Shell Cordovan Shoe Shine Guide | How to Polish Cordovan Shoes
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2017
- In this shoe shine guide, founder Kirby Allison takes us through detailed steps on how to polish cordovan shoes using esteemed Saphir products.
To read our full article on Cordovan Leather Care:
www.kirbyallison.com/blog/201...
Products used in this video:
Horsehair Brush:
www.kirbyallison.com/medium-h...
Saphir Renovateur:
www.kirbyallison.com/shoe-car...
Deer Polishing Bone:
www.kirbyallison.com/deer-pol...
Cordovan Cream Polish:
www.kirbyallison.com/saphir-c...
Saphir Mirror Gloss Wax Polish:
www.kirbyallison.com/saphir-m...
Saphir Pate De Luxe Wax Polish:
www.kirbyallison.com/saphir-w...
Step 1 (03:51) Brush shoes with a horsehair brush
Step 2 (04:29) Apply Saphir Renovateur
Step 3 (06:04) Smooth out creases with Deer Polishing Bone
Step 4 (08:21) Apply Saphir Cordovan Cream Polish
Step 5 (12:03) Apply Saphir Mirror Gloss Wax Polish
Step 6 (16:05) Apply Wax Polish to Welt and Edge
_________________________________________________________________
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www.kirbyallison.com/blog/
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The story of The Hanger Project: www.kirbyallison.com/about-us... 
Хобби
We hope this video helps with cleaning and maintaining your shell cordovan shoes.
Let us know your thoughts!
Beautiful
curious have you tryed heating the shoe with a heat gun or hair dryer for better malability
Kirby, I believe the next pair of shoes in my collection will be Crockett & Jones Northcote or Derwent boots in what they call "waxed calf". From my understanding, these are to be treated in a similar fashion to cordovan, namely the deer boning, but otherwise using products meant for calf leather. I'm finding very little online about the treatment of this leather, including Crockett & Jones' website, although it seems to be essentially roughout leather that is heavily-impregnated with waxes for a smooth finish. Any knowledge on this?
Kirby Allison good information.
Hello Kirby, in this video you use the mirror gloss polish on cordovan, but in the FAQ of the product it is stated:
"You are unable to use the mirror gloss on Shell Cordovan due to the turpentine in the polish.
- Hanger Project #Reply06/22/2018"
Could you explain the discrepancy? Is Mirror Gloss safe for cordovan?
A clarification would be greatly appreciated, and thanks for the great vids!
I've been waiting for this video for about a month! Thank you
Wow, That Mirror gloss is CRAZY!!!
Hi, great video, thanks. I might suggest for the next video like this to polish only one shoe and show the results of every step compared to the "dirty" original.
Just got some new Shell Park Ave from AE. This vid has helped out lots! Thanks Kirby!
The bone is amazing. It is night and day different. You can take out creases with it. Just prod, mold, knead even with the blunt end. Cordovan is a tough leather - you can push it around; just don't pull it or it'll snap.
Outstanding sir!
Great video, thank you.
Damn this shoe is not for vegetarians. First it's horse then deer bone
😁
Will buy this for my vegan buddy.
Munozl360 lol your buddy will surely take care of those cordovan shoes.
Lmaoo
As always a completely professional and thorough presentation...So relaxing to just sit back and watch you explain the information in these wonderful videos...thanks for posting
daniel lack Thanks!
Such a masterclass.
Thanks!
Outstanding presentation! Semper Fi
Thank you, Mr. Mercado!
Kirby Allison Semper Fi
As always, nice tutorial.
Just wanted to add, there are special cordovan cream within assortment of some premium shoe care brands like Boot Black or Burgol.
Yep! Saphir was the first, but the others have followed!
Thanks a million. I honestly did not know my new Cordovan Chippewa Boots were not cow leather as the label stated " 100% leather". Now all I need to do is the find Saphir products in SouthAfrica.
We can ship to South Africa!
Yes, Cordovan is radically different than standard calfskin. Even calling it a "leather" is a little misleading since it is technically a membrane and not a skin.
