152 replies to this topic

[abdesignuk]

Ok not sure if there is a post, did a search but nothing relevant came up.

Heard there is a few ways to do this.

At the moment I am using kiwi polish, 2 brushes and a cloth.

Spent in total about 1hr 30min on the boots, and still no shine

Firstly is that polish the wrong stuff? If so what and where can I get the proper stuff.
Secondly the boots are Magnum Patrol boots.

Thanks in advance

Alex

[Hawk]

Take kiwi black polish and a yellow duster. Get some water too. Wrap the cloth round the end of your index finger, and dunk it in the water. Get a small amount of polish on the cloth on the tip of your finger. Polish in small circles but use very little, if any pressure. Repeat again and again with coats of polish.

[abdesignuk]

Done that exactly.

[Hawk]

Failing that, get some Klear liquid floor polish. Tulliallan's worst kept secret..

Edited by Hawk, 08 September 2009 - 08:10 PM.

[abdesignuk]

Someone said to me a while ago, that sometimes they just wont shine (a regular pc)

[jazz_fan9]

Have a look on youtube, there's a few on there. I use the version that some USAF cadet put on there.
Using cotton wool balls, dipped in water, collect some polish on the ball and rub it gently, thickly and evenly on the boot. Try not to get it wet. When it's even take a lighter and quickly melt the layer. Repeat on the other boot, allowing the first one to cool. It's recommended that you use a new cotton wool ball for each layer.
Alternate between boots for about 6-8 layers of polish. I then do about 2 more with parade gloss. I like to make sure this layer has melted particularly as if it hasn't then it'll just come off. Using a damp cotton wool ball make large circles to bring up the shine. At this point I use breath to provide moisture and the cotton wool ball to bring up the shine.

Best to do it in front of a film or box set as it can take a while.

Edit: I've also experimented with other ways of melting the polish, while a hair dryer will melt the wax, if it's even slightly uneven then by the time you melt the thickest bit the rest will be very melted and just runs away towards the edges.

Edit 2: Video

Edited by jazz_fan9, 08 September 2009 - 10:33 PM.

[Sam Vimes]

Take kiwi black polish and a yellow duster. Get some water too. Wrap the cloth round the end of your index finger, and dunk it in the water. Get a small amount of polish on the cloth on the tip of your finger. Polish in small circles but use very little, if any pressure. Repeat again and again with coats of polish.

This is what I do and it worked fine. Had glass-tipped boots for my passing out.

[Corbs]

Failing that, get some Klear liquid floor polish. Tulliallan's worst kept secret..

And ruins good boots, can make them bluey after.

Someone said to me a while ago, that sometimes they just wont shine (a regular pc)

What I find is key, is to put on the polish thoroughly with the 'on' brush, then leave it to sit for as long as possible, I normally do overnight with the boots stuffed with newspaper, to draw the polish through the leather and feed it thoroughly.

Then after that, brush off the polish with the off brush and buff it up to a shine. I've never had to use a cloth with this method. Try searching 'bulling boots' for making them super shiney.

[jazz_fan9]

Motivated partly by this thread and partly by having scuffed them while training earlier, I've just polished my boots right up. Personally think it's the best job I've done yet. The pic doesn't really do it justice, I think you can see me in the reflection which shows just how good the shine is. The trick is to make sure the polish (mostly wax) is melted into a single coherent layer before trying to bring up a shine.

 IMAGE_100.jpg   49.17K   264 downloads

[cfnbryn]

Take kiwi black polish and a yellow duster. Get some water too. Wrap the cloth round the end of your index finger, and dunk it in the water. Get a small amount of polish on the cloth on the tip of your finger. Polish in small circles but use very little, if any pressure. Repeat again and again with coats of polish.

Aaah bulling shoes and boots, reminds me of when I was in the Air Trainign Corps (RAF cadets).
I used to love it and could do this for hours on end... normally in front of my Sharpe box set... 25 hours of Sharpe! Amazing!

...or as an NCO what I did while on an RAF station is take them to stores and ask for the tips to be dipped in black aviation paint!
SUPER SHINEY!!! and never had to be bulled again!

