# shoe shine - buff with a horsehair brush?



## sartorial_1 (Sep 21, 2008)

I read this quote on another thread on the forum about polishing shoes:

"Buff the shoe with a polishing brush -- preferably horsehair"

This is supposed to be done after you rub in the cream but before you wipe with the finishing rag.

Does anyone actually do this? I don't see the benefit of this off-hand....


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## Nico01 (Jan 8, 2009)

It removes the bulk of the polish and brings it to a rough shine, allowing a rag to really work in that last bit of polish and smooth out the surface.

If you don't use a horsehair brush, you end up either covering your rag completely in polish (making it less effective) and often leave a thicker layer of polish on the shoe (which simply dries and is smoothed and moved around by the already polish-filled rag).


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## Mr. Tweed (Apr 9, 2009)

*The horsehair brush is (often) all you need...*

Rarely looking for that mirror finish, I seldom go for the finishing rag at all. After giving your shoes a good wax based polish, use the same polishing brush to brush up your shoes after every use. Lasts for weeks and saves the indolent gentleman from a lot of messy polishing work...

Yours,
Mr. Tweed


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## sartorial_1 (Sep 21, 2008)

Nico01 said:


> It removes the bulk of the polish and brings it to a rough shine, allowing a rag to really work in that last bit of polish and smooth out the surface.
> 
> If you don't use a horsehair brush, you end up either covering your rag completely in polish (making it less effective) and often leave a thicker layer of polish on the shoe (which simply dries and is smoothed and moved around by the already polish-filled rag).


I figured it would be like waxing a car. You put on the wax, let it dry and then wipe it off with a buffer rag. I'm not aware of an intermediate process used between applying wax to a car surface, waiting for the wax to dry and then wiping the wax off with a buffer rag.

Maybe I should just buy a horsehair brush and try it out. I assume that the bristles are fairly soft....


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I use shoe cream.

First step is to work cream into leather after making sure shoes are clean (I use those wedge-shaped disposable sponges they sell in the make-up aisle at CVS to work the polish onto the shoe).

Then I let it set a good long while so the cream can be absorbed.

Step three is to rub with an old, soft washcloth to remove the excess polish.

Then I buff with a horsehair brush (one for black shoes, one for brownish colorways). 

Finally, I use a flannel cloth (many makers include one in the box with each pair of new shoes) to give a final buffing.


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## Cary Grant (Sep 11, 2008)

sartorial_1 said:


> I read this quote on another thread on the forum about polishing shoes:
> 
> "Buff the shoe with a polishing brush -- preferably horsehair"
> 
> This is supposed to be done after you rub in the cream but before you wipe with the finishing rag.


This is exactly the correct method. I own two quality horsehair brushes, one for black and one for brown tones.


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## QuestForReason (Jan 9, 2009)

As said earlier, the brush gets rid of the bulk of the polish, allowing the rag to do a better job. Same with a car, once the wax hazes you should use two polishing clothes one to remove the bulk the other to bring out a deep shine.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

The brush is necessary. It's the rag polishing that's optional.


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## Mr. Tweed (Apr 9, 2009)

*Soft, but not too soft*



sartorial_1 said:


> Maybe I should just buy a horsehair brush and try it out. I assume that the bristles are fairly soft....


A quality natural hair polishing brush should be soft, but not too soft, dense and large enough to get a good grip. I prefer polishing brushes without a handle. And you will need two: one for the black shoes and one for the rest...

Yours,
Mr. Tweed


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## Preu Pummel (Feb 5, 2008)

sartorial_1 said:


> "Buff the shoe with a polishing brush -- preferably horsehair"
> 
> This is supposed to be done after you rub in the cream but before you wipe with the finishing rag.
> 
> Does anyone actually do this? I don't see the benefit of this off-hand....


Yep. Everytime. I rub in the polishes, dry, buff with cotton rag, then brush.
It's become such a routine for almost 20 years... that I can't even think of the specific benefit. My shoes look good and polished, though, so it certainly isn't hurting. I would think it gives an extra shine.