Hello-
Spectacular video! Thank you!
Were you aware that the traditional American method for shining shell cordovan is to use Venetian Cream (not the Venetian Leather Balms of course!) This product I believe was developed by C. A. Zoes Manufacturing Company in Chicago in association with Horween, also located in Chicago perhaps a century or so ago by now.
This product is available in more colors than Saphir and Boot Black currently offer in cordovan cream polishes, including a red which is nice for Allen Edmond’s chili shell cordovan shoes.
And it’s super cheap at $7.50 for a nice little bottle, and can be bought in larger volumes for some colors-1 quart for $25.00 and 1 gallon for $95.00.
My dad swore by Venetian Cream for his Florsheim Imperial shell cordovan shoes back in the day and it’s never failed me yet for my shell cordovan shoes either.
Thanks again for the video!
Steve K.
Sir, would you be able to do a video on cleaning a leather jacket? Is it the same as shoes? Thanks for all that you do for us.
Deer polishing bone .... now that is something new to me :O
Creo que en la página web de zapatos Carmina se pueden adquirir.
I WILL TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE WAY YOU ARE SHINE SHOES .THANKS
Question: 5 minutes in you apply the Saphir Renovateur, however the container lid says Cordovan and looks like the Cordovan Neutral cream polish container. Is there a specific Renovateur for Cordovan that is labeled for Cordovan? Or is Renovateur Renovator and can be used on calf skin and cordovan alike?
great video! i don't even have cordovan shoes lol hopefully it comes in handy some day!
Cordovan shoes are quite special. Some people love them. Some people hate them. They're different... for sure. I only have one pair and, honestly, don't find myself wearing them all that often.
Great toebox shine - how would you get the rest of the shoe up to that gloss if not using the saphir mirror product?
Lovely
Would you use the saphir etalon noir sattle soap on cordovan? Love this product but only used it on "standard" leathers to date.
Hi Kirby, I just got some new shell cordovan Oxblood tassel loafers from Allen Edmonds and I don't know which color cordovan cream polish to use from The Hanger project. If you could help me out in choosing the right color that would be great!
thanks for this video on how to care for cordovan leather I didn't know I had to use a different product!
Can you perform a presidential shoe shine on cordovan shoes? Is Dubbin okay to use on cordovan, it is there a better moisturizer? Thanks for a great video.
Do you advise conditioning new shell cordovan boots before wearing? Your videos are awesome! Thanks.
How did you keep you cuff so white an clean after brushing? :) Also do you plan on selling arm guards to protect your sleeves from polish dust? Lastly I would love to see a video on how to use your Reliable steam station 😊 Thanks again.
I see that you used the wax and brush to shine the welt and edge in this video. Is there any reason why you did not do this in some of your other tutorials? It seems you have various edge care routines.
you should do a before and after shot at the end
Would you suggest following all of the same steps for Alden cordovan shoes? Concerning the layer they apply to the surface of their cordovan, I didn't know if you suggest anything different.
Thanks for the video. Can you use the renomat on cordovan?
Kirby, I am familiar with caring for traditional shoes and, thanks to you, I only use Saphir now. I have just ordered a textured leather shoe, known as Bertie Professor Leather Derby Shoes from John Lewis. I am assuming the only method of care for shoes like this would be using a cream polish and a horse hair brush. Any advice?
What else can I use instead Deer bone 🦴 to reduce the creases in the vamp?
Awesome video! I just picked up some of this for my shell Park Ave's. FYI, Allen Edmonds carries a Cordovan Cream, pigmented across their portfolio. I'm sure there's no comparison with the Saphir though!
Shane Trefftzs hey I wanted to ask how the AE cordovan are holding up as I am thinking of buying a pair for myself! Do you recommend any other company?
Alden is a GREAT American too! Most of my shoes are A&E or Aldens. I have some vtg. Florsheim and Lloyd & Haig just to mention a few. However I LOVE my A&E Leeds PTB and My Aldens 990 PTB, in shell cordovan, L&H, 2161 & 2160 Aldens... I love the classics LWB in Cordovan. It became a passion of mine, buying wearing and caring for Great Shoes and boots...
