[Jack] Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. Today,
I'm in London at the Arterton Showroom with my friend Anders Sundström. Anders is an expert in shoe
polishing, and today, we'll be ranking different show polishes. Anders welcome to the channel.
[Anders] Thank you. [Jack] Now, what we're going to be doing is we're going to be ranking polishes from top
to bottom. We'll be looking at wax polishes, so something that you would get in a tin that's
typically like a hard wax, versus a cream polish. The ranking guides that we've got are quite
whimsical. We've got at the top, "Shines Like A Diamond;" moving down to "Super Slick;" we'll
also have "Daily Gleam," so something that's very middle of the road; and then working down,
we've got "Works In A Pinch;" all the way to "Rough As Dirt." So let's get started with the one
that I think everyone knows: Saphir. [Anders] So, Saphir is one of the most well-known brands out there
and, first of all, they do really good chemistry. No doubt about it. And we should really
start by looking at the the polishes. So, first off, you would have the Saphir Pâte. This is the most
well-known. It's actually a soft wax polish— softer wax polish—consisting of more of the
natural and mineral waxes, and they also use turpentine, which is a very important
part of the chemistry of a good wax polish. Because if you use mainly naphtha, you would actually
lose some of the evaporation properties that are necessary for the speed of a high shine—when
you build layers—because evaporation will speed up solidification of the wax, because it will draw
energy and cool down the wax. It's a very key part of the process of building layers. So, the
Pâte is actually a great product because it has... You have beeswax, your carnauba, you have montan waxes and
you mineral waxes, and it's a great mixture to create quite of a easy buildup layer, and
I would argue that it actually has capacity to avoid, in a way, the cracking issue when
you build spit shine. Because, obviously, when you build a thick layer, you would potentially
crack it when you flex. So, this is some of the issues you would run into when building spit shine. So, I would definitely rank that as a top one. Yeah, definitely, it's a good, good polish
[Jack] Are we talking absolute top tier or...? [Anders] Yes.
[Jack] Fantastic. [Anders] It's one of the top tiers, definitely. It
is a good product. Now, they also have the Mirror Gloss. The Mirror Gloss is a hard polish,
and if you compare those two, most who have worked with both will notice that the Mirror Gloss
is actually very hard. And the idea with a Mirror Gloss is you want speed when building layers, which
hardness is ideal. The problem you're going to have with Mirror Gloss, because obviously, you're
going to build layers fast, but what they did is that, similar to the Pâte is that you use about
50% naphtha and 20% turpentine. So, it's a mixture of naphtha and turpentine; it's not only turpentine. And
then you add more of the harder waxes, which would be montan waxes. Now montan waxes have a
great feature of shine that would be good; however, when you solidify a mineral-based wax,
especially montan waxes, it will shrink. [Jack] Oh, okay. So is that why when you get a tin of polish,
sometimes the polish looks like it doesn't fit the tin? [Anders] Yeah, that is one, for example. That has something to
do with evaporation of the solvents. But, if you put the the wax polish on the leather, and
as soon as the solvent evaporates and the wax film solidifies, it will start to shrink even after
it's dried. It has that chemical property. And the problem you will run into, if you have a
high content of the montan waxes, is cracking of the wax layers over time. So, if you put the shoes
in the wardrobe, they will crack even if you don't use them. [Jack] Interesting, okay.
[Anders] So, that's one of the issues I've seen with a Mirror Gloss. One of the issues. Again, it is really efficient to
build layers, yes, and it will create a good shine; but a good polish is not only a shine, it's long
longevity of the shine itself. So, that is one of my concerns with that product. Also, one
of the big problems montan waxes is the high melting point. So, some people who uses Mirror Gloss
have a problem with that it doesn't melt on your fingers when you want to speed build a shine
Because then, you need to, for example, apply multiple layers fast; you will run into to that
kind of issues. So, again, it's a great product. It has some some good features. It has some problems.
