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Patent Leather Belt
Curious if there was a way to get them loosened up besides just the normal wear and bending of it? If there was something I could rub into the leather to loosen it up?
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Couldn't tell you, I would never wear one on the field if I had one. Next question is how quick will someone invoke the name of Emily Alexander ;) |
Without invoking any individual names, patent leather (either belt or shoes) is discouraged in all the higher levels of softball. Our goal is to blend, not stand out, and for our uniform to be, well, uniform (meaning the same as everyone else).
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Hmmm... Maybe I could get a plaid plate coat.... |
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do you have those fancy black and white leather patent wingtip shoes to go along with your Uncle's belt??? I put metal spikes on mine and wear then behind the plate :-)
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Geeeeeeezzzz. Didn't I just talk about that patent leather crap?
In the name of Emily Alexander (there, I've done it), please don't step on a softball field wearing patent leather anything. As for cleaning it...I dunno. Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner should work. Spray a lot on there and let it sit for three days in your oven at 200 degrees? Something like that. |
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If you can't tell by the tone that this thread has taken, you really need to dump the patent leather and go with a regular black belt. Then you won't need to worry about getting it "loosened up." |
Curious if there was a way to get them loosened up besides just the normal wear and bending of it?
My suggestion is to run 4-5 miles a day for about three months. This simple act will magically make your belt grow a couple of inches. |
patent leather
Rediculous. Patent leather doesn't make you stand out. If anything, it looks sharp and professional. Honestly, the beef with patent is because some old guard won't accept new styles. Umpiring evolves, people need to learn to change with it or retire. At the very least, keep an open mind.
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And, no, no patent leather in softball. And when I do baseball, I won't: *carry an indicator on the bases *clean off any bases *or clean off the pitcher's plate *confuse "illegal pitch" and "balk" *use the "hammer" for strikes or outs, and will instead use any damn mechanic I want for either one I could go on...but don't come on here badmouthing softball and softball umpires when there is plenty wrong elsewhere. |
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Great country, America! |
re
So, those that want to change with the times, should not because the old fear change? That road goes both ways Irish.
BBK, you won't take me seriously because I misspell a word. Sorry if my time is valuable enough not to spell check my posts. Its a forum, not an important work memo/document. |
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I'm a guy, and I have no idea what patent leather looks like (except for maybe those lovely knee-high boots ladies wear). So basically, I don't know if they look good as a belt or not. Maybe they do, maybe they don't.
However, Blu_IN does point out that it does take a while for ASA to change the style. Think of how long we had those button-down shirts that looked like something from the 70s. The answer, in my opinion, is that one proper uniform (minus any chest protectors, masks, etc.) costs around $150 (slacks, shirt, hat, belt and shoes). Many umpires, like myself, have more than one complete uniform (I've got 5 uniforms with two extra shirts that I took out of the rotation). Would we really want to have to keep changing the uniform once every couple of years? I know I certainly wouldn't, and that's why I take such good care of the ones I already have. |
and
And I am not saying that you should either put on the patent or go away. Far from it, some people are not going to want to wear it due to their personal opinions. However, its really annoying that when it comes to conference tournament time, I have to hang up my patent leather plate shoes and belt simply because the old guard refuses to accept the style.
At least come up with something other than it stands out, or looks flashy. It doesn't. The NCAA uniform is so unbelievably bland. What in the world is wrong with wanting to show some style. What is wrong with wanting to look as good as possible? If I feel that patent leather plate shoes and belt make for a better look, what's wrong with that? |
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You might get a more useful response if you posted your question on the baseball board, where patent leather is accepted, since many of those guys ape whatever it is the MLB guys do and call that individuality. As to speeling, if you new how to speel you woodn't have too use a speel chekker. |
I've managed to stay out of this one, but so much for that.
I wear the patent leather shoes in games where players do not wear metal spikes - they are easier to clean and my personal opinion is that they look better. I do not wear a patent leather belt - they are too thick. As for the number of uniforms - that's irrelevant. I choose to work in a number of different sanctioning bodies. Each has their own uniform(s), and I have just about all of them. I pay my registration to each and buy the uniforms of each. Since I changed to a smaller vehicle a couple of months ago, I don't carry all the uniforms all the time now. As for the music wars, we "fixed" that. We've got 2 separate services and seldom do they mix. Great fix, huh? But that does keep us from having to build a bigger sanctuary. |
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Further, patent leather isn't some new idea that the "old guard" refuses it accept. It is an old idea, developed in 1818, that has been rejected as inappropriate from the beginning of softball uniforms, and continues to be unacceptable. Not newly rejected; never accepted. Showing some style is the baseball non-uniform uniform. Just watch the LLWS for inspiration. |
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http://www.tuxedosonline.com/images/...cko_BW_big.JPG |
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Yes, and they do reflect up.:D |
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Uniformity
How do we lose uniformity by the plate umpire wearing patent leather? They are black, they are shined, they are as exactly as they should be. Patent leather belts. . . again black.