How does the Saphir Cordovan cream compare to the Alden "Color 8 Cordovan" cream? I have both, but have never used the Alden one.
Excellent video! One question, the recommendation that only the toe of the shoe be polished to a high luster applies only to cordovan or also to calf leather. If the entire shoe finish has already been treated, how can the cracking of the wax at the instep area be prevented? Thanks!
The cracking of the wax at the instep can be prevented by simply using less hard waxes with fewer coats (one or two) or with a softer cream polish.
How do you know if the deer bone is too dried or not?
Would it be ok to use cordovan creme and calf leather?
Hi Kirby. I was living in Sweden earlier. As you know, we have a lot of snow and slush. I fill a syringe with mink oil and put in the microwave to make it soft. Then I push in the soft mink oil between the top skin and sole. (might use the wrong english words) I also push in mink oil between the heal and the sole to protect it. To avoid water top go in and destroy the leather. Is this a good method? Any better ideas? Kind regards. Peter Thelin
The deer bone you can lubricate with very little olive oil. So it doesn't dry out.
So Kirby, question about the deer bone: Can you ask a local hunter to bring you back deer bones from a carcass and you can use these? Or are they specially prepared? If so, how are they prepared?
Hi Kirby. I just bought a Guidi Q10 bag made of full grain horse vegetable tanned leather. It was also object dyed so there are varying degrees of burgundy patina on it. Would the the polishes you used in this video be safe to use on it or do you have another recommendation. The guidi website only gives instructions for their boots which are the same leather as my bag. They simply say "grease" the leather every few weeks to keep it supple. So vague! Thanks for your help.
I've heard about using heat to relax wrinkles in cordovan. Kirby what's your thought on that?
We always used a deer bone on our hunting boots, which are made of what they call 'reverse waxed calf'. They would take out marks from wire, thorns and the like encountered when fox hunting. I have a several pair of custom boots with full wooden trees, and some of my older field boots (ones with laces over the instep) are still in use and the leather is as smooth as silk. Thank you for the video.
Great
can anything be done do work out deep scratches or other flaws on shell cordovan? any filler or other product you carry to "repair" shell cordovan.
Hi it’s better to use pig bristle or horsehair to polish cordovan leather? Thank you
I needed this!
I wanted to know when the deer bone will be back in stock?
The Deer Polishing Bone should be available by the end of next week. Don't forget to sign up for the back-in-stock notification. :)
Does the timing of edging matter? I have been under the impression that welt and edge care should occur after brushing the first layer of grit. I find this helps avoid tampering or tarnishing the shining one applies. Additionally, the deer bone is new to me. Can I begin to use deer bone on shoes well worn or should the process begin on newer shoes? On a side note, these are absolutely lovely shoes.
If do the edging 1st, you can use the deer bone whenever
You use a horsehair brush in this video for cordovan but I remember in a more recent video that you suggest a pigbristle brush. While I'm sure both are adequate do you feel one is superior?
Hello Kirby, in this video you use the mirror gloss polish on cordovan, but in the FAQ of the product it is stated:
"You are unable to use the mirror gloss on Shell Cordovan due to the turpentine in the polish.
- Hanger Project #Reply06/22/2018"
Could you explain the discrepancy? Is Mirror Gloss safe for cordovan?
A clarification would be greatly appreciated, and thanks for the great vids!
Class & Style...well done.
Hanwag Tashi boots yak leather and leather lining. German made boots. Peace
When or where would the deer polishing bone be available again?
Kirby, enjoy all your videos. I have a pair of new cordovan burgundy park avenues(factory second) and the toe box is rough texture and looks faded, or maybe the leather was wet? Can I fix this? rest of the shoe is smooth and shiny.
Raymond Sabetta hard to say. Can you post a picture on Instagram and tag me @kirbyallison?
Hello! can i use Saphir Creme Universelle on cordovan shoes?
