Road to Perdition style vintage men's ankle boots...advice please

[Salv]

These are nice, but lower than the others shown here.
http://www.samuel-windsor.co.uk/Pro...D=BV37&ShopRef=73&Prime=Yes&shopListRec=33295

The best thing about all their shoes is that they cost £99.95 and you get a second pair of shoes free. They have a very good range of traditional shoes, including a good suede chukka, brogues, oxfords, gibsons etc:

 

[PADDY]

I went with the Grenson Huntingdon boots in the end.

Just come through. Black lace up Huntingdons by Grenson (currently on sale with Pediwear online).

The leather has the new 'dimply' effect on it, so the army training for bulling boots will have to be dug out of my memory (remember the old ammo boots for parades?), and start heating up old metal spoons, get a svelte rag and some tins of Kiwi. Hey-ho!! it will be worth it in the end!

They have a real "Road to Perdition" look to them (and would probably feel like walking The Road to Perdition, if I went and did a 20 mile yomp/tab in them today!!)...need to break these babies in.

 

[scotrace]

Good Choice, and...

The leather has the new 'dimply' effect on it, so the army training for bulling boots will have to be dug out of my memory (remember the old ammo boots for parades?), and start heating up old metal spoons, get a svelte rag and some tins of Kiwi.

... I really hope you'll give us a post on the process so we can learn!

 

[PADDY]

I'll give a run-down on how it goes Scot (Leather and Hot Spoons!!).

It's been a few years since I've had to 'spit & polish' parade boots. Other than the ceremonial Household Divisions (eg: Guards Regt's with their scarlet tunics and bearskins and Household Cavalry that tourists often see parading immacutely during Trooping of the Colour and Remembrance Day in London), the British Army did away with the old short ankle toe-capped ammo boot years ago, in favour of high length combat boots.

So, I'll be turning the clock back somewhat when I take that hot spoon and Kiwi polish to these boots of mine (it would have been the 1980's when I last wore ammo boots with the old wrap around puttees, like something from the days of the Raj!!).

By burning down the leather pebbling, you get a smoother surface to work a good skin of polish into a mirror shine. I'm not going for a parade-ground mirror finish, as that would be impractical to keep up in day-to-day use, but I'll get them looking pretty nifty!

 

[Alan Eardley]

Burning down and spit shine

Although I'm twice as old as Paddy (who, by the way, is a male model now in Flypast magazine) I can remember this technique very well (constant repetition does this to you).

You will need the following:
- Boots, Ammunition, one pair.
- Glove.
- Spoons, dessert, NAAFI, two.
- Rags, one rough, one smooth
- Polish, Kiwi, Black
- Stove, hot.
- Water or spit.

Method of bulling.
1. Burning
Put on glove. Heat spoon on stove. When spoon is hot (that's what glove is for) rub back of spoon on boot until boot is hot. Leather becomes somewhat soft and dimples begin to flatten.
2. Spit shining
Dip cloth in water, then in Kiwi. Wrap spoon in rough cloth, buff boot with back of spoon, pressing hard. Keep cloth moist, use lots of polish. Leave to go dull, then shine with smooth cloth.

Repeat until darkness falls. Do again next day. After a week or two of this, you will begin to wonder why, as ammo boots were not made to take a polish in the first place.

Alan

 

[BellyTank]

Hi Alan and Paddy-

I think the pebbled leather looks great- why risk ruining a fine pair of boots with bulling?

It's a shame thay don't have the brown- I really like the look of them.

B
T

 

[PADDY]

BT..the brown looks great doesn't it.

I naturally go for brown leather! but...my old black brogues are about to give up the ghost, so that's why I opted for a black pair of boots that I could wear with suits, dark pants..etc.

I'm not totally getting rid of the pebbling, but just reducing it.

Also, just to add to Alan's recipe...a smooth impregnated rag that silversmiths/jewellers use, called a Svelte is a great piece of kit (as recommended by any Queen's Gurardsman) for buffing.

Also...towards the end of the bulling, use a dark brown on the toe caps, as it gives greater depth to the black shine!! (just a wee tip).

 

[Speedster]

I received my Stacy Adams Madisons. Very nice boots and very old style especially in a narrow width.

WEGEE claims that in his experience it is not a very durable boot. After only a week of ownership i think he is right. But then again it is a very cheap boot.

Wild West Mercantile have a sale on right now (minus 20 % off everything). This means that the Stacy Adams Madisons are down to USD 75.20!!!

Sale ends 31 January, 2007: http://www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/Category.cgi?category=sale2&type=store

By the way PADDY those Grenson Huntingdons are very nice.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Pebbled leather

I think the pebbled leather looks great- why risk ruining a fine pair of boots with bulling?