So, I would top rank it more towards the top-middle. The Super Slick. Yeah, again, a good
product but it doesn't really... I would say that the Pâte would be superior because because it is
it has some of those feature that that create a generally good shine for longevity, which is more
important than just looking good when you're finished. [Jack] Interesting. So, how would you rank the
soft creams that Saphir offers? [Anders] So, the soft cream, the Pommadier — again, a great product. The big feature
of this is the pigmentation, I would say. That's the niche. It has high content of pigmentation . It
is as good as it could be bad because I seen a lot of users actually using it, and it creates
almost a painted layer of pigmentations of over the grain, which almost ruined the shoe.
It could be used well, it could be used not so great. I would also say Super Slick
for the Pommadier. It's a good cream, it has nourishment, it has great shine potential,
it has good nourishment properties, and definitely a good shine. Definitely, super slick.
[Jack] Great! Moving on. We'll come to another brand that is definitely within the echelon of specialist shoe
care, would be Boot Black. [Anders] So, Boot Black, the Japanese brand. Really interesting brand.
They have a good polish that uses turpentine, it uses carnauba wax, and I would assume mineral waxes.
I don't know their formula by heart, but yes, it's a good polish. The problem I have
when I've played with it is that it's a bit grainy. It has a tendency to be a bit grainy—which is
tendency of, typically, when you either haven't fully solidified it properly after filling.
Because they need a cooling process that is a bit delicate, and if you don't cool it properly, it
will not gel properly. The wax blend will not gel properly, and you can have grain issues.
[Jack] Are you talking about during manufacturing? [Anders] Yeah, during manufacturing, correct. So, that is
some of the concern I have with that product. Obviously, you can do a good shine. You could use it
to do a mirror shine, of course. So, you could build layers with it, but because of the grain structure,
it hasn't properly blended together to proper gel—wax gel. So, that's why I would maybe put in Daily Gleam. Maybe mid. [Jack] That mid tier? Yeah, okay.
[Anders] Because that grainy structure has some issues. [Jack] Yeah, I can understand.
[Anders] But, it's an absolutely good polish, of course. I mean, if we look at Boot Black, their absolute best product is the Artist Palette.
[Jack] Great! So, what about Boot Black's cream? [Anders] So, the cream in Boot Black is their
herald product. Literally, the best product in their assortment, and I think that's widely known also.
When it comes to a good cream polish, when we rank a good cream at the top, you can't
really compare to a polish, obviously, when it comes to shine because, when you build a cream, you value
not only shine but you also value waterproofing, you also value nourishment and pigmentation. So,
it a cream is very different it's like comparing apples and pears when it comes to, obviously,
polish. Well, this cream from Boot Black is literally the best product
in the assortment, and I would definitely rank it as as the top—Shine Like A Diamond—cause it actually
provides really good shine. If you work with it, great shine, great patina, so you could really
create a nice finish on the leather, which really, if you compare to other creams, it's
not that often the case. Because, again, it's a product where you compromise
between the different properties because, usually, it's some sort of emulsion—you mix water and wax.
So, I would rank this quite high because it has all the function. It has really great pigmentation
and really great nourishment as well, and you do get waterproofing, which is literally the biggest
issue for most creams. Waterproofing, when it comes to a cream, is challenging because you mix
a lot of different components but, in the end, you need a surface that has this hydrophobic surface.
So, yeah, top tier, definitely. [Jack] Excellent! That sounds like Boot Black is going to be the
best cream polish for the person that just likes to rejuvenate the color of their shoes, give it
a once over with a brush or maybe a cloth and just have that nice sort of semi-shine for the day.
