Uniforms Shoe blacking.

[major bill]

Soldiers in base camps of garrisons were suppose to polish their leather goods and booties. Did the soldiers have to purchase their own cans of shoe blacking or was it provided by the Army?

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Soldiers in base camps of garrisons were suppose to polish their leather goods and booties. Did the soldiers have to purchase their own cans of shoe blacking or was it provided by the Army?

I thought a chimney soot and grease mixture was used for that and nobody had to buy anything The grease could be any left over lard or kitchen fats. Also, wasn't axle grease used to polish leather sometimes? With all the inspections the armies had, having to carry around shoe blacking seems like an unreasonable burden, but maybe they did that.

 

[The Walking Dead]

This article might shed some additional information on the subject:

THE REENACTOR'S GUIDE TO LEATHER CARE IN THE 19 CENTURY

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

This article might shed some additional information on the subject:

THE REENACTOR'S GUIDE TO LEATHER CARE IN THE 19 CENTURY

GREAT article! Answers every question. Thanks! I'm old enough to remember when every town had at least one shoemaker/shoe repair shop. The one in my town was owned by a man named Hale. The motto on his sign that hung over the sidewalk was, "Send your soles to Hale."

 

[Windrider]

Good Shoe/bookmakers are getting harder and harder to find