Review on Alfie Shine Enriched Natural Leather by Trini Tremblay

Like most home carpenters, collecting tools is as much a hobby as assembling furniture. Restoring old tools has become a rewarding pastime and I'm always on the lookout for vintage wooden benches and planes. One of the most difficult aspects of antique instrument repairs is restoring the instrument's functionality without destroying the patina. In general I would use furniture wax which did its job well but left a dull haze and never seemed to provide enough protection. So when I came across Jim Hendrix on Instagram, I was immediately impressed with his restoration work. His instruments have always looked great while retaining their vintage appeal. When his "secret weapon", Alfie Shine, came up for sale, I had to try it. I did as the directions said, applied a light coat, let it dry (overnight) and buffed. After the first polishing, the appearance of the instrument has improved significantly. Not only that, the instrument also had a real protective varnish. I could have left it as it is but decided to apply another coat the next day to see the results. I didn't think it would make much of a difference, but the plane looked even better. I waited another day and applied the third and final coat and I can honestly say the plane looks absolutely amazing. To top it off it smells great, just really fresh and nice, not the harsh chemical smell of some waxes and solvents. Even my wife commented on it. So all in all I can't recommend Alfie Shine anymore. It's inexpensive, works great, and will make your vintage instruments shine. It's just a great all-round product.