[Anders] Yeah, exactly, and that's the the beauty of a of a proper cream. You make it fast, it's a
convenient product. A polish is harder. It takes a little bit more time. But, cream—it's fast,
it's easy, it's convenient, it's soft. So, you can work with it quite easy. So, that's why a cream,
like the Pâte, it's a great product to use. [Jack] Excellent! So, moving on to our next brand, and
this one might be a bit controversial—it's Kiwi. [Andres] Yeah, so Kiwi. We don't really know
what's happening with Kiwi. Will they be lost through history or will they remain? Will they be
bought up? We don't know at the moment, but they do have a core part in history when it comes
to polishes. We all know the Parade Gloss, and the standard Kiwi polish has been... You can easily
find it anywhere and it's been widely used through history. [Jack] Definitely, I think that's something in
my own menswear journey and, even now, Kiwi's been the brand that I can rely on being available in
a lot of different places—supermarkets, corner shops. It's the the cheaply-available, every-man shoe polish.
[Anders] Yeah, and I mean, I can tell you if I look at my my father's shoe care bag, you
will find a Kiwi Parade Gloss. And Kiwi, I mean, most old gentleman will have it. Anyhow, so if we look at
the products though, we can start with the standard polish. It is obviously a compromise when you
have to lower the cost as they've done, but their focus is consistency, which would mean that this
product is not as agile for a high shine if you compare for the the high brands. So, maybe I would
rank this low—as Rough As Dirt. But, if you're going to take the price into account...
Yeah. looking at the Parade Gloss though, this is a interesting product because it still has
a quite valuable low price point, but it a harder wax for a higher shine. I mean, this would be
trying to compete with the Mirror Gloss, obviously. [Jack] From Saphir? [Anders] From Saphir. Yeah, exactly. The thing about
the Parade Gloss is, yes, you have carnauba wax, which is the harder natural wax you want for high
shine, but it's also made with a lot of paraffin, micro-crystalling waxes, doesn't use turpentine. Now,
using this product, you will notice that you have more tendency with cracking; not cracking of the
wax layer, cracking of the leather. [Jack] Interesting, okay. [Anders] Yes, it is because, generally, when you talk
about polishes, you don't get a lot of nourishment; however, it will easily dry up the product if it
doesn't have some of the nourishing waxes like beeswax, for example. So, cause it does
have a lot of solvents can be a bit harsh. So, the Parade Gloss will be able to build a fairly good
shine, but it has a tendency to dry out the leather slightly, so you have to be a bit careful when
using that product, and I, mean paraffins are really good for waterproofing. But, for shine and good for
the leather, not so much. So, this would be a mid-low, Works In A Pinch kind of product, if I going to be honest. But,
again, a perfectly good product for normal households. [Jack] Okay, so on to our next brand.
Now, this one is quite special and it's one of the reasons why we've got Anders with us today.
Although this video is not sponsored, Paul Brunngård is a unique product in the shoe care world. Why is that, Anders?
[Anders] I'm actually the man behind Paul Brunngård [Jack] Fantastic!
[Anders] Yeah, so I'm actually an engineer, but I come from a passion for shoe care. I've competed with shoe care, competed in
shoe shining championships in Sweden, and I really want to bring that passion into this brand. Even
though I come from an engineering standpoint, I wanted to have that twist and not be too
designing, to marketing, and really having focus on on the quality, the craftmanship.
[Jack] Excellent! So, essentially, Paul Brunngård has been formulated over your many years of trying and testing other
different polishes—which, like I say, is why Anders is with us today—because, essentially, you've got
more experience in the world of shoe care than I could ever hope to. So, we're also expecting that
Paul Brunngård's probably going to rank pretty high, but let's see, where would you put the hard waxes?
[Anders] Yeah, so we have two waxes, and we have Sublime Wax and Spitshine. Both are polishes. It's not
a cream polish, rather a hard polish, and I would say, for example, the Sublime Wax is a softer polish.
[Jack] That's that one there? [Anders] Yeah, this is the sublime wax. Whilst the Spitshine
is harder. And if we look at Sublime Wax, generally, this what we want to use. What I wanted to
achieve was a convenient polish, apply easy, get a really high shine for someone who might or
not want to do spit shine. Obviously, you can do it. So, these two products are different types
of products. It's a bit apples and pears still. They're different tools for different processes of the shoe
care routine, so they're a bit optimized for the different parts. [Jack] So, essentially, depending
on what the user wants to get from their shoe care routine, a different product is going to do a
different thing for them? [Anders] Yeah, exactly!
