lordpoint

Bootlast.com That's a good place to start at least. If you're not sure what you should get, just give them a call and describe what you're doing; they're very friendly and they'll help you find what you need. I was in pretty much the same boat about 3 or 4 months ago: read a bunch about shoemaking, watched the Andrew Wrigley series on YouTube, started looking for and pricing materials, I even started with a chukka. After making a few shoes on their lasts my only complaint is that the toe is a little bit narrow and pointy, but Bootlast are the only lastmakers (in the U.S.) that I was able to find who actually make their own lasts and can provide an entire range of sizes in the same style so I guess you've gotta take the good with the bad. I should also mention that they make their lasts on a copy lathe, so if you happen to come across an old pair that you like on e-bay or in an antique store and they're too beat up to use you can send them to Bootlast and they'll make you a brand new copy in plastic. If you're interested, I documented the process of making my first two shoes here: http://lordpoint.wordpress.com/ While I'm not really much further along than you are I'd gladly help in whatever way I could. If you have any other questions just send me a PM.

Wizcrafts, that's perfect! Thanks so much for your help. I'd love to get the contact info for your man with the Gritzner.

I've been interested in shoe making for a good while now and I finally found the spare time to make my first pair during my New Years vacation. I had a great time doing it and I really look foreword to developing the skill. One thing I noticed however was, despite the fact that I enjoy the labor and the process, my little leather patcher sewing machine was a life saver. I used it to sew the parts together on the upper portion of the shoe (relatively light leather, 5 iron I believe) and it only took me about a minute to make a seam that would have taken hours to do by hand. Unfortunately, I did not have a machine capable of sewing the thick leather used for the sole so I ended up doing all of that by hand and it took a good 2 or 3 hours. I'll include a few pictures so that you have a better idea of what I'm talking about but I'm looking for a machine that can both sew through the thick leather used for a sole and one that can sew into a corner, so to speak. The seam for the sole sits right up against the side of the shoe and the presser foot on most sewing machines is too wide to allow me to make such a close seam. I'm hoping to find something small and hand-powered (like this ) that won't cost an arm and a leg, but I'm open to other suggestions.I should mention that my ultimate goal, and the reason why I'm looking to save some time, is to do this as a business. A side project at first, of course, but I'm very interested in getting out of my office environment and making a living with my hands. I've got more pictures here, as well as a brief catalog of the process. Thanks!