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This is probably a little OT...or maybe not...but I thought I would outline a simple set of procedures for obtaining a spit shine. My credentials for doing this are three years in the Army Paratroops where Corcoran boots absolutely had to have a spit shine clear enough to shave in.
For those interested in using crust and obtaining some of the looks that top money European makers are getting this may be a critical finishing technique.
[Caveat: there may be other methods in the larger sense or simply in detail but this is the way I did it in the service 40 some years ago and I never got gigged. ]
Materials needed: a soft cotton rag; a tin of Lincoln, Kiwi, Saphir or similar polish(cream will not work); an old nylon (lady's hosiery); a dead watch and a small tin of elbow grease.
First, find a soft rag. I like a flannel, maybe from an old pair of pajamas. Twist the rag around your finger tip so that you have a flat section of the flannel over the tip of the finger...any fold here is a problem.
Second, swirl, rub, dip the flannel fingertip over the surface of your wax to get a thin layer for application.
Third, using a small circular motion, apply the wax swiftly to the area to be shined. (Usually this is the toe and/or the counter area, spit shines in areas where flex is present are a waste of time. ) Use a light pressure.
Fourth, When the flannel starts to drag even the slightest bit, breathe heavily, with an open mouth, on the waxed area. Using a small circular motion, lightly rub the wax again. The moisture from the breath both softens the wax, lubricates it slightly and causes the waxes to harden slightly as it evaporates.
Fifth, repeat step two, three and four...only this time actually spit a tiny amount of moisture from your mouth onto the wax.
Sixth, repeat steps two, three, and four or five over and over again until the wax begins to build up and a very high shine begins to emerge. there is no particular pattern or indication to tell you when to breath and when to spit. But too much moisture can be a problem so I do not spit everytime nor in great quantity.
There are those who advocate water or water and alcohol instead of spit or breath, I don't think it makes a difference but it is, again, very important that moisture be kept to a minimum and that...this is important!...the flannel fingertip never be allowed to get wet.
When the spit shine is done, allow it to harden for a few minutes (half an hour?) and then it may be finished off with a brief, light, and rapid polishing using the nylon stocking just like a shoe shine rag in the movies...except no snapping. Don't overdo this--friction and heat are not required.
Again...the keys are small circular motions, not too much water and not too much pressure.
I spit shined a pair of shoes this morning in less than 30 minutes. Renewing the spit shine on a shoe should take less than ten minutes and with each subsequent application the shine gets deeper and deeper and shinier and shinier. Eventually, especially if allowed to wander off into flex areas, the spit shine may need to be stripped to the bare leather and begun again.
The dead watch? Like so many things that approach the superlative if not the sublime, you cannot count the moments and expect good results. As with good whiskey, some part of life must be set aside as the "angels' share."
Hope that helps and is not something everyone already knew....
Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC
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