I saw Japanese leder cordovan wax made of (Ingredients)
Pure beeswax from Gifu prefecture, argan oil,
jojoba oil, vaseline.
coundnt ubderstand the bame of the brush. can you please tell me . i want to buy one
How often do cordovan shoes need this treatment? Once a week/month/year? Thanks :)
👍🏻
Would something like the deer polishing bone be helpful for getting creases out of calfskin?
Would probably work somewhat on chromexcel since it is goes through a similar process as shell.
Would ‘heat’ (e.g. heat gun/hair dryer) help with smoothing out the uppers?
Is the deer bone reserved solely for cordovan shoes?
Can you use cordovan cream polish for cow hide shoes?
Hi Kirby.
Thanks for a great channel!
Would it make sense to use the Nappa or Mink products from Saphir instead of Renovateur? If I understand it correct they contain less solvens, that cordovan doesn't respond well to.
Regards all the way from Denmark,
Frederik.
Frederik Hestvang The Renovateur is water-based, so it doesn’t contain solvents. The 100% Mink Oil would probably be too greasy - I wouldn’t use it. If you needed that level of conditioning, I’d use the Saphir Cordovan Cream Polishes.
Do you sell the Saphir's Blue Line of products?
Hi Kirby,
nice video. Can I clean wax polish off cordovan shoes using the Saphir Renomat or is there another product that is optional for cordovan cleaning?
Best wishes
Reno'Mat is the best product. Totally safe to use.
Can u use a cordovan polish on calf skin? What happens if you do?
So, when are your Cordovan starter kits going to be back in stock? I’ve been perusing your site since first finding your youtube channel yesterday.
We have everything but the deer bone, which is why the starter kit is out of stock.
Dear Kirby - does the special treatment applied to Alden's require any modifications to the extraordinarily helpful guidance you provide in this and your other cordovan videos? For example, would using RenoMat kill the factory high gloss finish of Aldens? (I also have black cordovans from Rancourt, and they too seem to have arrived new with a high gloss finish). I'm concerned that regular polish may have been used on the Aldens when I had them shined at a hotel, and I was considering using the RenoMat to remove anything like that. But now that I understand there's a special treatment applied by Alden I am hesitant to mess with them. I do like the high gloss and would prefer to keep it.
Curious as to whether you got an answer to this, or how Renomat turned out on your Aldens. My full strap loafers are nearing 10 years old and have never been deer-boned or had Renomat used.
Hi Kirby,Some of my light color cordovan shoes have some water stain that cannot be removed after I wore them in the rain. Any idea how can I get rid of the water stain? Thanks!
There are two strategies:
1. Try to use some vinegar and water.
2. You can try the Saphir Hiver Winter (www.hangerproject.com/saphir-hiver-winter-salt-snow-stain-remover.html)
3. Or, as a last resort, dunk the entire shoe in a bucket of water to basically just bring the entire shoe to the same color.
But, otherwise, water and salt stains are very, very difficult to remove.
Great video and shoes, as always. Maybe you could do a tutorial video on how to straight lace shoes. I noticed the laces. -Kirk in Montreal
Great suggestion! We just got in a bunch of new dress shoe laces. We'll definitely film this!
I ALWAYS check out a guys shoes here in Montreal. Alot of very well dressed men here, whose shoes are amazing, but rarely do I see guy who do straight laces, usually the typical cross lace, which looks fine, but the straight lace just look just gives an even more "polished" look, but is not all that easy to do, so thought maybe a how-to-tutorial would be something of interest :-) Kirk
I completely agree. Can't stand crossed laces. Straight lace looks much, much cleaner. Will post something soon!
I am surprised that with so many well dressed and fashion conscious men here in Montreal who do have a lot of style, why more don't straight lace their shoes..and or guys who are dressed very well, have amazing shoes, with old ragged laces..?? -Kirk
Shoes are too often completely overlooked! It drives me crazy to see a well-dressed guy in a suit and tie but with square, clown shoes. I understand dressing on a budget. If that's the case, buy a nice pair of shoes off of eBay used or just buy one nice pair of black shoes and wear them every day!
