Spit Shine - still can!

[madsox]

Just a late brag, but for my older daughter's wedding this summer I pulled out my dress shoes (wingtips, I'm a full civvie for 15 years now) and realized that they'd never had more than a brush shine.

So I went and got a new set of spitshining gear (fresh polish, a new lighter, etc.) and spent three days breaking down the polish and giving them a basic spitshine. They needed more work before they'll be "Inspection Ready", but sitting out on the deck explaining what I was doing to my younger daughter, soaking in the smells and having a couple-a beers...

It brought back memories of school at Camp Pendleton: sitting out on the squadbay's outside ladderway smokin', jokin' and working on getting inspection boots ready. Made me feel young again!

Oh, and I found a really good substitute for a soft handkerchief to do the wax with (couldn't find decent hankies anywhere) - baby booties. The extra-soft kind they sell to keep infants from scratching or chewing their toes.

Anyway, just felt like sharing that little flashback.

Semper fi, y'all!

[Quinbo]

I always use a hunk of a standard issue white t-shirt. I never found anything that worked better for me. Some swear that the final buff should be done with wadded up nylon stocking. After your first couple coats .... put them on and walk around then buff them with a boot brush. Final shine will come out stellar.

[boomer56328]

I sucked at spit shipshining. I always cheated and used one of those shine sponges. I don't think they even shine boots any more with the new roughed out boots.

[Osotogary]

SSgt Maddox (Madsox),
I'm not a Marine but I used to use, because I had this resource available, old cotton diapers to spread on the shinola and then, as a finishing touch, used any available at the time, nylon stocking to buff. Note: Make sure that the nylon stocking you use was going to get sh*tcanned by the woman it belonged to. LOL.
I've also set the shinola on fire and then started my spit shine using the melted shinola.

[sparkie]

Cool water in the kiwi lid to harden the wax,,,,Ah, memories. And I do remember thost fake shine pads,,,cheater.

[PFC Horse]

Good for you SSgt Madsox! It does bring back memories! I still spit shine my shoes and boots and I've been out for, well, way to long to think about. Setting the paste on fire and using a little water in the lid. I still use handkerchiefs, but the booties sound like something I might try. I never did use pads or spray on stuff, nothing beats the real thing as far as I am concerned. Even if something else might look better, (not sure how that is possible), doing it the old school way simply makes me feel good! :beer:

[SlingerDun]

How much you charge for shine Joe

[sparkie]

"Shave and a haircut,,,2 bits" I was shinin shoes in the bars when I was 6,,,,after dark,, with my parents support,,Made good money,,,, My first job,,, Things were different.

[bucksgted]

Ah, memories!! I still spit shine my "40 lb wing tips". Don't do the burn thing or the pad thing - - just cool water in the Kiwi lid and a hankie or other soft cotton cloth. I never, never use nylons on my shoes. Seems I can always see the "burn marks" from the nylon in the polish.

When my Grampa was still alive, it was always my job to spit shine his shoes on each visit. Made me feel good cause the shoes looked great and he always bragged on me to others.

[CplKJSpevak]

My boy is at his Young Marine Drill right now, Wearing Dad's Parris Island issued "Black Cadillac" Drill boots from '92. I had them re-soled before I got out. For Years I only pulled them out to shovel snow. Well Boy's, They are brought back to life and lookin' better than ever! I'm not BS'ing Marines! I got them baby's shining like glass again. And I mean the WHOLE boot not just the toes, I only ever use or used a white t-shirt, polish and water! kind of like waxing a car, and the final buff is just a dab of water on the rag, make's them shine like glass!.........Remember, You gotta make love to the leather!

[PFC Horse]

Hey Sarge, I bet Grandpa is still bragging on you to someone, somewhere!!

[CplKJSpevak]

When my Grampa was still alive, it was always my job to spit shine his shoes on each visit. Made me feel good cause the shoes looked great and he always bragged on me to others.

