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Dye Kits
As our German lowboots and jackboots are made "as issued" in natural brown, we are now carrying a kit for those who wish to dye their boots black. Original boots were dyed by the soldiers they were issued to with black polish. This dye and finish is much less labor intensive than hours of buffing and rubbing required when using only polish to do the job. We do not offer this service ourselves due to time constraints.
The kit contains 4 oz. of black dye, 4 oz. of leather balm, and two daubers. This is enough to do at least two pairs of jackboots (possibly three) or 4-5 pairs of lowboots.
$10.00
Dye Kits can no longer be shipped out of the lower 48 states. Ground shipping only!
No international orders! (Including Canada.)
No Second Day or Overnite.
Some genius with customs has decided that the dye is a hazardous material that might suddenly explode and cause a plane crash. Sorry, looks like we are dumber than the muslims ever dreamed.

Instructions: This is very easy, but it is possible to make a helluva mess if you fail to use your brain.(Yes, such dumbed-down advisories are really this necessary. 98% of our customers are not brain-dead morons. We know and appreciate this fact, despite the way I sound at times. But that last 2% of special and challenged individuals make these pithy tirades obligatory. After microwaved helmets and uniforms soaked in buckets of bleach...there is no telling what sort of catastrophe some yo-yo can accomplish with a bottle of black dye.)

1. Try the boots on. Make sure they are the correct size and that you are happy with them. Just like washed uniforms, we will not accept dyed boots for refund or exchange. Again, once you dye them, they are yours.
2. Find a suitable, well ventilated area. "Suitable", like the driveway, the yard or a workbench in the garage. If in doubt, put down several layers of old newspapers or a drop cloth. The black dye is very black. It's comparable to ink. It turns everything it touches black. It will ruin carpet, upholstery or clothing. Unless you have a death wish or are a complete moron, DO NOT do this on the living room carpet or the kitchen counter. Your parents, life partner or landlord will appreciate your foresight. Rubber gloves aren't a bad idea. It will wash off your fingers. Eventually. But they'll be gray for a few days.
3. Apply the dye with the enclosed dauber. One coat is ample! Only coat the outside of the boots. DO NOT dye the insides, or else you'll have gray feet and socks each time you wear them. It is not necessary to coat the bottom of the soles.
4. Allow the boots to dry 2-3 hours. If you apply the balm before the dye is totally dry, it will take longer for the boots to dry completely.
5. Apply the leather balm. This is easier to do with an old rag, but the dauber will work. The rag is better because it allows you to work the balm into the boots, much like you do with mink oil or Neetsfoot oil. Again, a single coat will do the trick. There is no need to drown the boots. The balm seals the surface of the boots and prevents the dye from leeching. If you do NOT use the balm, it is possible for some dye to rub off on things (uniforms, shirts, duffel bag) that come in contact with them. Allow the boots to dry overnight.
6. Done. Now you can polish or waterproof the boots if you wish.

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About hobnails and heel irons
Until the 1940's, many armies and some civilian boots and shoes were fitted with a variety of metal nails and plates on their soles. Contrary to overly imaginative reenactor fantasy, these were not for traction, cool marching sounds, mutilating the floor paint in kubels, or crushing the knuckles of enemy troops in hand to hand combat. With exception to some mountain troop boots (which were fitted with steel cleats for traction) their purpose was to make the leather soles last longer. Once the nails and irons are worn down, they were intended to be replaced, thus saving the soles. The US military was the notable exception during W.W.II, with most boots being rubber-soled. All other major combatants utilized the older nailed and ironed shoes or boots for combat and field use. Although they may sound cool, they are hard on your feet and knees and they do tend to conduct the cold up to your feet in winter.
Contrary to modern reenactor fantasy (again), nails do occasionally fall out. They can be readily replaced. It doesn't mean the boots are shot.

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Hobnails 
Reproduction. Correct size and style for WWI and WWII German jackboots and lowboots. These are the split prong style instead of the nail style. (Either is correct.)
Bag: Sold Out
No other quantities available!
We DO NOT offer installation service!

Quantity: A "bag" contains about 100 nails. However, the first one I checked had 99, the next 102. So, I can't promise an exact number, but it's more than you need to do a pair of boots. Yes, I know a pair of boots requires only 74-78 nails. This is not an attempt to rape your wallet. They are pre-bagged. We're not going to spend 3 weeks re-counting tens of thousands of hobnails. They do fall out over time and this gives you spares. Want just 78? We'll ship you a bag and you can throw 20 or so away...

Quality: These are NOT the famous "Stevie nails" of 5 years ago that shatter when you hit them with a hammer. They have survived the torture test in the guinea pig boots with no breakage.

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Reproduction Heel Irons, Flanged
This style heel iron was peculiar to the German Army. The nail positions are offset so that the nail heads are covered by the heel insert. This prevents the iron from falling off once the heel becomes heavily worn. (On the standard style, the nail heads will eventually wear off.) However, before the heels are that worn, they are normally replaced.
Two sizes:
I (fits sizes 8-10)Sold Out
II (fits sizes 11-13)Sold Out
III (fits size 13 +)
$15.00 a pair

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Reproduction Heel Irons, Standard
Standard "Horseshoe" version heel iron. Used on boots of several armies throughout WWI and WWII. One size.
Sold

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Installation of boot nails and irons
Listen people. Please believe this: A shoe last is required to install these items! It is very difficult if not impossible to pound nails into boots on the kitchen counter. These are intended for leather soles. It is doubtful that they will work well on rubber or cork soled boots. But you're welcome to try...
Take them to your local cobbler. Once again, take them to your cobbler!

We will NOT post "installation directions" due to the klutz factor. In the past, we've received so many hitherto unfathomable and ill-conceived questions/ suggestions as to "how do I put these on"; nail guns, ripping soles off, drills, glue (??) the list keeps growing. Judging from some of the brainstormers out there, a quick tutorial would rapidly be misinterpreted (in some way which we can't dream of no matter how much crack we smoke) and lead to broken fingers, ruined boots and lawsuits. No way. I am convinced, that within a few weeks we'll get a call from some genius who has found a way to trump the moron who microwaved his helmet via a hobnail install gone awry. If you don't have a shoe last (if you don't know what one is, forget about it), JUST GO TO THE COBBLER (AKA"Shoe Repair" shop.)