Review on Alfie Shine Enriched Natural Leather by Brenda Joiner

One of the most enduring secrets of historic violin making is the amazing quality of the wood and the materials from which it is made. A small aspect of this mystery could have easily been solved by Alfie Shine creator Jim Hendrix. Jim is one of those maddeningly brilliant minds who never seems to go wrong in any of their endeavors. In this case he researched the work of Italian and other luthiers, a process spanning many years, and the result was Alfie Shine. It's a wax based on ancient formulas and infused with a few exotic ingredients that only Jim could think of, like Frankincense (they don't have a secret formula, btw). Wax is suitable for cleaning and preserving all precious wood surfaces (from your Stradivarius to the bows you keep on your doorstep). It is particularly suitable for antique woodworking tools and immediately removes dirt from carpenters' hands. The result is an enrichment of grain and colour. Additional applications (particularly when given the initial time to cure) produce a rich luster that further enhances the wood coloration and texture pattern. Surprisingly, the wax gives the wood surface a soft, velvety texture. As an archaeologist who needs good conservation materials, I think Alfie Shine is better than Renaissance Wax, the standard used by the British Museum - yes, that's better! To top it off with the appeal of this wonderful wax, Jim named it after his carpenter's dog, Alfie - what's not to love about that!