[Jack] Okay. [Anders] So, the Sublime Wax, obviously, uses carnauba
wax, beeswax, a little more of the soft waxes to make sure that you can easily apply it. It's soft,
nourishes leather slightly, but really when you use a a polishing brush like the yak brush, you
can achieve that really nice shine. But, it's easy, it's convenient. You can spit shine with it—of
course, you can. But, here's the difference: This Spitshine is made for passionate freaks like me.
[Jack] Not freaks, I would say. I would say "enthusiast." [Anders] Enthusiast! Yeah, yeah! So, the thing about this
Spitshine is, if we take the Sublime Wax, you could obviously achieve a really good shine. I would
rank it to Super Slick—top to mid, absolutely! But, if we go to the Spitshine, we can actually
achieve an even greater shine and easier buildup. So, this product is still optimized for a good,
easy shine, but the Spitshine is optimized for building layers and especially fast. Speed is the key.
[Jack] Awesome! So, if you're the sort of person that likes that mirror shine, that really gleaming
toe cap, the Spitshine is the one. [Anders] Yeah, and here we we made sure to use more hard waxes,
so you will, if you compare these two, you will definitely see a much more harder paste.
But, the thing I wanted to achieve with the Spitshine, especially, is that I wanted
to have a hard, spit shine polish, a hard wax polish that doesn't really get the issues with cracking
as much. So, when you usually apply a wax with too much montan wax or too hard wax, it could easily
crack. But, with this one, we didn't really have those issues because we tweaked it to be optimized
to tweak out those issues; those features that you could find with those types of waxes.
[Jack] Got it! So, the Sublime Wax ranks at the Super Slick. What about the Spitshine?
[Anders] Shines Like A Diamond, obviously! Of course, again, here we use turpentine— optimized to have a evaporation rate, which
helps to build layers really fast. Harder waxes to build a solid wax layer. So, definitely
shines like diamond. Top tier. And when it comes to the creams, we have the Artistic Cream, and again,
you can't compare a proper cream to a polish. Two different kinds of products but the wonderful
part about the Artistic Cream that we're really proud of is that you really get a really fantastic
shine, but still good water repellency. [Jack] Oh, awesome! Okay. [Anders] So, it does provide good nourishment.
It does provide pigmentation. I would argue that our cream has less pigmentation to, for example,
Pommadier, which would be an advantage for some that might over apply it. But, my focus on the cream
is a high shine. Obviously, not a spit shine or a mirror shine, but a good shine with good water
repellency and a good nourishment and pigmentation to the degree that you need. So, definitely a top cream.
[Jack] Yeah. So, you'd say that one is also Shines Like A Diamond? [Anders] Yes, that one shines because, actually, the shine from Artistic Cream is fantastic. [Jack] Next up is another one
very similar to Kiwi. It's kind of that supermarket brand. I know that I've definitely been upsold this one
in a lot of sort of High Street shoe stores. It's Dasco. [Anders] So, compare Dasco
polish to PB or Saphir. The biggest difference you will see is the lack of of turpentine.
They will use naphtha. While it's cheaper and the argument for turpentine could be health
issues (some people are more concerned about the health, which is a bit overrated) but
the thing about the Dasco is it uses a mixture of, yes, you have carnauba wax, but you also have
some synthetic waxes that are not optimized for for a good shine. So, obviously, for a general shine, for something
that you use on your everyday shoe, fair enough—it's okay. [Jack] So, a Daily Gleam?
[Anders] Daily Gleam. Yeah, absolutely, it's not the worst you could get. It's not, but it's it's okay. Definitely okay to use.
