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another fun thing about bootblacking β it's as much of a kink as it isn't.
and by this, i mean: it's labor!
we have to look beyond kink into the vanilla/non-kink world to see the only remaining examples of shoe care as a job. the only examples i can think of are shoe-cleaning mall kiosks and, maybe, a chair or two in an airport terminal or fancy hotel. but these places are dwindling, if they even still remain at all. consumerism and planned obsolescence has invaded fashion so much that most people aren't concerned with the upkeep of their actual leather shoes, let alone sneakers or pleather boots.
(edit: cobblers and shoe repair most certainly count, but in this instance i'm referring to chairs or kiosks that maintain the footwear without disassembling it, although there are many bootblacks that can provide services like these.)
this, compounded with the cost barrier to leather gear and a much smaller community post-AIDS of the 1980's i believe has made bootblacking much more scarce in kink circles. i mentored under a bootblack that primarily works bars and club events, and have gone on to do the same myself, and... not many people even know what a bootblack is anymore. i've met people in full cow at the local Eagle who have never even heard of our existence. i was in the right place at the right time and met the right people in order to be able to sub/apprentice under one, and that in itself is a privelege nowadays. instructional videos are lovely, but there's nothing like working with the real thing to practice.
getting booked at events is a headache in and of itself, which is where the talk of labor comes in. if you are bootblacking, you are doing physical labor. it doesn't matter if you're working a pup social at a leather bar, or a private residence party, it is labor. on average, i scrub and polish a shift at a bar event for 5 hours (8pm to 1am) with very few breaks. on a good night, i can polish usually 6 or 7 customers in that 5 hour shift, and that's if nobody comes to me with a Langlitz project or a full set of chaps. tipping your bootblack is crucial, because 90% of the time, that's how we make any money at all.
bootblacking is how i have kept my boyfriend, my cats and i fed many times. and it is very hard to find an event nowadays that will pay a bootblack up front to be there for the night β most just "allow you to keep tips" and maybe comp you a drink or two. at this point i just have a menu of my services that i provide, and i turn away folks who cannot pay or barter. (i, personally, will take coffee as payment for boots and harnesses.) this often means i make less than minimum wage for 5 hours of physical labor.
my point being: bootblacking is a kink, but it will likely be found today more often as a job leatherfolk will take up at an event, much like a vendor. the more public adult spaces where we can actually express it as a kink the better, and those are growing incredibly scarce. and the people willing to pay us even more so, despite how much upkeep leather gear like boots and jackets should be getting.
Aspiring bootblack here! I came across a post of yours going over the difference between conditioner and polish. I've got some boots that are due for conditioning, but in the past I've used a bit of colored cream polish around the toes to hide some scuffs. Is there a better way to care for them? And is there a significant difference between wax polish and cream polish? Thank you!
Hey!
Itβs best to start with a cleaning process, and then condition, and then polish.
The cleaning process will lift up the old cream polish, and the Lanolin in saddle soap also has some conditioning properties. Conditioning on top of polish is not ideal, as the polish prevents the conditioner soaking into the leather.
A light non-greasy crème conditioner is best if you intend to polish afterwards.
Thereβs a big difference between cream polish and wax polish. They are for different purposes, parts of the boot, and types of leather, and the application is different.
Which one to use depends on the leather and construction of your boot. (Check out my #bootblack tag for my response to an ask where I cover βtriage - how to decide what product to useβ for more info)
Cream polish can be applied a lot like conditioner, simply apply with fingers or rag and buff out with a brush. It typically doesnβt need to be built up in layers, and wonβt give a high shine.
Wax polish is applied in small amounts and then buffed out, then shined with water and a cotton rag, and buffed again. Using heat from your hands/breath/friction helps to smooth it out. Repeat as desired for a higher shine.
Cream polish is flexible, wax polish is not. Wax polish is only malleable while youβre working it - and if you apply it to a part of the boot that flexes when you walk, it will flake and crack as itβs worn.
If you think about a pair of classic Doc Martens, Iβd only apply a coat of hard wax polish on the tip of the toe and the heel counter. Iβd then use my buffing brush to carry tiny amounts of polish to other parts of the boot. Iβd use cream polish everywhere that flexes, and then buff all over and finish by shining up the wax polish on the toe and heel.
Hey, could you give me an adice please? I have my favorourite very old leather pants . The leather is very thick but also very smooth! But there are some areas where the learher really breaks! Even when I do a lot of shoe cream there, it doesnβt improove. May be they are 30 years old, i got them from a much older mate who couldnβt wear them because he was getting a bit fat (but still a sexy dad). He was happy that I wear them and that I love them. Now he is deadπ I want to do the best for theese sexy pants, as memory to this dead friend and also for me, cause they are my favourite pants! Do you have a trick how too get theese dry leather areas smooth again? Somebody told me to get in the inside a thin under leather? Greetings Ruedi from Bern, Switzerland
Hey!
I am sorry for your loss. This sounds like a beautiful and meaningful piece of leather and I hope it will serve you for many years to come.
It sounds like the finish or the top layer of leather might have rubbed off in the places where the leather is dry and rough.
I would suggest burnishing the area, which basically means using a burnishing product and pressure and friction to knit the leather fibres back together.
You can use a little bit of heavy leather conditioner, like a Dubbin, on the area. Or a little bit of burnishing cream. Give it a few minutes to soak in.
And then, while the product is still tacky, take a burnishing tool (you can buy wooden/bone/plastic burnishing tools or use something else hard and smooth like the back of a teaspoon).
Start slow with a little pressure to rub the tool back and forth over the rough spot and once the rough bits are starting to smooth down, you can use a bit more speed and pressure.
The area may still be a bit duller than the rest, so you can use a little cream polish to restore some lustre.
I hope this helps! I may have misunderstood the issue youβre having, so if youβd like to send me a pic I might be able to make more specific recommendations.
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Handcrafted from a solid piece of leather, metal O-rings and chain, the banner is designed to embody the leather armour worn by these fierce guardians who strengthen and protect our communities.
If youβre interested in seeing more of my work please check out my IG @leatherbutch
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βBear men carry their hirsute, generous frames with pride. Fairies adorn themselves with cheap faux jewelry and thrift-shop dresses as they dance before the goddess. Leathermen place their bodies at the intersection of pleasure and pain in a way that profoundly troubles the distinction between the two.β
- Fairies, Bears and Leathermen: Men in Community Queering the Masculine. Peter Hennen, 2008.
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