Saphir Renovateur Questions

[The Knize]

Based on further research, apparently the mirror polish is to be used only for glazing, which apparently means, to Saphir, application in multiple layers of mirror polish to non-bending surfaces, after using regular polish. To be applied with a cloth or, say, sock wetted with drops of warm water. Glaze can be maintained with a conventional woman's stocking followed by reapplication of the mirror polish. See https://www.valmour.com/advices/glazing-of-leather-shoes.html I do not know about anyone else, but the glaze on the boots at the top of that web page is not at all what I have looking for, whereas the Crockett and Jones shoes in the video on that same page are exactly what I am looking for!

Notice that the Crockett and Jones guy applies some mirror polish to parts of the shoe that do bend. Not much, but a little. His application is quite spare in general. Very much what I think of as a spit polish approach.

 

[The Knize]

Follow-up. I would say Saphir Renovateur Medaille d'Or 1925 and the less expensive Saphir Renovateur are definitely different products, with the latter being little most any leather "lotion" I have used, without the shine Md'O provides or the "silky" application.

As for the mirror gloss polish, I am not sure I get any shiny-er results than I would spit shining with most any polish, such as Lincoln or Kiwi Parade Gloss, or even Md'O paste. It is essentially a very hard wax polish, I suppose sans the silicone supposedly in many waxes, such as, I assume Kiwi Parade Gloss. No small amount of effort to use.

 

[The Knize]

Further follow-up. I do not think I would bother with the less expensive Saphir Renovateur. It is harder to apply than the Saphir Renovateur Medaille d'Or 1925, dries sticky, and is all that easy to buff to shiny. I doubt that the less expensive SR is doing nearly as good a job of preservation as the Md'O. It certainly does not have the ability to substitute for a neutral shoe polish. The Md'O is really magic stuff. It is a shame that this less expensive "Saphir Renovateur" has such a similar name and there is so little information available to distinguish the products. I am not really happy with Saphir about that.

 

[strop]

I long ago came to the conclusion that with most products, "You get what you pay for". This sounds like it fits this to a tee. Thanks for taking one for the team. Now I won't have to waste money on the lesser product. I just wish I had discovered the Saphir products years ago.

 

[The Knize]

<Thanks for taking one for the team.>

My pleasure. I am not saying the regular Saphir Renovateur is useless and thus a complete waste of money. It seems like other shoe care lotions I have used--so "okay," but no great shakes. This experience does remove any interest I had in the non-Md'O Saphir shoe polishes. <I just wish I had discovered the Saphir products years ago.> Me, too!

 

[Doc4]

Thanks for taking one for the team.

Indeed. And thanks for the excellent info reported back.

It seems like other shoe care lotions I have used--so "okay," but no great shakes.

Haha ... I haven't heard "no great shakes" in years ... my great-uncle used to say that. Wonderful to see that someone other than me is still turning that old turn of phrase.

 

[The Knize]

<Wonderful to see that someone other than me is still turning that old turn of phrase.>

We are old, Ian! Yikes. I try not to let it show, by crackie!

Judging by the various on-line explanations of the origin of phrase "no great shakes," including nautical, its origin is unknown, which seems odd, but typical!

 

[Isaac]

Im assuming the Md'O is the one in the small glass tube that is a creamy white appearance? Ive been using that for years, and it truly is phenomenal stuff. The whole line from Sapphire is superb.

 

[The Knize]

Flat, square glass bottle is the Md'O in my experience. I do not know about a glass tube version. The regular comes in a round flattish bottle, that is smaller, and in metal tooth paste type tubes, as I understand it. Both are creamy. The Md'Or is more brilliant, shiny, slippery white. The regular more beige and duller.

<The whole line from Sapphire is superb.>

That is what I was trying to test. So far I would say the whole Saphir Md'O line is superb. The less expensive, simply Saphir line or lines, not so much. Thanks, Isaac.

 

[Doc4]

We are old, Ian! Yikes. I try not to let it show, by crackie!

We should stop tying onions to our belts, for starters.

 

[Zapatero]

Hi everyone!

I asked one of the vendors on Ebay about the 250ml Renovateur jar, and his response was that it belonged to the Beaute du Cuir line.


I also emailed the manufacturer itself, and he explained that the Beaute du Cuir line is less concentrated than Medaille d’or.

Just my humble contribution to the forum

Best regards,

 

[wangs78]

I've used both the premium MD'or line and the regular Beaute du Cuir line and to be honest when I'm done conditioning with Renovateur and polishing with shoe cream from each product family, I can't tell the difference on the leather. The way each product can be spread over the leather is a bit different. So I think what the last post says about the regular line having a lower concentration of the "active ingredients" of mink oil, etc. makes sense. Maybe the difference simply is that with MDor you can use less of the product to achieve the same results bc it has more of the "good stuff" in it. To be honest, I think most people who buy MD'or already take very good care of their shoes and will do fine with either the premium or regular line (which is already way better than Kiwi and other mass retail stuff). It's more the snob in each of us who owns luxury footwear that the MD'or line is aimed to please.

 

[The Knize]

Thanks for the review wangs78.

It's more the snob in each of us who owns luxury footwear that the MD'or line is aimed to please.

You are scaring me about my own motives!

 

[graysonhenryrussell]

There seems to be Saphir Renovateur Medaille d'Or 1925 and also a less expensive Saphir Renovateur. Has anyone used both? Can you provide a comparison? I have only used the Medaille d'Or 1925 version. It is great stuff, but it is remarkably expensive. The apparently more basic "regular" Saphir Renovateur may also be more readily available.

Has anyone found a cheaper price than the US for the Saphir Renovateur Medaille d'Or 1925 than I am paying on Ebay, which is about $23 plus $3 shipping for the 75 ml jar?

There seems to be a 250 ml jar available for $48 with free shipping, which I am tempted by, but I assume that is for the less expensive "regular" Saphir Renovateur.

I’ve used both and I’m satisfied with the cheaper version. I’m very skeptical of companies that have two lines. I don’t think there’s much difference between the two. I think this is also true with other companies also.

 

[The Knize]

I have used both and I’m satisfied with the cheaper version. I’m very skeptical of companies that have two lines.

Thanks for posting your thoughts. As I recall, I ended up getting some of the cheaper version and decided the more expensive version was better to the extent I would rather spent my time and effort using it even though I had to pay more. I am skeptical of companies that have two lines, but I seem to come at it from the other end. That the more expensive version is likely to be better. But I am sure you are often right. I suppose sometimes it may depend on which version was the original, which I would guess is usually a good version.

 

[malocchio]

Interesting French site...... but how many guys buy $126 euro undershorts ??

 

[The Knize]

The rich are not like you and me.

 

[Doc4]

I’m very skeptical of companies that have two lines. I don’t think there’s much difference between the two.

I am skeptical of companies that have two lines, but I seem to come at it from the other end. That the more expensive version is likely to be better. But I am sure you are often right. I suppose sometimes it may depend on which version was the original

IMHO if a company starts out with a good item, and then later comes out with a "bargain version" ... it ain't. They are trading on their hard-won reputation for quality in the hopes of increasing their profit margins.

On the other hand, if a company establishes itself with it's "standard" product first and then later comes out with a "deluxe" brand, the tendency is for the company to realise that they are "swimming upstream" and so need to make sure that the quality is there and then some, to convince people that it's worth the extra money.

And of course, there will be exceptions either way.