Leatherimages

Casey, What in the world did you do with an orange Islandic sheep!? Surely not a pair of woolies?

I've been communicating with our expatriot leather friend Nicolas, in the far east, Shanghai I think he said. The discussion has been about boot making and certain aspects of construction. There is more to the subject than can be put up at any one point, however I am willing to share what I can. Recently we were talking about preparing the insole, the foundation of the boot, and I offered to share a presentaion on my approach to the subject. It is presented here. I hope you find it informative. Comments and questions are welcome. Insole Presentation.pdf

I second your proposal. Very thoughtful. It would be another place to check from time to time to see if my name is on it.

I've had some success using a small needle point and "picking the inny out". Much of the hole we see, is really the leather pushed into the hole. You can shove it around and burnish over the top of it, but the grain is still down in the hole. If you put on a magnifier and spend the time, you can lift the grain leather up all around, and then burnish it well. Since your chap bodies are black, you may get away with it. You might even try a matt finish acrylic, like Ceramcoat, over the top and then wipe it off. What is left in the holes may fill in some additional. Good luck.

Spinner, I've been doing a bit of filigree lately, and would like to burnish the inside edges. How small of a diameter could one be made? I think I'd like one friend.

I'm glad to hear you have the books comeing. I'll need to get mine out if you start having questions. But Tim, and Frank are accessable. I get it about the inseam, just practice. Up to that point. That's cool. However, there is a very valid time to close the vamp by stitches to the insole without a hold fast. I've attached a picture of what I do regularly that's like this. On a fully pegged boot of 150 years ago, the vamp was whipped closed all around, and not just as I have it in the shank area. Then the sole was glued on and pegged all around. This is also how I have done cement construction soles. Bummer about the last. It is the hardest part, to me, getting that right. It's where the real skill is. Talk about more to it than meets the eye! I'm not sure what you're refering to about crinch nails. Sounds like a staple? There are clinch nails, but one wouldn't make a staple with it. Tell me more. Insole presentaion is on it's way. Soon.

I tried to reply to this yesterday, but it got lost in cyberspace I quit in frustration. Patterning cowboy boots is really only done on the tops, and it relates primarily to the throat, or entry into the boot. Patternmaking for shoes, has way more going on, and I've done enough to see that, once again, there is more to it than meets the eye. It looks like your inseam is the approach you were describing earlier. And I guess it would work for a cemented constuction sole attachment. My first thought is that the sheer factor and torque from walking would be hard on the holdfast, but I'm just looking at it critically. Devilin or Thornton, I don't recall which of them, wrote on the subject of the angle of the inseam stitch in relation to the roll of the foot along the length of the insole, and the manner the stitches should be set to reduce the stress on each stitch so as not to put too much sheer on the holdfast. I think I'll be working on my two pair of insoles this weekend, and I'll address that when I post pics.

Anyone have a estimate of what I could sell these for? Rob, Nice job. And good discriprion. I wouldn't be bashful about about $50 if that's how you're making them. It looks worth that or more.

Fourty years experience has taught me the answer is always yes when I'm a question about footwear repair. Heck, I even answer yes to a question that has a no as the first thing that comes to mind. I'll begin this marketing topic with a couple of recent examples. I've got pictures of my work going back to the '80's. In this world of .jegs flying around in Cyberspace, a portfolio of ones work in pictures, is all we really have to make an initial judgement of someones work. I hope you'll see someting in my work that encourages you to call on me for any footwear service.

Nick, I'm glad to read your response to my comments and advise. I've only begun to be confident enough of what I may know, to express my opinion in just the last couple of years. I've still got bruises to show for some of my lessons, but like you I try to think things through. I've spent time skimming Golding, but haven't really digested any of it. But I will be glad to do so when the time is right to anwser questions for you in the future, but I can't say how much value I'll be on some of the patterning stuff, as I am a western boot maker primarily. You've got a great learning attitude, and I'm very proud to have made your aquaintance. I've got a couple of pair of boots on the bench right now. And the insoles are about due for sculpting. I'll take pictures and post the process soon.

Nick, Whew! I'm afraid I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by the length of our posts. We've got to do shorter ones, I'm startin' to get lost. Pattern Cutting-Step by Step Patterns for Footwear, edited by Frank Jones, (I mentioned in your other thread about Sheep Hunters boots) Also I highly recommend Tim Skrym's book Bespoke Shoemaking, both are available here: http://www.shoemakingbook.com/ (We're all together in this , you know) You've demonsrated a skill at thinking things through, I'm really very impressed. But if you want to be successful in this effort, I believe you must follow the path of those who have gone before. I'll be of little help if you want to create a whole new way. (I don't know how much more help I can be, as it it is. But I am willing to help if you're will to get these text books.) I would not have a thing to say about your own ideas about stitching the inseam like you're thinking. I can only imagine problems. Many many shoes and boots, have been being made by hand by many many different people for many many years. What works is what works. Learn the fundamental ways to do it, and then, after totally understanding how, then you can begin to "play in the field of possibilities". We'll keep it going. This is being good for me too.

