Blacking boots

[2ND. PIONEER]

Hello
i need to blackin a pair of jackboots and i'm tossed on to the best way
shoe dye, dubbing (snow seal) and black shoe polish..........
any advice??

thanks
bob

[Napalm]

Depends on what finish you want I suppose, I used the hot polish method ( not sure what you call it in Ohio )...

[Naval Enigma]

I'd recommend taking them to a shoe shop and having 1 coat of Kiwi leatherdye put on then black polish. It can take forever to do those first few coats of polish by hand.

Don't go too black as the wartime boots had a little brown showing through the polish.

Or you can go old school and use lard and coal dust!

[2ND. PIONEER]

what do you mean by hot polish?

[SpookyDad]

Bob

Years ago I bought a set of brushes that were Swedish military surplus. Inside was a boot black cream. That is how I darkened my marshtiefel.

Sportsman's guide has them:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=365220

Neil

[landsknechte]

what do you mean by hot polish?

Melted shoe polish, if I'm not mistaken. Soaks in more than it does at room temperature.

[Lt Visser]

As far as I could figure out how the Wehrmacht troops did it if it was not dyed at all..:

Take steelwool, leave it in white vinegar for 4-6 days, take out the steelwool and dab it on the part you want to make black. From then on, black polish.

I've tried this on an unissued early breadbag and it works excellent!!!!

Nice thing is that it only colours the leather and not cloth or thread.

Jan

[Gran Sasso]

I've tried this on an unissued early breadbag and it works excellent!!!!

Nice thing is that it only colours the leather and not cloth or thread.

Jan

Could not understand why doing this to an original untouched breadbag....???

[David Fettes]

Melted shoe polish, if I'm not mistaken. Soaks in more than it does at room temperature.

It also burns off the parafin present in modern polish.

[Theoderich]

As far as I could figure out how the Wehrmacht troops did it if it was not dyed at all..:

Take steelwool, leave it in white vinegar for 4-6 days, take out the steelwool and dab it on the part you want to make black. From then on, black polish.

I've tried this on an unissued early breadbag and it works excellent!!!!

Nice thing is that it only colours the leather and not cloth or thread.

Jan

You do what?????????????????????????

[prussian.guard]

spit and polish and a hot teaspoon

[Napalm]

Melted shoe polish, if I'm not mistaken. Soaks in more than it does at room temperature.

Correct, thats the method I use...

[2ND. PIONEER]

Thanks everybody for all the advice, someone said i could put snowseal
it's like a bees wax melted on the leather and then use black shoe polish
to color.

bob

[CWP]

I have seen zero evidence that German soldiers used steel wool and vinegar to blacken boots. The idea that they did this is a myth started by some reenactors. German soldiers were issued some kind of blackening product.

If you put the Sno-Seal on the boots and then black polish, the black in the polish will not be able to be worked into the leather. Use the polish first if you are going to go that route.

[Hoss]

Chris
What about the issue black polish that came in cans or was that just for Officers?
Looks pretty much like modern polish to me.

Eric