In preparation for any potential bootblack to sit down with their first pair of boots, they should have some basic knowledge and a basic bootblacking starter kit.
Firstly, a potential boot black needs to know the different types of leather you might encounter. There are four main types of leather I'll be focusing on in this start session : (1) high polished boots, (2) satin polish (less shiny) boots, (3) oil tan boots, and (4) apparel leather.
We'll come back to this.
Next off, the essentials for a starter bootblack kit:
- Dauber Brush (large or small, I like both for different things)
- Squirt bottle (something with a mist/spray ability)
- Tooth brush (stiff bristled is best)
- Lots of old rags/towels for cleaning, drying, etc
- Nylons (MUST BE USED, new are too scratchy) how you get them used, is up to you
- Flashlight/headlamp (usefull, but not needed)
- China pencils (these are wax pencils you can get at an art store for >$1 each, most important colors are white, yellow and red but there are more if you want them)
Those are just the basic tools; you'll also need leather care products, polish, oil and etc...
Saddle soap (used for cleaning leather before polishing)
Glycerin soap (alt for saddle soap; if you choose this it MUST be fragrance, dye & color free)
High shine polish (Kiwi or Lincoln are standards, I use both)
Cream / Satin polish (this is a cream product, I use Meltonian NOTE : you will need a new small dauber FOR EACH COLOR you use)
Oil (I prefer Oubenoff's, but there are other brands we'll get to that)
Apparel Oil (different than oil for boots, I prefer Oubenoff's brand for this also)
OK, so now we've covered the basics of what you need. Awesome, let's look at the basics of what you need to know to polish a boot.
First of all, you'll want to note how the boot is laced (if your first boot has no laces, you are SPOILED) and I usually use my phone to take a photo of the lacing so I can replicate it when I'm finished. Most people have a preference in their lacings and you want to put things back as you found them, this is just basic niceness for your client. After you've noted the lacing pattern, unlace the boot and take the laces out.
DO NOT LOSE THE LACES, put them around your neck, over your knee, or someplace else where they won't get lost. Once you have the laces out, you'll want to clean them too the easiest way to do this is to wet a rag and run them through it a few times, the moisture and friction will take most dirt off.
Next off, how dirty is the boot? You might need to just use water and a good sturdy towel to get most of the dirt/mud/ick off; once you're down to a managable amount of dirt, you're ready to start boot blacking.
1) You will need to wet your dauber brush AND your soap.
About the soap; I use Saddle Soap the brand doesn't really matter, they're all pretty close to the same but some boot blacks prefer Glycerin soap. I recommend you try both and decide what works best for you.
2) Using your spray bottle dampen (DO NOT SOAK) the boot; then work up a lather on your brush and start cleaning the boots! Go in small areas at first, if you're worried, and use a clean towel to wipe away the water, soap and dirt once you finish a section.
3) Once the first boot is cleaned, clean the second. Using your toothbrush and some soap, clean the top of the sole of the boot running around the base of the leather (commonly referred to as the catwalk by some).
4) Once the boots are clean, then you're going to polish.
We will cover how to polish a boot at a later date.