How exactly does that make us look out of uniform? |
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It's a preference issue, really. ASA doesn't want it, so I don't wear it. Could it spruce up an otherwise ugly uniform? Sure, but until ASA says it's okay... We're at where we're at. |
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Yes, they can look good and are easy to clean, but are not healthy for your feet. If you have a history of perspiring feet, you just as well wrap your feet in plastic bags. The process includes treating the leather with a sealer much like the Leather Lustre many umpires use. And like the LL, the sealer will fill the pores of the leather and prevent it from breathing. There are folks who don't want this type of apparel worn because it does bring attention to an individual umpire if all are not wearing the same thing. The problem is the perception of the teams that the umpire who is NOT wearing the bright, shiny uniform must not be a good umpire. |
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But, it isn't uniform, it isn't the same, it isn't what a top level softball umpire is supposed to wear. Not in ASA, not in NCAA, not in ISF. Don't know for a fact, but I am willing to bet it isn't approved for NPF, either. So far as I know, that pretty covers "top level" softball. |
Pretty sure
Irish,
I am pretty sure they already don't expect the base umpire to be wearing patent leather plate shoes in order to match the plate umpire. You say that this brings attention to the umpire whom isn't wearing patent leather by coaches and players. I would guess more often than not, the coaches and the players have no idea what the umpires are or are not wearing. Most coaches have a hard enough time getting simple rules straight in their own minds, let alone sit there and discuss with their assistant the difference between belt styles worn by the base and plate umpire or that the base umpire really should be wearing patent leather base shoes if the plate umpire is wearing patent leather plate shoes. |
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As for taking you seriously, you obviously didn't get past the first sentence of my post. If I go over to work a baseball game and give "robot" outs and strikes, use my indicator on the bases and clean off bases and the pitching rubber, what are they going to say? Why won't THEY change with the times? If I go over to the baseball board and tell them they need to start cleaning off bases because I carry a brush on the field, I'd be laughed out of the room (I can just imagine what HHH and JRut would say). And you know what? I'd DESERVE to be laughed out of the room. There are things you don't do in baseball...and things you don't do in softball. Why is that so hard to comprehend? |
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Read Steve's post which included the NCAA umpire manual paste. It is accurate. You can do whatever you want, wherever you want when you are working for people/organizations/associations that don't care. When it comes to those who do care, you are lucky you live in this country, because you now have a choice. Either you can do it their way, or go home. I'm sure that the UIC or assigner do not want to see you go, but that's just the way it is. Everyone cares, but when it comes right down to it, only the individual can make that decision. |
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Different = non-uniform. You could make the equally wrong argument in favor of Light Blue hats. You might think they look better - but they are different, and thus non-uniform. Truly, I'm surprised this is even a topic. |
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Don't get me wrong, I wear non-western cut and pleated pants, work in the Gerry Davis, etc. when working youth and men's ball, but I do not in college. Why? Because the people who set the standards say not to. It is that simple to me. |
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Well then, it sounds as if your NCAA coordinator refuses to comply with the national standard as well as with the NCAA Umpire Improvement Program, and therefore is doing you, and all the NCAA umpires in your area, as well as the NCAA itself a grave disservice. |
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I go out on the field looking freshly pressed and neat every single game. I know guys that go out and never iron a pant or even put a brush to their shoes - but thank God they aren't patent leather. At least they are following protocol! |
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By "not saying anything" about the patent leather, your supervisor is failing to pass along to you the mandates made by the entities I mentioned in my previous post, therefore not doing as requested by them. Subsequently, the umpires in your area who are working NCAA ball are not getting the information that they should have, the not wearing of patent leather only being a small part of this information. This is exactly how these types of programs begin to break down. This is where the disservice I mention occurs. |
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From the NCAA umpire manual quoted above in this thread: Quote:
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Remember way back in post #2 of this thread?
Man, now you've done it. :eek: I guess I need to run out and buy a lottery ticket. :D |
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I do have a curiosity question, though, for anyone who has and wears both regular and patent leather plate shoes...
The only patent leather shoes I've ever worn were what came with rental tuxes, and those shoes were uncomfortable in just about every way possible, but the part attributable to the finish of the leather was that my feet got hot and sweaty - and I was mostly just standing around, and they were very stiff. So, my question: Do you notice a difference in comfort between the two? Do the natural leather shoes flex more easily and breathe better? I would think so. Personally (even if the softball HFMICs endorsed patent leather), the shoes would seem completely unsuitable for any athletic use and I would not use them for that purpose. The ease of cleaning and glaringly shiny look would not be a good trade-off for stiff sweaty shoes. |
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http://downloads.weblogger.com/weblo...now/WKRP09.jpg Tarlek??? |
Found this thread on the football board.
http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?t=37711 Maybe there is a market for patent leather in a different sport? |
Patent Leather anything
If patent leather is what you have, just keep wearing it, it will evidentially loosen up and conform to your waist like any other HD belt. Yes, I wear patent leather belt & 3/4 plate shoes. If they are good enough for Gerry Davis in pro baseball, who worked the dish last night, Cincy over Atlanta game, they are good enough for me or any one else who wants to look professional. If you think patent leather has on place in "SOFTBALL", get over it. I work HS & college baseball & softball and see patent in both. If you don't like it, don't use it. Your shoes probably look like they have not been cleaned in weeks. The advantages of patent are many and they do hold up well. 5 & 6 years for 2 pairs. Thank you Gerry Davis for making what I think is the BEST plate shoe out there.