I took my cordovan color 8, Alden bluchers shoes to a cobbler a while back and as I examine my shoes I can see there is some layer of polish of something with very obvious brush strokes. It looks very amateur and unattractive. Some places even have places where the wax or whatever had built up and had bubbled, leaving strange craters above the surface of the shell. When I walk in them, the creases force white coloring (probably wax?) to come to the surface. So ugly. I am really pretty frustrated with the outcome and instead of taking this to the cobbler, who obviously did not know how to care for shell, I'd rather fix the problem myself. Any advice? Do i just follow this video precisely or is there something I should do to strip whatever the cobbler had done to it?
Kirby. I used Renovateur on a pair of vintage Bostonian 5800 Shell Cordovan I purchased out of eBay 4 times over a month before wearing them for the first time. However, on the first wear, they cracked... Severely.... Over the brogue. What did I do wrong? Help pls
Hi Kirby or anyone else know of any cobbler that can do this sort of shining in the Los Angeles area?
What should I use on pre-ban Sea Turtle boots?
Hola buenas tardes disculpa tengo una duda eso rs un hueso y otra cosa me puedes apoyar en esta duda donde puedo conseguir esos productos gracias
What is the best product and method to stripe cordovan back to original colour? I’ve tried the RenoMat but it’s not getting all of the pigment/prior costs off - completely, any help and tips would be greatly appreciated
You could use Saphir Decapant. It is very strong.
www.hangerproject.com/saphir-decapant-leather-stripper.html
How do you square your recommendation against products with solvents with 1) the fact that Skip Horween, the maker of Shell Cordovan, recommends Venetian Shoe Cream, which contains petroleum distillates (a solvent), for caring for shell cordovan? 2) the fact that the mirror gloss you use contains turpentine solvents?
can you use a deer bone on cow leathers to get rid of creases?
You have to be careful about the deer bone scratching calfskin. Calfskin isn't as durable as cordovan.
It sounds like a needed this advice for my marriage Lol
Two questions for you. Should I have a specific brush for cordovan? And is there something like the deer bone for calfskin shoes to remove the creasing?
Paul Johnson Cordovan doesn’t require any specific type of brush...just more brushing. Cordovan really benefits from brushing, so the more you brush, the better.
Unfortunately, there is no deer bone equivalent for calfskin. Because the material is different, it doesn’t react the same.
Thanks for the response. What I was wondering with the brush is, should I use a separate brush for cordovan then I use for calfskin shoes? You mention in this video and others there are solvents in the regular shoe creams/polishes, whorls there be enough residual in a brush to warrant a separate horse or pig brush for cordovan polishing?
Paul Johnson ah, same brush is fine. You could have a stiffer pig bristle brush if you really wanted, but totally okay to use same brush as your calfskin. We
I accidentally bought cordovan polish. Can I use it on calfskin?
Would using RM Willams leather conditioner on cordovan hurt it? As in Sydney the only shop I know which carries Saphir has ran out of Renovateur. And I still have a huge tub of leather conditioner to use
We ship to Australia. But, as long as the RM Williams leather conditioner does not contain any solvents (aka. it's water-based), you should be okay.
Thanks for the reply :) Will check with RM as there are no ingridients listed..
burj al arab on your wall. hello from Dubai! i enjoy the elaborate explanations. thanks for your videos!
I purchased and used the Saphir Black mirror gloss wax polish as the neutral was out of stock and after applying it to the toe box of my AE Park Ave shell cordovans it just seems cloudy and I cannot get it to be shiny. For the rest of the shoe and prior to the mirror gloss, I used the Saphir renovateur and the AE cordovan cream polish. Any idea how I can fix that? I did use a little water as directed.
The mirror gloss worked perfectly on a cheap pair of calfskin shoes.
