Yuya Hasegawa's Ardent Shoeshine Dojo": Polishing Raised Fabrics (Applied)

This is a series of "Yuya Hasegawa's Ardent Shoeshine Dojo". In the 20th installment, Yuya Hasegawa talks passionately about detailed techniques for polishing raised fabrics.

First of all, let's look back at the basics. If there are no noticeable stains or spots, follow the steps as follows.

1, Dust the entire area with a horsehair brush.
2, Remove stains with a suede brush (gold brush).
3, Dust again with a horsehair brush.
4, Spray with suede spray.
5, Finish by brushing with a horsehair brush after drying.

The process is completed in five steps.

However, there are many things that cannot be cleaned by these steps alone, and there are many cases in which tricks are required. The following is a brief explanation of each step and how to do it.

When there are stains that cannot be removed even with a suede brush

Stain marks cannot be removed. "Stubborn stains cannot be removed. In such cases, it is possible to remove the stain by using "sandpaper" instead of a suede brush.

In this case, a sandpaper of about No. 280 is recommended. This is suitable for most raised materials. If the sandpaper is too rough, the bristled material will be rougher and the bristles will be longer. Therefore, a 280-grit sandpaper is the most versatile.

The sandpaper gradually removes dirt (fibers) from the surface. Then the surface dirt will come off like eraser dust. Be careful not to overdo it.

If the fur is rough and fibers are sticking out

If you are tempted to use scissors or clippers to cut the fur, try roasting it over a fire. Only the fibers that have been sticking out will burn, and the fur will be straightened.

I came up with this method 17 or 8 years ago, inspired by the old practice of roasting neckties (made of silk) over a fire when the ends of the necktie became furry.

Since then, I've been searing rough, bristly materials one by one over a fire to get the fur to lie flat.

There are a few things to keep in mind about this process.

1. x for light-colored raised fabrics.

It is not recommended for colors lighter than medium brown, simply because the fire will burn it and change its color. Try it in an inconspicuous place before doing it.

2, x for materials with attractive fur.

If your shoes are made of a material that is attractive for its long, fine hair, such as buckskin or lamb's suede, do not use suede spray because it would be a waste.

If there is no matching suede spray in the market

If there is no suede spray available on the market that matches the color of the suede, for example, bright colors such as pink or yellow are not available on the market. In such cases, many people choose a colorless waterproof spray, but we recommend "mink oil spray.

Since it contains a lot of oil, the original color will be restored by darkening the overall color a little without making up for it. Basically, brushing the surface will lighten the color, so this mink oil spray is very effective.

I thought I was a genius when I discovered this (laughs).

(Laughs.) The only caveat to this is that it must be done outdoors. Mink oil spray can be quite swollen if it gets into the trachea (although other sprays should be used outdoors as well), so be extra careful.

That's all for now!

I have talked about polishing raised materials, which I don't really want to teach you (application) that I have developed through long experience.

Raised materials are often less susceptible to dirt than smooth leather, but if you take good care of them, they will be reborn as new and tasteful. I hope that all the students of Ardent Shoeshine Dojo who read this every time will put it into practice.

In the next article, I will explain how to polish enamel shoes. Let's go through life with beautiful feet! Oshinin Oshinin Oshinin!