Posted on 04/08/2018 1:53:02 PM PDT by Jacquerie
Over the years, Kiwi has been owned by a variety of corporations. For the first six decades of its existence, it was part of iterations of an Australian corporation with Kiwi in its name, all based in the state of Victoria, including Kiwi Boot Polish Co. (1913–1916) and Kiwi Polish Co. (1916–1971).
The company then joined with Nicholas International Ltd, a Melbourne based pharmaceutical company producing international brands such as Aspro and Rennie. The new company was renamed Nicholas Kiwi. In 1984 it was acquired by American-based Sara Lee (at the time known as Consolidated Foods Corporation) who eventually sold off the Nicholas pharmaceutical products to Roche of Switzerland and kept the Kiwi range.
Kiwi was acquired by the American company Sara Lee following its purchase of Reckitt & Colman in 1991 and Knomark in 1987. The Federal Trade Commission ruled that Sara Lee had to divest its ownership of these companies in 1994 to prevent it from becoming a monopoly. Since this ruling, Sara Lee has been prevented from acquiring any further assets or firms associated with chemical shoe care products in the United States without prior commission approval. The Competition Commission in the United Kingdom also investigated the potential monopoly of Sara Lee in the shoe care industry. On April 4, 2011, Sara Lee announced that it had completed its sale of its global shoe care business, in a majority of countries, to SC Johnson.
Kiwi remains the predominant shoe polish brand in most of the world, being sold in over 180 countries and holding a 53% market share worldwide. Today, it is manufactured in Australia, Canada, Honduras, France, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Other leading brands include Shinola, Lincoln Shoe Polish, Meltonian, and Cherry Blossom.
Cheeser!! ;)
A small amount of rubbing alcohol (capful) poured in a Kiwi can full of tapwater and a cotton tee shirt made for an especially glossy mirror shine.
In later years Kiwi shoe polish cans arrived at the PX with a hole punched in the lid, and a piece of clear tape over it. What wizardry was this, could only surmise that production had moved offshore shipping or air regulations played a role. Or something. Good stuff. Expensive, too. Cans got smaller, like everything else.
Also makes a pretty decent wood stain I’m told.
True story:
There were two shoeshine storefronts next to each other in my home town. One was for whites coming off the train, one for blacks. One day in the very early 1960’s, a black Sgt in uniform got off the train, walked into the white parlor and asked for a shine. The guy shined his boots and the black parlor closed months later.
Yeah, it’s fine for the first 700 - 800 hours. After that, the shit gets old.
I don’t think I polished any leather or brass for at least 10 years after I got out.
:)
Hm, maybe you could incorporate that into song lyrics...
Nah. Never work. ;)
“...us treadheads all carried 1911’s.”
1968. New Year’s Eve. Brand new wife. I’m walking guard at Battalion HQ ‘cause everybody else went home for the holidays. What a bummer!
Did BCT at Fort Knox.Lemme tell ya...”Georgia red clay” isn’t limited to just Georgia.That stuff was a b*tch to remove from our boots after it dried.
Candlight ceremony only a GI can appreciate .....
So I was not the only one to remember that song.
I use old socks.
Black for black.
Brown for cordovan, brown etc
White for neutral
Luvit!!!
I remember daddy’s old undershirts being used for his Kiwi polish. You could see your reflection in his shoes. Every Saturday like clockwork, mom would bring us in to wash and roll our hair for Sunday church and daddy would be in the floor with all our shoes and polish and buff every one of them. What good memories (except for having to come in and get our hair washed)......lol
Nice. Marines had two kinds of boots - combat and boondockers - to keep spit shined. Dress shoes were kept polished on top AND the soles.
On boaed ship, we had a third shoe like the boondocker, but with different soles for flight deck duty. Those weren’t polished.
I had the shirt. Finally wore it out.
Should kept it to shine shoes, I suppose...
Sphir. Better. Costs more, smells fantastic. Better for leather. I still use Kiwi when i run out of saphir. Not available in stores. Kiwi is Cheaper. Not better.
Shine your shoes to Johnny Cash singing (the original 1956):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBMhsH8xlMs
I still use it. Nothing better.
L
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