That's Awesome:usmc:

[bucksgted]

.........Remember, You gotta make love to the leather!
Yeppers - - kinda like squeezing a rifle trigger - - squeeze it like it was your girlfriend's tit! LMAO

[Marine84]

Cool water in the kiwi lid to harden the wax,,,,Ah, memories.

:scared: I remember doing something you have! This is scarey

[SlingerDun]

hhmmm wonder if my hoof buffer "buffy" with the cotton drum attachment on the cordless DeWalt would expedite high gloss on top grain leather?

[Sgt Jim]

My daughter joined a rotc unit when she was in high school.She had ask me to spit shine her shoes,i told her i would show her how and shine them the first time.Her rotc instructor had been a COL in the Air Force ,and ask her who had shined her shoes,she told him that her dad had.he then told the rest of the class that this was the way he wanted there shoes to look like. then ask her what branch of the service her dad had been inand she told him i was a Marine,he then told the class that a Marine could shave his face in them shoes ,Nuf said

[Quinbo]

My Navy wife had an upcoming inspection and I volunteered to shine her boots. I said they will be so shiney you will need sunglasses to look at them. They'll be so shiney that if it was a clear lake you'll be able to see your toes. By golly I did as promised and as soon as she put them on all that wax and hard work became a cracked mirror and a trail of polish. Worn boots polish up better and hold their shine. Brand new wall locker boots shined up look outstanding but as soon as you put them on the polish looks like a can of worms. Putting them on and walking around then brushing and a final coat of polish is the only way to go. I learned that the hard way

[madsox]

... Brand new wall locker boots shined up look outstanding but as soon as you put them on the polish looks like a can of worms. Putting them on and walking around then brushing and a final coat of polish is the only way to go. I learned that the hard way

Oh, yeah, you gots to wear 'em a few times first. My Drill Instructors taught us that the hard way - had us polishing up that inspection pair of boots during First Phase, then when we'd spent a couple weeks learning how to shine, took us out for a lap around the grinder (no PT, just ordinary drill).

Then the Senior formed us up for inspection.

Oh, did we spend some time in the pit after that one! :sick:

And then we had to clean and re-polish the boots, of course. Man, the Corps sure makes you remember things when you need to!

madsox out...

[cw2533]

Memories, I still can remember my first pair of boon dockers and combat boots in boot camp <1958> they were the rough leather type and we were only allowed to use saddle soap. After boot camp we had to spit shine them and what a job that was I bet I used 3 cans of polish to make them smooth leather. That made for some long hours of shinging.

[Zulu 36]

Nothing like a good piece of leather hand worked to a high gloss.

I taught my oldest daughter how to shine her shoes and boots while she was AF ROTC at UMich. Like with SgtJim, her commander spotted her shoes right away and pointed her out as a positive example too.

She still spit shines her boots and/or shoes (usually boots) daily for work while deployed to Germany. She doesn't have the new rough-side out boots yet and isn't really looking forward to them. She appreciates a well polished piece of leather too. Bless her heart.

[silverdollar]

Memories, I still can remember my first pair of boon dockers and combat boots in boot camp <1958> they were the rough leather type and we were only allowed to use saddle soap. After boot camp we had to spit shine them and what a job that was I bet I used 3 cans of polish to make them smooth leather. That made for some long hours of shinging.




Did you use a tent peg to smooth the leather down before using polish?

[cw2533]

Yes I used a tent peg and anything else that i could grip easily. Those were the good old days.

[westvirginiawar]

Something about traditions and Marines. I was given a pair of Hersey's by a GySgt who had just retired when I came home on boot leave in 2002. He told me I had to keep the tradition going for the Marines from my home town. For my first year in the fleet I spent every Sunday worken those shoes. I still wear them for the Ball and Messnights. So starting this week I'm going to break them out of the wall locker and get them ready.

[advanced]

Back in 67, before going to the Nam I was an MP. No one was as spit shined as we were. Our secret for spit shining our shoes for guard mount was aqua-velva aftershave.