[Jack] And what about soft cream polishes for Dasco? [Anders] They do have one, and for
the price point, it's an okay cream. They use beeswax, at least, so you get a nourishment, you get
a bit of shine. It's an okay cream. I wouldn't rank it too high—Works In A Pinch. It's an okay
cream for the for the price point, I would argue. [Jack] Okay. Next up is one that I think a
lot of the vintage aficionados will definitely recognize. It's a brand that I know has been
around for many, many years, and that's Cherry Blossom. [Anders] Yeah, even from UK, as well. So, yes, Cherry
Blossom is an interesting brand. They do have a polish, and I've actually tried it out a bit. The
problem you're going to have with it: They don't don't use turpentine. It's like with Dasco.
It is an okay polish. Fair enough, but I'm trying to polish with it, you can't really build layers fast.
It creates an okay shine. The biggest issue with this product is the insufficient wax layer
buildup. Definitely the biggest issue with this one. So, it doesn't really compete with PB, Boot Black, or Saphir.
[Jack] I've always seen Cherry Blossom and Kiwi and potentially even Dasco being
as competitors amongst the kind of lower echelons, also lower price bracket. I think that's the reality, right?
[Anders] Yeah, which is fair enough. I mean, they compete at a different segment. So, again, it's
a bit apples and pears, but you have to still compare price point and quality. And
definitely an okay brand for someone that that likes their specific formulations. But, trying
them out, not really impressed with, especially, the polish. The cream—Daily Gleam. Absolutely okay.
Okay cream. Provides a bit of shine. [Jack] So, you'd rank the cream higher than the wax? [Anders] Yeah. [Jack] Got it! So, the cream came
in at Daily Gleam and the polish—Works In A Pinch. [Anders] It works in a pinch.
Yeah, yeah. Definitely. [Jack] Okay, next up is a Spanish brand of shoe polish, Tarrago. Not
one that I've had a lot of experience with so I'd be intrigued to hear your thoughts.
[Anders] I'm actually very fond of Tarrago as a middle segment polish. Because if you look at their formulation,
they make sure to use natural waxes—beeswax, carnauba wax; mineral waxes, which would be—I
don't know exactly what kind of mineral waxes—but I would assume a bit of montan wax, a bit of other
types of mineral based waxes that are important to create a gel. So, their formula is more stable
and more clean, more neat, which is good. They don't use turpentine. They have the same problem
if you want to build layers as you would have with Dasco or Cherry Blossom. But, definitely an
okay, good polish, I would say. I would definitely rank this Daily Gleam if you compare that to,
for example, the Dasco and the Cherry Blossom. [Jack] Good to know. So, is that one that should probably
look out to include in my own shoe care routine? [Anders] Yeah, if you're going for a... It's obviously
slightly cheaper. So, if price point is important for you, I would definitely go for Tarrago, actually.
[Jack] Nice. Good to know. Do they do a cream polish? [Anders] Yeah, which is a good one. They make sure to use
good ingredients. Get fairly good water repellency, which, again, it's a balance. Maybe the shine is
not as good as, for example... Definitely not not Artistic Palette, definitely not PB, definitely
not Saphir. But, it's good. I would rank it Daily Gleam definitely. [Jack] So, a consistency with Tarrago polishes.[Anders] Definitely consistency. I think Tarrago, they do good products. So, the next
brand (that's really interesting) is Lincoln. This is an American brand that is established
in the 1920s in California, San Francisco. It's a bit interesting cause they they seem to have
a great following. I mean, fan base for really shoe care lovers. That military passion for a
high shine—military spit shine, so to say. [Jack] So, what made the brand special to begin with? You say 1920s?
[Anders] Yeah, so it seems to be that the founders, sort of, were the passionate people of a high
shine shoe, and you can really see it in the product that they focus a lot on high shine. The
product works really well for high shine, and you can get that that is highly reflected in the
fan base; that they are as passionate as me, which is great and which
gives that brand some credit. [Jack] Excellent! What are they like, price point?
[Anders] It's a fairly good price point for the quality, I would say. Yeah, it's a good product for the price.