I have been looking also, to no avail! When my children were little there was a brand called TV Booties. I even made a couple of pair for them. But I didn't save any patterns, and I can't find them in the hope chest, (tho I ought to look again). I'm working myself up to taking a hand at doing up a run of toddler size patterns. I just need some measurements for the basic sizes. But I don't know where to look. I think this is a neglected area of the footwear trade. TLF has their baby moc kits, but I can't help more than that.

That's the right attitude. Your first one is going to have many lessons in it, including that it's your first one. Pattern making of any leather item should be early in the learning process, I believe. Good luck, and be sure to share.

Nick, my apologies for not replying sooner. It's hard for me to bring my full attention to the keyboard, especially when my wife is home. But bless her heart, I'm a boot maker by her grace, I like your progress. It's good to have those two differnt degrees of curve in your awls. In time, their specific differences will become manifest, and you'll appreciate them anew, if you know what I mean, jelly bean. I think I more or less got a handle on the holdfast, not perfect but that will come with practice. The only point I'll make here is that you want to be careful to maintain an even 1.5 to 2 mm thichness on the feather edge. Too much thinner than that, in the wrong spot around the perimeter of the insole, can create a knife edge, if sweat should dry and stiffen the insole. And that's also why the "old dead guys", who wrote the "How to's" in the 19th Cenury, recommended brushing on repeated applications of Tallow, or rendered fat. Get the point? Now I am moving on towards getting ideas and whatnot for making patterns. I am at the point where I am mostly wondering how to go about taking measurements, and deciding on sizes and everything for my patterns. The boot I have in mind is a fairly simple one, basically just four pieces each for the uppers linings and covers. Vamp and counter cover being one continuous piece that is stitched together behind the heel, and stiffened with a counter, and something like another cover sewn up the heel and spine of the boot to seal the rear of the shaft and counter cover seam. The shaft will be divided into two halves and they'll meet in the front on the instep/high instep where they will be laced/belted together. I plan to have a zipper running up the side on the inside, although I'm not totally sure about this because it would compromise water proofing a little bit, although the quick on/off is something I have enjoyed in all the boots I've purchased in the last few years. Now you're talking about a system. A system of measuring, pattern making and the tricky part, order of assembly. This is the fundamentals. It will be much easier for me to comment, when I know which or whose's system you're talking about. Did you get the Pattern Makers book from Nobel Press? It's value is tremendous from this point. The style you are describing is fundamentaly a Balmoral Style. There are specific drawings, and lines that are necessary for this style to be viable. (Frank discusses the Balmoral in the text mentioned above.) I'm extremely interested in this style myself, and want to try my hand at it sometime. But there's more to it than meets the eye. I don't really know where the challenging parts are but DW, who has made several, himself feels there's still more to figure out about how to control the fit and function in the patterning process. Knowing where the controls are is critical to understanding patterns for footwear also. Using the tape method of pattern making, will give you a chance to draw the pattern lines for the stlye you're considering. A zipper could have a tongue to help with water resistance at that point. Considering that these will be fully hand-sewn, since I don't have a machine (and want to develop a reputation as doing fully hand-stitched work) I am thinking a lot about how the patter should be arrange, how much seam allowance to give, and the construction of the lining. Until we identify more about your pattern parts, I'll only comment on the insole, before we get any further away from it. On the insoles you've shown 'til now, you have made your holdfast go all the way around the heel. This is a method that does indeed have it's applications, like in European dress shoes. It's a classic. But not in work or outdoor boots in my opinion. I've seen many fault at the stitches around the heel. They break from exposure to many different elements. This style has a weakness at a critical spot. The heel of the foot flexes away from the heel of the boot with the greatest force at this point, where these stitches are all that's holding it together. My suggestion would be to plan on turning under; the lining, counter, and heel cover, and tackng it with either brass clinching nails, maybe wood pegs, or lastly iron clinching nails. I've been giving your suggestion of a stitched-in counter suggestion serious though. I think that the pocket counter would be easier, and I am not expecting a whole lot out of these since they are after all only my first pair of boots made in this style, but I am also thinking I ought to be establishing as many good habits as I can from the get-go. It's likely the choice will be obvious when pattern making begins. But with a "hung lining", ie. one stitched at the top line and extending all the way to the insole, utilizing a "pocket counter", one just should be conscious to select leather for the greatest wear. Here are a few photos of my second attempt at a holdfast. I am not sure about the spacing, I was just eye-balling it, and the lack of rulers that are demarcated with standard American inches makes it more difficult. Knowing that an inch is roughly 2.5cm though I checked it out with my cm based rulers and it seems to work out to roughly 3 to the inch, although around the toe and heel the spacing becomes kind of uneven. Even so it ought to work out ok. Your spacing looks pretty good. DW showed me to do this. Take a narrow gauge nail about 1 1/4" long and bend it. And like cribbage, move it along after you make each hole. It will serve as a point of reference as you try to get the feel for "3 to the inch". Or use a marker along the ouside of the holdfast until eye begins to know it. From the apex of the curve of your toe, angle the path of the awl away from the center and not in towards it. If you do this about an inch and a half back from the middle, you'll have plenty of room for your awl holes there at the toe.

