The process of obtaining a gleaming shine from waxed calf is an arduous one and the men who could afford shoes made from the stuff would literally (have someone else) shine their new shoes daily for some months before wearing them for the first time (and if you did not already you now understand why boxed calf has taken over the market). That polishing process included boning, which is the vigorous application of a deer bone to the surface of the boot or shoe after polish is applied to give said polish a gleam. Deer bone you see has the appropriate density and the natural oils to smooth the rough surface of waxed calf without damaging it.
Now if the good firm of Horween had not convinced so many of us to like shoes made of cordovan, deer bones and the process of boning would probably have vanished into the mists of time by now, preserved only by those few who still get their riding boots made the old fashioned way. But cordovan you see is also a somewhat difficult surface on which to raise a shine and a deer bone works its magic there as well, which is why I mentioned deer bones the other day. And that raised enough puzzled looks so as to warrant an explanation.
And so, cordovan shoe-wearing readers of ASW no longer have an excuse for the dull surface of their shoes. All it takes is a generous coat of Saphir, a deer bone and vigorous rubbing.
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9 comments:
Great post, Will! Very informative historical background, and entertainingly written.
A silly question Will, but do you rub the shoe with the bone end or use the longitudinal surface? This might merit a video.
The long side.
I am going to make a shine video with KeaLani but first I need to get more bones, and that won't be until the middle of December.
My bone (from Poulsen Skone, many moons ago)is spatula-like (and gently curved too)and I am sure easier to use than the example in the post.
At the ASW store, I noticed they're called "Deer Polishing Bones."
How--and why--do you polish a deer?
Seriously, this is a great post. Informative, arcane--yet useful.
Thank you again, Will.
NJS, with tongue firmly in cheek I will theorize that your concave shape was achieved after Poulson polished a pair of riding booths with the bone.
Seriously, Lobb doesn't bother with shaped bones. But I wonder if they can be carved. I will inquire.
Great article, Will, though I did sense you were in a different frame of mind when you penned it. It doesn't read like the others.
Cordovan...the bourgeois man's excuse for bespoke. I'm sick and tired of hearing about cordovan.
As a former Marine I am no stranger to shoe shining, but your post took me back to a distant time and place.
In addition to the usual combat boots and dress shoes, we were issued high toppers affectionately known as "boondockers". They had the suede side out, but our sergeants insisted that they be polished to something resembling a spit shine, at least on the toe.
That was not an easy task, and bones were NOT issued. At last the top brass saw the light and ruled that the shoes no longer had to be shined, but some Marines insisted on polishing them anyway.
Great Post!!
Waxed flesh uppers were very standard from the late 18th through even early 20th century. Men's riding boots, ankle boots, and even shoes were made with a waxed flesh, as it was more impervious to use and the elements when properly cared for. There also used to be heartier, vegetable tanned leather and natural dyes used than the chemical tanning and dyes abundantly used today.
Today, shoe leather by design requires much less care which allows little or no break in period but also shortens its life span. Perhaps more significant, as a result of the passing of time and our “throw away society” we have unfortunately lost a lot of basic knowledge about the correct way to care for vegetable tanned leather.
The grain (non-flesh) surface fibers are less resistant to changes in moisture as non-tannins like dirt gather at the surface, restricting movement, and eventually likely to cause a crack or split...also known as age hardening.
The "boning" process of shining waxed flesh is just another one of these everyday bits of knowledge, now largely lost to time. This goes along with using and knowing how to apply neat's foot oil, tallow, and a dubbing or blacking.
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