I'm confused. are those saphir products specific to cordovan? or are these the products also used for calf leather?
great video by the way
they have a cream polish specifically made for cordovan
Jo Co Yes, the Saphir Cordovan Cream shoe Polish is formulated specifically for Cordovan leather. Uses a Neats Footoil base.
“ The shoes are absolute art pieces! Fantastic presentation and exquisite quality, cannot be surpassed”
- Mr. Sylvester Stallone, Actor, Producer & Director
Endorsement on Cleverlys website
"slide the bone"
are the amount of solvents in the mirror gloss wax not detrimental to the cordovan?
There is such a low concentration of solvents that it really isn't something I think needs to be worried about. And I recommend that you use the mirror gloss after you've already polished with the Saphir Cordovan Cream. The idea is that the first layer of waxes placed on the leather by the Saphir Cordovan Cream helps buffer the leather from the solvents in a wax polish. And in that same light, the waxes in the Saphir Mirror Gloss would buffer the leather from the solvents in the Saphir Pate de Luxe polish used to "polish" the Saphir Mirror Gloss...
But, in general, we definitely recommend you avoid using a wax polish except on the toe and heel.
Water is just for lubrication right? It helps the cloth glide rather than scratch at the surface to get the glossy finish?
That's correct! And this is why it is also important to use a tightly-woven cloth, like our High Shine Chamois.
The Hanger Project yea I noticed that recently. I was using an old rag, and when I switched to a soft cloth I immediately got a more vivid shine!
Carmina has cordovan shoe polish.
Kirby. Would the Saphir Mahogany Pate de Lux be suitable for a colour no 8 Alden?
chowychow The best product is Saphir’s Cordovan Cream Polish - a Polish developed specifically for shell cordovan leather.
If I wish to get a mirror shine on the toe caps would a wax based polish be still appropriate ?
chowychow Yes. You’ll need to use a hard wax-based Polish to create a mirror shine. The Saphir Mirror Gloss is great for this, especially on cordovan.
Thanks Kirby. Just a neutral mirror gloss will be fine? Would you recommend getting one in mahogany? As I'm worried about changing the colour of the shoes too much with a colour based wax
I want to order mirror polish, but I can never get through to you
All the needed supplies will set me back what the shoes did! Oh well... never heard of that deer bone!
If you're on a budget, at least go for the Saphir Cordovan Cream Polish. It's formulated just for cordovan and does a great job keeping the cordovan nourished and polished.
I guess those same oils are put into/onto the bone, so why can't you re-saturate it when it gets a little dry?
James Bryce They’re the natural oils from the deer bone... I’m not sure how you would replenish them. You could try soaking the bone in some Saphir Neat’s Foot Oil. Guess wouldn’t be risking anything if the deer bone was already dry.
What really annoy me is when looking intentionally on my Shell cordovan shoes when they're catching the light. there're so many thin small scratching lines from horsehair brush. Im quiet sure my brush is soft enough which I also use it with other calf leather shoes. Do you think that is normal?
shoes are meant to be wearing, brushing and taking care. but with the price I paid for them I cant get my mind off that I also have ruined them. So sad.
How do I get the high shine chamois in the UK? it' doesn't seem to be available from the UK site
I think we have them online now.
The Hanger Project Just looked, and, unless they are called something different, they're not there. If you have a link, that'd be good.
My apologies, they will not be available on the UK site until late September!
Extra question:
How do you strip-clean a pair of cordovans? Renomat? Rubbing alcohol? I don't wanny ruin my newly aquired vintage C&J Bradfords.
I'd be careful in stripping... you can use some Reno'Mat, but I wouldn't be too aggressive and would make sure that you immediately recondition with the Saphir Cordovan Cream Polish.
Kirby, is there a substitute for the bone?
I've heard people using a metal spoon... I'm sure it works almost the same. I might apply a little cream polish first to help lubricate it, but otherwise wouldn't have any problems trying it.
"can literally last a lifetime" - now you get it.
She'll Cordovan is certainly very durable.
Pretty sure this is the 80s Guy from Futurama
We can dance ...
Dun dun dundun dun dudun dun dun.