[abdesignuk]

I'll try the overnight idea, sounds great

I ask in training tomorrow for advice as well.

thanks

alex

[Pineappleman]

I would never recomend using Hammerite paint on your boots for that metalic sun bright shine.

[Ian ST]

Never use Klear. Ure boots will go a bluey colour, and it's no good for the leather. Saying that, the stuff got me out of a few scrapes with the Sergeant Major's in the Army.

[Prolixia]

Before attestation, I bulled my boots following this excellent guide from ARRSE. It took a long time, but worked a treat and was surprisingly satisfying to do.

I then bulled a pair of black shoes, but cheated. The results were even better, and here's how I did it (using a gas hob):

The Prolixia Technique
1. First, clean up your boots and remove the laces
2. Brush on a thick layer of black Kiwi polish (not parade gloss)
3. Leave the shoes for half an hour for the polish to soak in and harden
4. Brush on another thick layer of Kiwi polish (not parade gloss)
5. Leave for another half hour
6. Warm the boot over a gas hob*
7. Leave the boots half an hour
7. Polish lightly with a rolled-up pair of tights (polish, don't scrub!)
8. Dampen a cotton wool but, wipe it in a small amount of black Kiwi Parade Gloss and rub it small circles over a small area of the shoe. It will quickly start to get very shiny. Replace the bud when it gets tired.
9. As the leather starts to shine, don't put much polish on the bud at all - you should be polishing with just cotton wool and water
10. Repeat the process on the next bit of leather, tackling the shoe section by section

* - The idea is to just melt the surface of the polish -you should get nowhere near setting it on fire (which is a really bad idea, no matter what you might read). You should see the surface of the polish meld into a smooth layer. It won't be shiny yet, but it will be soon...

Some refinements:
1. Some people recommend using brown Parade Gloss at the very end for a deep lustre. I tried, and can't say it made much difference - you may have better results.
2. As soon as you wear the shoes the polish will crack over the flexing bit before the toe cap. Wear them for a few mins, let it crack, then wipe away the flakes and touch the polish up using a cotton wool bud.

Some warnings:
1. This worked well for me with pretty new shoes. It might not work for you. A decent polish relies on many separate layers being applied, whereas this cheat uses a really thick initial layer that you melt to reduce the number of subsequent layers - I don't know why that won't be as good, but I imagine it isn't.
2. Don't let the polish catch fire. Really, don't. You should only warm it for a moment, to allow it to soften so that the surface evens out.
3. Don't do what I did and wipe it with one of those silicone-impregnated sponges in the hope of getting an even more brilliant shine. You'll end up scratching the super-glossy surface you've created, and after a few mins the dust that sticks to the silicone will make it look bad.

Edited by Prolixia, 09 September 2009 - 09:37 AM.

[mymumalwayssaidiwasspecial]

Before attestation, I bulled my boots following this excellent guide from ARRSE. It took a long time, but worked a treat and was surprisingly satisfying to do.

I then bulled a pair of black shoes, but cheated. The results were even better, and here's how I did it (using a gas hob):

The Prolixia Technique
1. First, clean up your boots and remove the laces
2. Brush on a thick layer of black Kiwi polish (not parade gloss)
3. Leave the shoes for half an hour for the polish to soak in and harden
4. Brush on another thick layer of Kiwi polish (not parade gloss)
5. Leave for another half hour
6. Warm the boot over a gas hob*
7. Leave the boots half an hour
7. Polish lightly with a rolled-up pair of tights (polish, don't scrub!)
8. Dampen a cotton wool but, wipe it in a small amount of black Kiwi Parade Gloss and rub it small circles over a small area of the shoe. It will quickly start to get very shiny. Replace the bud when it gets tired.
9. As the leather starts to shine, don't put much polish on the bud at all - you should be polishing with just cotton wool and water
10. Repeat the process on the next bit of leather, tackling the shoe section by section

* - The idea is to just melt the surface of the polish -you should get nowhere near setting it on fire (which is a really bad idea, no matter what you might read). You should see the surface of the polish meld into a smooth layer. It won't be shiny yet, but it will be soon...

