[jkumpire]

I use a Patent Leather belt, and I use shoes well finished with Leather Luster. And yes, I use Navy Ball bags too. To make things even worse, I picked up a couple of Honigs Leather ball bags this year, and I will use them at least once.

I like the look and easy care of the patent leather stuff, and the leather ball bags seem to handle a lot of baseballs without flopping all over the place. I also have ump-attire and Carlucci bags, and they don't work as well as the leather ones, which surprise me no end. There has not been a good bag made since the Kangaroo Bags of the 1980's, and I still own one, but it is shot, and I have not found one that works as good ever since. Since Honig's is selling them for $5 each, I decided to try them. I stuffed five or six baseballs in one, and they did not lose shape badly, nor stick out like even the ump-attire bags do. And my ump-attire bags are only 2 years old, and they are faded like mad. They just did not last well.

I can understand those who don't like the patent leather look, but clean up is easy on the shoes, the patent leather does not stain my clothes like regular leather belts do, since I sweat a lot, and I like the look. With some of the dusty and dirty fields I work on, it got to the point I was polishing shoes every night, and going through top quality polish like nobody's business. Now, it's one can of Pledge a season, and a can of Leather Luster every two or three years.

Sadly, even Leather Luster does not seem to work with the leather shoes I officiate wrestling in, being on the mat so much wear the Leather Luster off the toes quickly, so it may be back to polish every night. Oh well.....