Johanna, Thank you for your help in getting this up on the board. It was getting a little frusrtrating. You're wonderful. I realize this ought to be over in the section with footwear and such, but my impulse was to put it here for a bit. Moving it later is fine with me. I'm pleased that a dozen or so folks have viewed it overnight, this is an area of leather work most people are not exposed to. I hope someone will be interested to learn more. I am interested to teach this coming year, not just boot repair, which is where I think it ought to begin, but boot making too. It will be several months before I'm in the position to follow through with that plan though. Casey, Thank you for your comments. I hope others will let me know what value they see it such presentaions. I think I'd like to do more. Paul

Wow, Good on you. You're very ingenious. I'm sure it's a matter of neccessity, but you seem to have what it takes. You've done a fantastic job for your first go at the insole, for not having anyone standing over your shoulder. Very good! I'll share a few things on what you've shown. You'll want to work out as much of the roughness as possible on your curved awl. Useing finer and finer grits of wet/dry sand paper and polishing the blade with jewlers rouge will work out the scratches and burrs, and it will slide through the holdfast much easier. The beeswax is good, and will burnish your hole in preparation for stitching later. The edge of the insole is called the feather, and the distance from the feather to the holdfast should be equal to the combined thickness of your vamp and linings. Your hold fast ought to be about 6mm wide. Space your holes about 3 to the inch. This will sometimes mean that at the inside of the curve of the toe, they may need to be closer together than that, and you might need to come through the holdfast at an angle, spacing your entry hole so you don't break through when inseaming. Also you'll want to keep in mind that the welt will be too loose if your spacing is greater than 3 to the inch at the feather edge. You're doing great. I'm glad you spent sometime on the Colloquy. I'm a boot maker and not as versed in all the shoe making points as Masters such as Marcel can share. If you ever have a chance to take one of his workshops, you will be miles ahead of me. The countryside there in China is indeed very beautiful. Earth is a great place, isn't it? Keep up the good work.

I'm trying to attach a "How To" in pdf form, which I have zipped down to 3.7MB, but still it's too big. Help please? TIA, Paul Name: Johanna UserName: Leatherimages IP Address: 71.209.161.118 Email Address: pkmaker1@hotmail.com

Hello Friends, I still have this clicker to sell. You might even call me a little less firm. But it would be for pick up in Prescott only, as I'm still recovering from this hip deal. Interested? please call Paul at 928 442-1213 or 928 308-5865.

Great job! I'd say you had tremendous help. Will you show us when you get the skate part attached? Just a tip, if you don't care to do a skant skive on the edges of your trim pieces, you could just run a flame past the edges with a Bic lighter to remove the fuzz. I hope you'll show us more in the future.

I've reattached the pictures as you have done, and they should show at the bottom of this post. These are all pull ons, and I acknowledge you are making a lace up. Sorry, I just don't have any pictures of lace ups in process. I like challenges too, believe me, but encourageing smaller steps will take you further. I respect your efforts It sounds like you have it right about lasting draft sequence, You also have it right about the fitters model, and it will serve as a pattern test also. In the Paratrooper boot you are showing, the quarters would have the tongue and counter attached, (for a fitter you wo uld not need to do a counter cover, unless you were insisting on a "pocket" counter.) Then the vamp and lining would be installed, then lasted and allowed to dry. The tacks at the toe would be released and the vamp pulled back to install the toe boxes. Then the vamp would be pulled over and cemented to the insole. That would be your pattern/fitters modelwith extra credit for the toe box practice. I understand what you're saying about your environmental conditions leading your choices about inseam construction. Wow. So yeah, a hand stitched inseam with holdfast would indeed be best for you at this time. We can do that in it's turn. But I've attached a picture just to feed your imaginings. This is for a box toe, one that is squared across the front by a turn up on the insole. it's not really what you're likely to do, but it's the picture I have of the sculpted insole at this stage. Paul

Thank you very much Eric. I was pleased just to show up "out of the box" with the Red ones.