Work on your mechanics and do not worry what someone else wants to wear. |
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One of my favorite comedies of all time! :D (Glad you got the reference.) :D |
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So, I guess you have no issue with leather ball bags, either. In case you hadn't noticed, there are not too many MLB umpire groupies on this board. Also in case you hadn't noticed, there are not too many here who give a rat's behind what MLB umpires wear. That seems to be an infatuation on the small ball board, I know. But, it is a big "yawn" here. |
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Dakota asked: So, my question: Do you notice a difference in comfort between the two? Do the natural leather shoes flex more easily and breathe better?
Being in the Army for 20+ years has given me the opportunity to apply a bit of polish to leather. Needless to say I was happier than Michael Jackson at Boystown when we switched to suede boots. Our shoes that we wear with our dress and some service uniforms are made of a substance called Corfram mentioned earlier in this post. It is far more comfortable and breathable than old patent leather. I would assume that the shoes sold today as patent leather are actually Corfram and that would make them as good or better than some cheap cuts of leather. It would take a significant emtional event to get me to even consider "patent leather" shoes. I can and do apply a good old fashioned spit shine to my shoes before every game even during tournaments. It's a matter of pride. |
My last spit shine was in ROTC, and that was (lets just say), some time ago! But, I bet I could still make it shine with the best of 'em. These days, though, I find the Kiwi Parade Polish will brush up to a very nice shine. It won't blind anyone, but it looks very good.
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Here is a brief on the product: Corfam was the first poromeric imitation leather, invented by Lee Hollowell, and introduced by DuPont in 1963 at the Chicago Shoe Show. Corfam was the centerpiece of the DuPont pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair in New York City. Its major advantages over natural leather were its durability and its high gloss finish that could be easily cleaned with a damp cloth. Its disadvantages were its stiffness which did not lessen with wearing and its relative lack of breathability. DuPont manufactured Corfam at its plant in Old Hickory, Tennessee from 1964 to 1971. After spending millions of dollars marketing the product to shoe manufacturers, DuPont withdrew Corfam from the market in 1971 and sold the rights to a company in Poland. Corfam is mainly remembered as a textbook marketing disaster. The 1966 Chilean issue of Reader's Digest claimed that by 1983 there would not be enough leather from cows, demand exceeding supply by 30%. Corfam is still used today in some products, an example being certain types of equestrian saddle girth. Corfam shoes are still very popular in the military and other uniformed professions where shiny shoes are an asset. |
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I wear both types and do not notice a difference in comfort or in heat. But I would not notice a difference in heat as I am generally soaked after a game - it's one reason why I really prefer the navy pants when I work the plate, the grays end up as two-tone and nobody can tell that my pants are all wet in the navy.:o Both types of shoe seem to flex equally well, both broke in in a reasonable amount of time, and both types seem to last - the regular style has conservatively seen over 700 plate games and the patent leather ones have been through over 300 plate games. |
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Now, lookie here Ump 64 and whoever else wants to put me and others down. I can make a pair of real leather shoes shine just like those fancy assed patent leather shoes. I can make my belt shine too. All it takes is a little work. It's that first impression thing...and I can guarandamnedtee you that every college coach around here (and most of the community college coaches) and top flight travel ball coaches know what umpires are supposed to wear (oh, hey, they know the rules, too). If they see some clown come on the field with patent leather shoes and a patent leather belt, ya know what they think? It shows that umpires doesn't know what they are supposed to wear, and if they do, they're probably too lazy to shine up the real stuff. You might be the nicest guy in the world, but I have no room for laziness. Lazy people cheat ME and every other hard-working umpire -- and IMHO, patent leather = laziness. |
I can't help it
Any time I see an umpire in patent leather at a softball game, I think he's a baseball official who's stooped to do an easy game for a change... a lesser game anyway.
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He was obviously just being a troll, Mike. Wanted to get a rise out of someone about "easy game" ... and when that didn't work, he edited the post 9 hours later to add "lesser game." He doesn't even know how to be a good troll.
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I'm looking all over the place for another one. I think I just saw one behind the wall across the street... |
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Teach me more about trolling later. Seriously, I'm new to postings.
I think baseball officials think their game is superior and consequently they buy baseball gear (blue mask with tan pads, shiny patent leather, ball bags with POS boldly showing). When he wears that onto a softball diamond, what does that say to you who are softball only? I think he thinks this is a lesser game, so he can dress as he pleases, just as he might do for a scrimmage. |
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