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## AAF-8AF (Feb 24, 2009)

Cary Grant said:


> This is exactly the correct method. I own two quality horsehair brushes, one for black and one for brown tones.


Are there particular brands to recommend as being "quality horsehide brushes"? Thx.
.
.


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## Luis-F-S (Apr 6, 2009)

You can order one on line from the AE store, or most any good cobbler will carry them. :icon_smile_big:


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

IMO the critical step is when I remove the excess polish with a soft cloth BEFORE buffing with the horsehair brush.

I experimented with skipping the soft-cloth extra-polish removal step (my step 3), but found that when I did so, the brushes tended to become quickly "gummed up" with polish. Of course the brushes can be washed out with warm water and liquid Ivory dish soap, but that's another hassle and I found that exposure to water was not good for the wooden brush backs.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

sartorial_1 said:


> I read this quote on another thread on the forum about polishing shoes:
> 
> "Buff the shoe with a polishing brush -- preferably horsehair"
> 
> ...


This is the way I have polished shoes for over 50 years. I think the problem in the description is the term _wipe_. Substitute the term buff, and that's a more accurate description. The amount of shoe creme you use should only ever be a slight haze. The brush takes it off and polishes. The cloth should be a cotton flannel strip, preferably made for the purpose that then serves as a finer surface to produce an even higher luster. Its purpose is not to remove creme.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I've experimented with applying the shoe cream (I normally use Meltonian) both liberally and sparingly.

My finding has been that I get better results when I apply the cream fairly liberally, but rub in well with the applicator and then let it set for a long time (sometimes overnight). The shoes are much easier to buff after a long interval during which the cream has a chance to sink into the leather.

I don't use wax polishes much at all and haven't experimented with them. My intuition is that with wax, a sparing application style would probably work best.


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

A review of The Perfect Shoeshine linked from the Home Page might be helpful:

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/Clothes Articles/perfect_shoeshine.htm


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

Page 483: ..."Indubitably, the self-respecting gentleman deigns not to footwear maintenance regardless of the direness of his straits. Domestic chore exploration and adventurism should be sternly discouraged of the gentleman in one's charge. It ill behooves one, nip it in the bud."...


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## SartusTectus (Mar 22, 2007)

In my view, two brushes would be a bare minimum. Personally I use four, one for blacks, one for browns, one for the bordeaux´ (wouldn't want unwanted red in the browns) and finally one for neutral. With applicator brushes I keep one for each color of wax.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

jamgood said:


> Page 483: ..."Indubitably, the self-respecting gentleman deigns not to footwear maintenance regardless of the direness of his straits. Domestic chore exploration and adventurism should be sternly discouraged of the gentleman in one's charge. It will not behoove one, nip it in the bud."...


Ah . . . but the key word is _gentleman_, isn't it? :devil:


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## Groover (Feb 11, 2008)

SartusTectus said:


> In my view, two brushes would be a bare minimum. Personally I use four, one for blacks, one for browns, one for the bordeaux´ (wouldn't want unwanted red in the browns) and finally one for neutral. With applicator brushes I keep one for each color of wax.


Thats exactly what i use


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## srivats (Jul 29, 2008)

AAF-8AF said:


> Are there particular brands to recommend as being "quality horsehide brushes"? Thx.
> .
> .


I use the ones from www.joesshoeservice.com ... good folks, great price and great quality.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^For years I made do with two horsehair brushes: one for black shoes and the other for every thing else. These days I use three brushes: one for black shoes, one for Burgundy's and dark browns and the third for light browns, cognacs, walnuts, chestnuts and neutral.


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## gman-17 (Jan 29, 2009)

ok, I know I am in the minority here. I have application brushes for each color--horse hair. I have polishing brushes for each color--horsehair. I have polishing cloths for each color as well. I apply polish, buff with brush and then buff with the cloth. This was passed down to me by my father and I won't let anyone else polish my shoes.


