirling with light pressure.

9. Over the hours of polishing the boot will build up laters of polished shoe polish and will shine like it's wet. When it gets dusty you must only clean the boot using the wet diaper under cold water method. If you use a boot brush then you will have undone your spit shine to a signaficant degree.

10. Use an old toothbrush to apply polish in the crack of the sole betweent he boot leather and the sold. You cannot fit your fingers in there to polish so it's ok. It helps get the dirt out and polish in. Use edge dressing if you wish, but I've found it unnecessary since I polish the outer sole of the boot just like the boot.

 

*Nobody has shinier boots than I do and it's just hard work, technique and not using a brush on your waxed surface.

 

This IS the paratrooper method. No melting of wax, no shortcuts, no tricks, no nothing. Time, patience, proper materials and a good movie (and strong fingers)

 

Rock

C. Co. 2/505th PIR

CSC Co. 5/502nd

[Blake_E]

Cheers Rock, i'll give that a try. I dont use a brush now as it is, so probably along the same lines. I just rag it clean, because i dont have a brush here, and couldnt be assed buying one hehe So yeah, looks like i wont need one did any of them ever mention oiling any of their gear?

cheers again man

[Bsquirrely]

"Nobody has shinier boots than I do and it's just hard work, technique and not using a brush on your waxed surface.

Rock

C. Co. 2/505th PIR

CSC Co. 5/502nd

 

Not to start a fight with you but, the above described method is what I used on the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington Cemetery as a Guard there.

We (the Tomb) have the best boots, or we wouldn't be there.

 

And the brush is to start it an not to be used except for cleaning them. Walk through some salt on a sidewalk after a decent snow and you must clean them.

 

I do have to ask ,

Are your boots vintage or older. I only ask to see why you would need to oil them?

[Sgt_Rock_EasyCo]

Nobody had shinier boots than me...period. I had buddies in the Old Guard. I don't doubt that you guys were at least as good, but hey, Paratrooper Pride is at stake. I never saw anyone with shinier boots in any Military unit.

 

I used Black Jump Boots (leg boots, service shoes, and jungles) on active duty and Brown for Reenacting.

 

All this melting of the polish, and softening the surface, and adding lighter fluid is B.S. The only way to properly spit shine is cold water, cloth diaper, making circles and father time. The rest is just fancy brush shining.

 

All this "oil" talk is crap. You can treat your boots to make them softer but then they're harder to shine up.

 

Rock

[187thAirborne]

Nobody had shinier boots than me...period. I had buddies in the Old Guard. I don't doubt that you guys were at least as good, but hey, Paratrooper Pride is at stake. I never saw anyone with shinier boots in any Military unit.

 

I used Black Jump Boots (leg boots, service shoes, and jungles) on active duty and Brown for Reenacting.

 

All this melting of the polish, and softening the surface, and adding lighter fluid is B.S. The only way to properly spit shine is cold water, cloth diaper, making circles and father time. The rest is just fancy brush shining.

 

All this "oil" talk is crap. You can treat your boots to make them softer but then they're harder to shine up.

 

Rock

 

 

In the late 40's we had brown jump boots. often used cordovan polish. after awhile the leather turned darker brown then they took a good spit polish

[Sgt_Rock_EasyCo]

In the late 40's we had brown jump boots. often used cordovan polish. after awhile the leather turned darker brown then they took a good spit polish

 

I used brown leather dye and polished my ATF and Corcoran Brown jump boots for reenacting. They both turned darker. The ATF's were harder to shine but the Cororans shined up nicely.

 

Rock

[Sgt_Rock_EasyCo]

Not to start a fight with you but, the above described method is what I used on the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington Cemetery as a Guard there.

We (the Tomb) have the best boots, or we wouldn't be there.

 

And the brush is to start it an not to be used except for cleaning them. Walk through some salt on a sidewalk after a decent snow and you must clean them.

 

I do have to ask ,

Are your boots vintage or older. I only ask to see why you would need to oil them?

 

The only exception I ever used in using a brush on my spit shines was when they got crusty for one reason or another. Sometimes sweat will come through and you must brush, dye and begin anew. Although it's still easier to shine boots once they have a base.

 

I have had to reconstitute old boots or dry boots and then I could see a reason for oiling them but other than that I use my method.

 

Rock

[Sgt_Rock_EasyCo]

Not to start a fight with you but, the above described method is what I used on the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington Cemetery as a Guard there.

We (the Tomb) have the best boots, or we wouldn't be there.

 

And the brush is to start it an not to be used except for cleaning them. Walk through some salt on a sidewalk after a decent snow and you must clean them.

 

I do have to ask ,

Are your boots vintage or older. I only ask to see why you would need to oil them?

 

We can agree to disagree. Buddy of mine was an Old Guard Guy. He taught me how to perfectly attach my uniform accoutrements in exact measurements and I taught him how to shine boots.

 

Rock

[jlmudd]

Cheers Rock, i'll give that a try. I dont use a brush now as it is, so probably along the same lines. I just rag it clean, because i dont have a brush here, and couldnt be assed buying one hehe So yeah, looks like i wont need one did any of them ever mention oiling any of their gear?

cheers again man

 

Neatsfoot oil is ONE method waterproofing leather; never did it myself but I know of people who swear by it. That said, oils in general prevent developing a good shine. Personally, I like to use olive oil to soften and "age" new leather (M1 slings, shoulder holsters, etc).

 

Another technique to give your new brown boots that veteran look is (incorporating the shine methods mentioned above), use one or two LIGHT applications of black polish. It will darken the seams and creases in particular, and give a little more depth to the shine.

 

Cheers!

[Sgt_Rock_EasyCo]

Neatsfoot oil is ONE method waterproofing leather; never did it myself but I know of people who swear by it. That said, oils in general prevent developing a good shine. Personally, I like to use olive oil to soften and "age" new leather (M1 slings, shoulder holsters, etc).

 

Another technique to give your new brown boots that veteran look is (incorporating the shine methods mentioned above), use one or two LIGHT applications of black polish. It will darken the seams and creases in particular, and give a little more depth to the shine.

 

Cheers!

 

If you apply brown leather dye it will darken the leather as well. Be careful about using black anything on your brown boots because once you change the base color of the leather it can't be undone properly. I think most of us have tried the old sandpapering of the modern black jump boots to make them brown thing. The amount of work and damage done to the boot would make it unworthy of use. Just an opinin.

 

Rock

[doyler]

Im not a big fan of neatsfoot oil.I believe it is petroleum based and in the long term can cause rot/failure of the threads used in stitiching of foot gear and leather jackets as well.

RD

[1st.marine.captain.17]

Wash the hell out of the boots, drench them good and wet, then wipe the water off of the surface, and then apply coats after coats after coats of oils. As the boot dries out, the oil should be absorbed. Make sure light coats of oil, so that they absorb well without residues on surface. If the boot is totally dried and are without oil residue, brush the whole boot before polish them. They can now take a polish.

 

Oilling when dry won't allow a shine, so do it when it's wet. And it can only take a polish when no oil residue is left on the surface. Should there still be oil residue, wipe and buff them clean with a dry, soft cloth.