Whats the best Sole Stain and Edging Ink to use ?

[TSR]

Hi Everyone,

I have been using a sole stain from CB and edging ink and can`t get a brillant finish no matter what I try.

Just wondered what everyone else uses and how you go about finsishing etc.

Any tips or tricks would be great !

 

Kind Regards

[madcobbler]

Hi TSR , i also used the CB edgeing ink , need to shake can well and acts like resin edge - no need to polish but shit on leather, use leather dye and polish on iron for this. someone muat have better stuff than CB but yet to find it, hopefully the bright sparks on this fantastic forum can help us both , Richard

[k4mrc]

We Tried them all, CB and College's all use the same -

there must be a real market for these products. we would welcomr them

[keithm]

I'm sure Colemans in belgium will have sonething different, whether you can find them on the Interent and then get the product here is unsure

[toofatbyfar]

have you tried Top Finish from marshall coppins, we been using it for years, comes in 75ml tub with sponge applicator.

[Paul_]

I have some Itailian edge ink called ACI, comes in black and two shades of brown. By all accounts its good quality and covers well. Also stock a sole stain called Minerva stain, it is a mid brown colour and leaves the sole with a strippy leather type finish. PM me for more details.

[damen.rudi]

Hello,

a short reply from Belgium. The name Colemon doesn't let me rinkle a bell, unknown. I think they mean the wholesaler Colman, situated in Kruibeke, near Antwerp.

I use some products of the mark Fato. Search in this link www.minke.de. It's a German firm but you can turn their site on to English. Here you will find a lot of interesting things about stains,...

I'm pretty sure they deliver to the UK too.

Greetings

[keithm]

Thanks Rudi =D>

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

Methinks the better ones are Solvent based and therefore have been withdrawn through H&S grounds both in manufacture and use.

[janner]

I liked the demised Superset Transparent edge inks. Today’s inks are a basic colouring, but more than adequate for the job.

 

For sole edging melt a bit of stick wax on the edge and apply to a warm setting iron, use a brush to bring to a high gloss.

 

On leather heel blocks apply pad wax to the burnishing pad, and pad the heel, finishing with the brush to bring to a high gloss.

 

Quality finishing.

 

With compressed or fibre materials I use ink then a mop with Yankee wax.

 

Pads, stick and pad wax, along with moulded scouring wheels, are of the past. I have enough of these to last until I retire, or retire when I run out.

 

I believe today’s present and up and coming craftsmen would quickly warm to these demised items, and once used wonder why they are demised.

 

I have tried a lot of sole finishes, but with the high quality of today’s leathers, keep the sole clean, a touch of light tan Kiwi on the brush gives as good a finish as to be got.

[Gray]

I concur. Are you old like me. Heated irons were really good for setting a good finish.

[Fast Fix Elgin]

I have been experimenting with our finishing/polishing techniques just now..... I find TARRAGO classical wax ink for edging ink, mop, brush, works well for me, also have been experimenting leather sole finish....stuck with grove the sole, sand the sole(100grit), polish the sole with dark tan, stitch the sole,

 

Looks very good in my eyes

[Gray]

I give the soles a quick polish with Kiwi too. I gave up on putting too much effort into finishing the soles after seeing customers leaving the shop and scuffing the soles on the tarmac like dogs trying to bury their shite.

[janner]

According to the government I am not old, but I did start shoe repairing from school 47 years ago.

 

I agree with if the job looks good in your eyes, then it meets the criteria, whatever method used.

 

It is sole destroying when a customer takes your craftsmanship and walks all over it.

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

.

 

It is sole destroying when a customer takes your craftsmanship and walks all over it.

good Pun there.

 

dont think that there are too many Repairers these days who have Heated Irons on their finishers, seem to have gonwe out with Bottom Scouring Rolls, (no it's not rough Toilet Paper).

Perhaps one of the reasons for the change in products is the fact that most modern machines do not have Edge Stting facilities so they have to rely on a finish that is partly self shine.

(Bring back the Whitield 100 & 200 but issue them with full breathing apparatus)

[keithm]

Ah hem, well all the Whitfield range of machines had iron, not heated on the 700 of course. All our current finishers have irons unless requested not to, in fact, we make the irons ourselves

 

Sadly, the same cannot be said of the Power machines, I think an iron was optional some years ago on the Power Master/Finisher, but there aren't many of those about! I'm no great fan of the linen mop either

 

I'm a great fan of iron/pad/brush myself and we intend to continue down that road

[toofatbyfar]

whilst on the subject of irons, we use them all the time, but recently they have been coming off, they are attatched with bayonet fitting,, anyone know why?? been on for at least 2 yrs without problem, but like i said, about once a week they come flying off, could it be a vibration caused by somthing that is doing this?

[keithm]

Bayonet fitting? Is it a Power machine?

[toofatbyfar]

yes keith it is. we have the irons on the left where the breaster normally is.

[keithm]

Vibration is unlikely to be the cause, more like fit, they can wear. Have you ever cleaned both shaft and bayonet to make sure that they mate properly? Although, they never were 100% imho

[toofatbyfar]

seems clean keith. just put the airline in there, some crap come out, will try this,thanks anyway

[elfman]

if your refering to a leather pad wheel keith how come when i asked you about one you said you no longer do them but you would look and see if there was one on an old machine but could not find one

[petercoulson]

elfman, they arent leather pads any more, they are a hard linen pad - harder than a mop but with a little more give than leather. Repairers that use them are happy with them.

[petercoulson]

whilst on the subject of irons, we use them all the time, but recently they have been coming off, they are attatched with bayonet fitting,, anyone know why?? been on for at least 2 yrs without problem, but like i said, about once a week they come flying off, could it be a vibration caused by somthing that is doing this?

 

normally the problem is with a worn bayonet or pin.

[elfman]

maybe so peter but given the choice i woild go for the leather every time