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## sartorial_1 (Sep 21, 2008)

*OK - I'm going to buy a brush....*

OK - I'm going to buy a horse hair brush to try it out.

I'm going to buy one with black bristles since my shoes are black and the brush will stay cleaner looking with black wax on black bristles as opposed to black wax on neutral bristles.

Ideally, I'd like a black wooden base as well instead of blonde wood or brown wood. That way the brush will stay cleaner looking if black wax smudges on the wooden base.

I haven't been able to find a horsehair brush with a black wooden base. This one with black bristles is the closest I can find:

https://www.shoecaresupplies.com/product_p/123.htm


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

sartorial_1 said:


> OK - I'm going to buy a horse hair brush to try it out.
> 
> I'm going to buy one with black bristles since my shoes are black and the brush will stay cleaner looking with black wax on black bristles as opposed to black wax on neutral bristles.
> 
> ...


I recommend neutral-colored rather than black (I assume dyed) bristles. Whatever color the brush is, over time the bristles are going to become overloaded with old, excess polish and you will periodically need to wash the brush out in order for it to do its job effectively. A black brush will merely camouflage things and deprive you of visual evidence that it's time to wash (or replace) the brush.


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## AAF-8AF (Feb 24, 2009)

srivats said:


> I use the ones from www.joesshoeservice.com ... good folks, great price and great quality.


Thanks, Srivats! Looks like a great resource.
.
.


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## ozshadow (Jun 22, 2009)

I polish to a mirror shine.

Brush off with a horsehair brush. Lay a thick coat of regular Kiwi paste (not Parade Gloss)

Let it dry, then buff it off with another horsehair brush. 

You may want to do that a few times when new.

Next is the good part.

Get a large bag of cotton balls. You will use a LOT - change frequently.

Put an ice cube in the Kiwi lid plus some water.

Dip the cotton ball in the water then in the paste. You get more on it to begin with. Rub it in a small area in circles.

Once things get hazey, throw away the cotton ball, get a new one, dip in the water and get slightly less polish. Rub it on in small circles until the shine starts coming through. This will take a number of repeats, getting lighter and lighter each time.

Once you have a mirror, finish it with panty hose.

It will take a few hours when new. Once you have a nice base built you can skip the heavy application and buffing. Go right to the cotton balls after cleaning.


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## rich_202 (Jun 20, 2009)

When I have time, I'll do the same type of spit shine (nice tip with the ice cube I'll have to try that next time). 

I have grown quite fond of the following process as of late. It only takes me about 40 minutes to polish about 4 or 5 pairs of shoes. 

Preliminary clean with a horsehair brush.

Apply polish or cream with applicator brush.

Let dry while you repeat with other shoes.

Buff off with horsehair brush, and polish to a decent shine.

Followup with a leather chamois to get a really nice shine.

This process is much easier than the typical spit shine, and works well once you have a few layers of polish built up from previous shines. When I feel the shoes need another layer of polish, I'll opt for the slower spit shine method.


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## Lawrence Connor (Jan 20, 2009)

It is my understanding that Lincoln stain wax is better than Kiwi shoe polish.


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## memphislawyer (Mar 2, 2007)

Oz: I had heard about the cotton balls and panty hose. I was told this by an ex-Navy friend. Once you use the regular application of Kiwi, then he just hits the cotton balls/ice/Kiwi and shines with the cotton ball and, as we would use the horse hair, he uses an old pair of panty hose.