[Jack] Okay, so where would you rank their wax polishes? Their harder polishes?
[Anders] Daily Gleam. The polish is a Daily Gleam. It's a good polish, and I think that's their hero product.
[Jack] So, again, quite similar consistency with, for instance, Tarrago that we saw
earlier. So, if you're looking for something that's going to give you a decent return on your money, then Lincoln.
[Anders] Lincoln, definitely. I mean, they have passion. So, definitely a good bang for the buck. Definitely.
[Jack] So, essentially, Anders but a hundred years ago. [both laugh] [Anders] Good point, good point. [Jack] Finally, we come to a brand that, again, is
new to me but you know a lot about and that is Pure Polish. [Anders] Yeah, again, an American brand.
Also like Lincoln, made in United States, and they bring something new to the
table. So, instead of using turpentine, they actually use orange oil. Why they do this is
because they feel that the turpentine being a bit harsh, generally, to the to the user. The
orange oil is more fresh, which is definitely the case. It has a more fresh smell. Funny enough though,
if you take the consistency or the content of a turpentine oil, it consists of limonene, which
is the main component of the orange oil. So, actually they are similar slightly, but the
orange oil will have similar flash points like the turpentine because it is a turpentine kind
of molecule. So, it's an interesting concept, and I think they achieved a really
nice both polish and cream. So, why would you want to use Pure Polish is mainly because
you want something that has a different smell. [Jack] So, if you don't like that sort of
really harsh... It definitely hits. We were talking about the Mirror Gloss from
Saphir. That one is very high turpentine scent. It kind of hits the back of your nostrils. So, if you
prefer something that's perhaps a little kinder, especially if you have sensitivities to scents,
I can imagine this is the better polish for you. [Anders] Yes and no. The main concern of
turpentine is alpha pinene, which is a terpene. Some are a bit concerned that, yeah, if you get
it on your skin, it can penetrate into the blood which is true. But the problem with, for
example, if you look at the orange oil is that you... It mainly consists of limonene,
and limonene is an antioxidant but it is highly oxidative in air, and once it oxidizes, it's
quite harsh. If you look at the classification for the orange oil comparing to
the turpentine, they're quite both harsh. So, you don't get any perks healthwise with orange
oil. Even though some say it is if you look at the medical and chemical properties in
research, it says otherwise. So, it's just that it's different and that might be for some. That
has a lighter smell instead of the bit sharp one. And if you look at the polish,
for example, the high shine, it only uses natural waxes, which is good. It uses beeswax,
carnauba wax. A good thing, obviously, cause you don't have paraffins. Again, this means that
you can also get a good shine. I would definitely say that. The problem though with the
polish from Pure Polish, I would say, is consistency in graining. There are some...
I have seen cases where you have a bit of grain structure, and this is because, even though
beeswax and carnauba wax are really interesting waxes to use in a polish, you need some other waxes
to create a gel, and the cooling process is vital to to create this gel structure
between the waxes and the solvents. [Jack] So, does that gel structure it creates, the
smoother the cake of polish in the tin. [Anders] Yeah, simplified, yes. So, it can be a bit grainy. So,
I would say that is I think the downfall. But you do get really nice shine, and this is because the
high content of the orange oil, which has a high flash point, helps to create a good shine, and of
course, carnauba wax. So, definitely, Super Slick on the polish. [Jack] Cool, okay.
[Anders] I like it. It's just it has some issues, and I think they could be could be definitely better if they
try to fix some of the quirks on that product. But really nice product. [Jack] And for the cream polish?
[Anders] A good shine, good water... I would would definitely put that on Daily Gleam. [Jack] So, there we have it. Some shoe polish
brands that you've definitely heard of, as well as some that you probably haven't heard
of yet and how they rank against each other. Now, I'm curious, would you rank these polishes the same
as us? What experience do you have? Let us know in the comments below, and Anders, thanks so much for being with us today.
[Anders] Thank you very much! ♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪
