Boot restoration...I think it worked!

[P.forpony]

Just a bit of an excited post ?

A dear friend thought these were toast, I offered to have a look and see if I could condition out some of the cracks etc...

Got a bit carried away once I started and ended up doing a full restoration.
He hasn’t seen them since, and I’m hoping to surprise him so ? he’ll approve.

 

[SpotsandBays]

Top job!

 

[Uliy]

Wow well done! How did you do that?!?!

 

[Dave's Mam]

Wow!

 

[P.forpony]

Elbow grease and patience! ?

I’ve always been one of those that loves tack cleaning.

Basic steps, remove all the dirt and perished polish (our best estimate is that these boots are old +40yrs old so there was a lot!)
This bit was the scariest as it involved white spirit and razor blades and I was worried they’d disintegrate in my hands ?
Then condition condition condition over several weeks, they started to come back to life and give me hope.

Repainted the tan tops, had to mix a few colours to get it right.
Then slowly start to polish, parade gloss on wet cotton wool, and bone the old fashioned way with a deer bone a layer or two a day for about a week.
Damp soft cloth till dry to finish, touch up any less shiny spots and done!

 

[PurBee]

Thats an amazing transformation!!
im sure your friend will be extremely pleased, and probably wont believe theyre the same boots!

Id love to see a video of how this is done from start to finish, as ive never been good at leatherwork and often see old leather items i like but unsure if salvageable/refurbishable.

What is ‘bone with a deer bone’? Layering the polish with a deer bone? (sorry im completely ignorant of the process but fascinated!)

 

[P.forpony]

It would be a long video and probably bore you to tears ?

Basically you use a deer leg bone after you apply the polish but before you shine it, the idea being the smooth surface with very gentle pressure pushes the polish into the pores of the leather and creates a very smooth surface, because you can never get a good shine on lumpy or uneven.

Edited to add boning fell out of fashion because it can only really be done on boots with solid wooden trees, without that support you’d just end up damaging the leather.

Bone helpfully sourced by very clever dog!

 

[PurBee]

It would be a long video and probably bore you to tears ?

Basically you use a deer leg bone after you apply the polish but before you shine it, the idea being the smooth surface with very gentle pressure pushes the polish into the pores of the leather and creates a very smooth surface, because you can never get a good shine on lumpy or uneven.

Edited to add boning fell out of fashion because it can only really be done on boots with solid wooden trees, without that support you’d just end up damaging the leather.

Bone helpfully sourced by very clever dog! View attachment 57531

Thats very interesting, not boring at all, the whole process would make a great video!

My dogs too often find deer bones...however your dog is a good one, bringing them whole back to you, he obviously knows you need them for your work!
?

There’s an online auction site that oftentimes have many vintage equestrian items, plenty of pairs of old style boots of leather, looking like your pair did, and i often wondered if they could be restored...now i know how fabulously they can be revived, but i wouldnt know where to start! You should have your own leather restoration business ?

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Fabulous job, your friend is going to be super pleased im sure.

 

[J&S]

Top job! Looks really professional.

 

[twiggy2]

Amazing job

 

[Widgeon]

You want to be careful what you post on here or we'll all be shipping our old boots to you! They look fantastic, I hope he's delighted. I would be....I have various pairs of battered old boots that I just love too much to get rid of. I need to find someone like you local to us!

 

[P.forpony]

This is where I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it ?
It’s quite therapeutic making something old shiny again.
It did cross my mind to offer as a service but I’m not sure if there’s a market for it ?‍

 

[Pinkvboots]

This is where I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it ?
It’s quite therapeutic making something old shiny again.
It did cross my mind to offer as a service but I’m not sure if there’s a market for it ?‍

They look amazing I think there could be a market especially if you use those pictures as an example.

 

[Tarragon]

You should be on The Repair Shop