Some refinements:
1. Some people recommend using brown Parade Gloss at the very end for a deep lustre. I tried, and can't say it made much difference - you may have better results.
2. As soon as you wear the shoes the polish will crack over the flexing bit before the toe cap. Wear them for a few mins, let it crack, then wipe away the flakes and touch the polish up using a cotton wool bud.

Some warnings:
1. This worked well for me with pretty new shoes. It might not work for you.
2. Don't let the polish catch fire. Really, don't. You should only warm it for a moment, to allow it to soften so that the surface evens out.
3. Don't do what I did and wipe it with one of those silicone-impregnated sponges in the hope of getting an even more brilliant shine. You'll end up scratching the super-glossy surface you've created, and after a few mins the dust that sticks to the silicone will make it look bad.

How much free time do you have?

Mine get cleaned once every now and then and any muck removed with a baby wipe. We're not the Coldstream Guards.

[Two Wheeler]

Take kiwi black polish and a yellow duster. Get some water too. Wrap the cloth round the end of your index finger, and dunk it in the water. Get a small amount of polish on the cloth on the tip of your finger. Polish in small circles but use very little, if any pressure. Repeat again and again with coats of polish.

That's the method I was taught in the Air Training Corps and my shoes were always mirror finish. Ditch the brushes as they'll scratch the polish.

Kiwi Parade Gloss for the win

[French-A]

That's the method I was taught in the Air Training Corps and my shoes were always mirror finish. Ditch the brushes as they'll scratch the polish.

Kiwi Parade Gloss for the win

Thats the way i always do it and never have a problem

[derbyspecial]

The method taught to me by the Army was pretty similar to Prolixias method above.

Put many layers of polish on using fingers to spread it quite thickly, rather than a brush.
Play a blowtorch over the boots to melt the polish so it smooths out well.
Rub a pair of tights over the boot to polish them up.
Get a sylvet (Spelling may be off. Sort of a special cloth), dip it in water and put a very small amount of polish on.
Polish in small circles on the boot to bring the shine up.

The blowtorch part can be done with a lighter as well. Have seen people use hot spoons, but never got on with that method.
You can also skip the fire altogether if you want. It just saves a lot of effort when polishing to bring up the shine.
Only problem is one good stamp and the polish cracks
Spending 6 weeks on a pair of boots, only to have them crack after about 10 seconds of marching feels like a huge waste of time for some reason...

[mcdaly]

Have a look on youtube, there's a few on there. I use the version that some USAF cadet put on there.
Using cotton wool balls, dipped in water, collect some polish on the ball and rub it gently, thickly and evenly on the boot. Try not to get it wet. When it's even take a lighter and quickly melt the layer. Repeat on the other boot, allowing the first one to cool. It's recommended that you use a new cotton wool ball for each layer.
Alternate between boots for about 6-8 layers of polish. I then do about 2 more with parade gloss. I like to make sure this layer has melted particularly as if it hasn't then it'll just come off. Using a damp cotton wool ball make large circles to bring up the shine. At this point I use breath to provide moisture and the cotton wool ball to bring up the shine.

Best to do it in front of a film or box set as it can take a while.

Edit: I've also experimented with other ways of melting the polish, while a hair dryer will melt the wax, if it's even slightly uneven then by the time you melt the thickest bit the rest will be very melted and just runs away towards the edges.

Edit 2: Video

I've used this technique and I must say it's brilliant!

[French-A]

My before and after pictures from bulling boots

Before

 before.jpg   218.77K   217 downloads

After

 shine.jpg   69.01K   256 downloads


These are Magnum Patrol boots as well so it is possible with perseverence to get them to shine

[Corbs]

Good job!

[French-A]

Good job!

Thanks

[Hawk]

Ah yes I forgot to mention, a sylvette cloth is the secret weapon. Well worth the £3.

[French-A]

Ah yes I forgot to mention, a sylvette cloth is the secret weapon. Well worth the £3.

is that one of them jewellers cloths a bit like a high quality lense cloth for glasses

[Steve Collins]

Use spit, it's much better than water. That's why they call it 'Spit and Polish'.