putting a shine on that leather, I need some info

[grey-array]

Hey Lads and lasses,

I am currently on my venture through leatherwork land, having made a guitar strap lately I wanted to give it a bit of a shine, so the tooling would have a little more dept to it,
But what do I use to get that shine I am after any recommendations?
both DIY versions or Professional finishes are superb, am just looking for some info atm, and possibly a easy to obtain solution.

Yours sincerely Ruud

 

[dwardo]

Just use shoe polish my self or clear dubin. Carnuba cream for the edges.

 

[grey-array]

Shoe polish....... why did I not think of that XD
Thanks Dwardo ^^, and where would a person get carnuba cream? Horse shops perhaps?

Yours sincerely Ruud

 

[mountainm]

Be careful with shoe polish, it rubs off on clothing.

 

[dwardo]

Be careful with shoe polish, it rubs off on clothing.

Not had a problem in the past. Tend to use clear dubbin mostly as i have already dyed the leather the colour I want, could just be lucky
Carnuba was from Leprevo matey.

 

[Toadflax]

Having tried many finishes, I'd go for Carnauba Wax. Gives a nice semi glossy shine on most leathers - I'd say it would suit a guitar strap well. Apply it sparingly (i.e. not too much in one go, and spread it well), as dollops of it can cause a bit of a 'water stain' effect sometimes.

It will darken the leather, so dyes that look rather washed out before application of carnauba can come out nicely after waxing.


Geoff

 

[John Fenna]

If you realy buff boot polish hard it seems not to rub off - and you get a high shine!

 

[Macaroon]

My good ol' standby for shiny leather that looks good, and stays looking good, is 30% Carnauba, 70% beeswax and thin it down a bit with artist's pure turps - warm all together gently, mix thoroughly and apply sparingly - leave 30 minutes or so and then buff 'till you can't buff no more - leave a further 30 mins., then take a pair of womens tights or stockings, ball them into a tight pad and buff again for as long as you can bear to............If the item warrants the work, do this as often as you can, the more you do the better the finish. To get a real classy depth of finish and the feel of quality leather, there ain't no short cuts - all depends how much you value the piece you're working on............all the above ingredients available on sh*te bay...................atb mac

 

[grey-array]

Thanks everyone, seems I have another mix to make, made one recently with 40% linseed oil (cold pressed), 35% beeswax, and 25% pine resin, which works a treat for knife handles that get into allot of wet situations, like my new addition my filleting knife, but will get experimenting with the carnauba wax, sounds like interesting stuff
Yours sincerely Ruud