It's a shame thay don't have the brown- I really like the look of them.

B
T

BT,

The pebbling on ammunition boots was intended to make them easy to care for - to require less polishing. This, however, was anathema to the British Army, which requires of an ordinary soldier that 'everything that moves should be saluted, everything that stays still should be polished (or painted)'.

So, over the decades during they were issued millions of hours were spent by 'Tommy Atkins' turning pebbled boots smooth. It seems amazing to me, looking back, that the pre-war ammo boot (steel segs and all) was on issue until the middle 1980s. The DMS boot that replaced it was smooth.

I like pebbles 'civvy' boots too, patricularly veldtshoen.

Paddy

Thanks for the tips, although I've done enough 'bulling' not to want to take advantage of them...

ALan

 

[jcbc]

The dress boots I dream of

http://www.amesbury.co.uk/bespoke/en/group_4_30.html

That Victorian look...so nice.

 

[PADDY]

My Mike Sullivans have come through (walking the Road to Perdition!)

Just my personal name for them, I'm calling them my Mike Sullivan's after the lead character (played by Tom Hanks) in that classy little movie, "Road to Perdition."

(you can find out more about the movie in this link):

http://www.roadtoperdition.com/home.html

These are heavyish, solid ankle boots, with vintage style speed lacing on the top four holes (rest are standard lace holes). Nice Oxford toe-cap that I have burnt down with a hot spoon (see threads above) to give a smooth surface to polish and give a 'dress boot' finish. I've left the rest with that dimpling/pimple effect on the grain.

Lined with a mustard work glove leather which will wrap around my feet so comfortably and toastily with wear.

These boots ooze class and workmanship, handmade in the shoe county of Northamptonshire, UK).

If you are a size 8 (UK) then I'd grab them while the sale stocks last, really I would!!

We've had some snow overnight and so I took a few pics of the boots in the snow, as it reminds me of the 'haunting' opening scene of Chicago in the winter with all those men like ghosts walking through the snow to find work. That 'deathly' scene set the scene for the rest of the movie (for me anyway), where water/snow/ice were representations of death (watch the movie with that little notion in mind!). Plus, the boots in the snow give that depression era feel to it too.

Anyway, without further ado...

 

[PADDY]

Road to Perdition wear...anyone?

Anyone else inspired by the wardrobe of this movie? I just love these boots and that's saying something for someone who 'always' buys brown when it comes to leather!! I just love these Mike Sullivans of mine!

 

[The Wingnut]

I bought the movie just so I could watch it! I was not disappointed. This was the most un-'Hollywood' period piece I've seen in ages. It doesn't fall all over itself trying to look period, it simply presents a story set in another era...the major difference being that somebody did their homework and tried to get it RIGHT for once, instead of falling back on a bunch of BS film industry stereotypes.

"...it was also important to me that the movie pay witness to the time, rather than announce it. I want the audience to feel that they are looking through a window into this world, and I wanted to put a lie to some of the percieved notions about gangsters. You will see no double breasted pinstripe suits, no spats, and only one machine gun, and that had a very specific and unusual presence in the movie."

...talk about hitting the nail on the head.

The Chicago scenes were carefully edited to remove the new construction and leave the old, 'freshen' things up and add some stuff that time erased. What a class act...

I really wish the woolen mill they used for the wardrobe had continued to produce the fabrics.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I love Road to Perdition! I wasn't even aware that he was wearing ankle boots in this movie...what a great way to keep dressy but stand up to the brutal Lake Michigan weather. Where did you learn the hot spoon trick, Paddy? I had never heard of doing that to smooth out leather.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Snow ay... hmmm

 

[PADDY]

Matt, for a snowy 'Road to Perdition' London...you need...

..well, you need boots just like Mike Sullivan's!! and Paddy Middleton's!! These beauts are heading south with me, come rain, snow or shine.

You'll see them on Monday night, if not before.

 

[Mr. Rover]

How lucky! I'm jealous of you, Matt! I hope it doesn't snow here in NY...I've only got dress shoes with me.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Road to Perdition - Paddy

Paddy,

Do I detect that you planning to attend the London Meeting in Mike Sullivan character?

I will if you will...

Alan

 

[carebear]

How hot does the spoon need to get? case-hardenedy looking? orange? red? white?

I have to find some brown shoes for my new brown suit. Now I'm thinking "why not get a set of dress brown and black boots for winter?"

In the mornings after a snow I'm out brushing off my truck and my ankles get wet. Fortunately I'm very tough and only cry on the inside.

 

[Mr. Rover]

Well, first you take the spoon and put a sugar cube on it. Then, you drizzle some absinthe on it and light the stuff on fire. That should get the spoon hot enough, and your shoes will have a nice sugary gloss.