Since old panty hose is readily available from my wife, I use them when she gets a run. I keep a pair in my office and you can use it to touch up at work when you think a touch up is appropriate. Sometimes shoes can get dusty and the panty hose work better than those sponge-applicagtors


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## Busa Dave (Jun 28, 2009)

memphislawyer said:


> Oz: I had heard about the cotton balls and panty hose. I was told this by an ex-Navy friend. Once you use the regular application of Kiwi, then he just hits the cotton balls/ice/Kiwi and shines with the cotton ball and, as we would use the horse hair, he uses an old pair of panty hose.
> 
> Since old panty hose is readily available from my wife, I use them when she gets a run. I keep a pair in my office and you can use it to touch up at work when you think a touch up is appropriate. Sometimes shoes can get dusty and the panty hose work better than those sponge-applicagtors


For the ultimate "leather" shine this is the way to go! Will look like a mirror! All of my shoes are Shark or Shell and the Shell uses Very little polish and the brushes are all they need I have 5 (3 for the basic brush after polish depending on the color then the last 2 are final brushes Cadalliac brand one for light the other for dark that put a finish on Shell that the men at "8th & I" would be proud of).....


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## srivats (Jul 29, 2008)

AAF-8AF said:


> Thanks, Srivats! Looks like a great resource.


You are welcome. I like that they don't charge crazy for shipping, and that they ship via USPS priority. I got my first horsehair brush from them 5+ years ago and its still good after heavy use.


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## sdjordan (Oct 29, 2008)

SartusTectus said:


> In my view, two brushes would be a bare minimum. Personally I use four, one for blacks, one for browns, one for the bordeaux´ (wouldn't want unwanted red in the browns) and finally one for neutral. With applicator brushes I keep one for each color of wax.


Ditto.


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## ozshadow (Jun 22, 2009)

I never realized how hard it would be to photograph shoes. Here is the most realistic I was able to take. In person, the caps look like a pool of black oil. This is a pair of new Park Avenues with one polishing session using the above method, but I wore them once afterward. I will be working the body of the shoe more the next time I polish them. I have a good base on the entire pair now, and the finish I want on the caps.


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## MTM_Master? (Jul 8, 2009)

Just a quick thought on a great polish- AE's premium shoe polish

easy to apply, great results
Also, horsehair brush or bust!


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## HanSoo417 (Oct 24, 2009)

ozshadow said:


> I never realized how hard it would be to photograph shoes. Here is the most realistic I was able to take. In person, the caps look like a pool of black oil. This is a pair of new Park Avenues with one polishing session using the above method, but I wore them once afterward. I will be working the body of the shoe more the next time I polish them. I have a good base on the entire pair now, and the finish I want on the caps.


Depending on what kind of camera you have, it helps to take the picture from farther away and use zoom. Sometimes the lens can't focus when your too close.


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## Salvatore123 (Jan 11, 2009)

*Using a horsehair brush was step No. 7 in my recent thread*

See https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=98624

If you have an electric Beck (or any other well made polisher), you can quicken the time of buffing by buying TWO buffer pads for each shade of polish. I did that, but still use a horsehair brush to get the majority of the polish off.

I label each brush with abbreviations such as "C" for cordovan and like colors, "BR" for browns, and "BK" for blacks. I don't think that the minor "rub off" from the polishes will affect color at this stage.

When I have a decent removal of the majority of the polish, I attach one of the two polishing pads to the Beck which I marked on the inside at "P" for polish removal. I think use a hand-held approach to removing all remaining polish, especially in areas where it is difficult to remove such as close to the welt on the inside of high-quality shoes (which tend to have a very deep curvature towards the inside, and thus makes it a bit difficult to brush briskly with a manual brush and not end up hitting some portions of your shoe and causing scuff or dent marks).

After waxing with paste, I do NOT use a brush. I simply change the Beck buffing pad by removing the one marked "P" for polish and attach one marked "W" for wax.

Remember that it is at the waxing stage (especially the last "light wax") where I spritz with a fine mister of water, and then buff it with the Beck.

Works like a charm . . .

P.S. I am still waiting on several Yak brushes I ordered from Manufactum.com. I have heard from several reputable sources that they are pretty good at imparting a very high quality shine because of the softness of the attaching "Yak hair". I am still waiting for them to arrive.

Regards,

Sam


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