Chamois leather and felt covered buff sticks are traditional hand tools for polishing an item to a professional standard. Leather buff sticks are used for the initial polish, whilst a felt buff stick will achieve the final perfect mirror shine. A good quality buff stick should be made of hardwood, and can be bought or made at home. Although usually flat on both sides, half-round buff sticks can be used to polish inside rings.
To use a buff stick:
- Find a small container with an air tight lid.
- Mix powdered jeweller’s rouge with methylated spirit into a smooth paste in the container.
- Dampen the surface of the buff stick by sipping it in water.
- Paint some of the rouge paste on the buff stick using a brush.
- Buff the metal to be polished using even strokes in a consistent direction.
