Mablung

I may need to try giving my dog carrots. Never thought of that. It’d be better for her gut than the amount of rawhide she goes through otherwise.

Couldn’t possibly want to use the resources God actually gave us, instead of the ones we want to create for ourselves, huh? That sparks a thought. It seems human hubris (if not something palpably evil) is demonstrated in such a mentality that inverts what is good and what is not. God made animals, gave them to us for food and their skins for clothing, yet now the prevailing line amongst those who have the microphone is that those things are abusive, disgusting, and unhealthy, whereas humanly-synthesized plastics and other synthetics are what are really safe for us and the planet. We try so very hard to be God that we ignore and even outright reject His good gifts to us, including in the form of leather. This twaddle about all things non-leather being better makes me want to go make another pair of shoes just to really show them. All that said, synthetics have their place. Once I get good enough, I plan to make a pair of tall hunting boots using a Vibram lugged sole. Synthetic materials are useful. They’re just not the answer to some made-up ethical dilemma posed by using leather, or the ecological savior (quite the opposite).

A few questions for you. What are, in your mind, the essential steps in polishing a shoe? You may have meant simply that no one under 40 knows how to select, apply, and buff a shoe polish, which really isn’t hard to do, but I just wonder what else you think is necessary to really polish a shoe well. For someone getting started cobbling, what tools are essential? Outsole stitchers, sanding machines, so on are all helpful labor-saving devices, but what is truly essential to getting going in the craft? What do you consider a high-quality shoe that would get you to work on it? I’ll use a couple of my shoes as comparison jumping-off points. I have a pair of Johnston & Murphy Oxfords I bought for $100 or so on sale close to ten years ago—I think the outsole is either cemented or has a closed stitching channel, but I’m not sure which. I also have a pair of Wolverine 1000 Mile boots that are Goodyear welted with open-channel stitching. Would you decline to work on either one, and why? I have taken an inordinate interest in making and repairing shoes, so I may have more questions for you, if you’re willing to take a little time to answer.

What a beautiful dog! I love GSDs. I have a Husky/GSD mix that looks much more like a GSD, and she’s wonderful. Fortunately, not as capable of destroying things as your dog.

Dang! Sorry to hear that. That really sucks. I’d feel high and dry if my local Tandy closed, and I’d sink a lot of money into materials as well. That’s really too bad, Sheilajeanne.

Time to become one’s own cobbler, right?

Awfully nice bag. She looks happy with it (and she’s awfully pretty, too).

I have a pair of wolverine boots that need to be resold. Watching that video got me thinking that I could probably manage to do it myself. I found a last Jack on eBay for a good price, which I might grab so that I can start doing some more advanced shoe making and repair work. if everything goes to hell in a handbasket, at least I will be able to make and repair shoes.

Might try it on a scrap piece. Put some Hi-Lite on it, let it dry, then paint over.

Did you seal it with something like Resolene? Or does Hi-Lite color and seal both?

@LeatherDoofus’s recent threads made me look up some directions about making turn shoes and adapting them to other styles similarly to his (her?) method. Found this guide that looks really helpful and thought I’d share with everyone. http://www.aidan-campbell.co.uk/PDFs/Guide to Viking turnshoes.pdf

Okay, so it sounds like you pre-punch the holes and then stitch from the inside. Got it. That makes sense. I was proceeding on the assumption you were cementing the exterior half-soles, then punching, but I think I got that reversed. Again, appreciate your sharing your methods here. I like learning all this stuff and am always looking to learn from someone who has already gotten a good method in place, so I appreciate your answering my questions! And to the extent something is proprietary, since you want to make and sell your shoes around Nashville, feel free to keep some things back. This group is generally about sharing knowledge and methods, but that hardly obligates you to share all things, either.

How do you stitch on the half-soles? It appears they’re Blake stitched, but I’m not sure. I’m trying to figure out how to replicate that by hand, because that’s a neat design, but I only have hand tools and no plans to get a cylinder arm or dedicated Blake stitch machine.

Okay, that’s pretty cool. Thanks for sharing. I would love to see a sketch. Thinking I need to revisit turn shoes again.

Man, my mouth is watering for some brook trout from mountain streams. Best fish I have ever had were brook trout my dad and I caught in the Hoover Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada Mountains almost 11 years ago. Wild-caught trout from a relatively clean environment were just fabulous.

That’s pretty cool. You mind sharing a few pictures from different angles? I’m especially interested in the side seams and how the upper is attached.

Hope you'll contribute in the shoemaking forum. I've been working on making shoes and only made a couple so far, but I'd like to get into making more complex, sturdier models. Welcome to the forum! I grew up outside of Nashville. Find the right market to advertise to, and you can likely sell some of the shoes you're describing. Though, I will say, turnshoes do seem to somewhat limit the designs you can create. Even in Nashville, slightly more conventional designs might get a little more attention. Just a thought.

Nearly anything will work. Nearly anything will get stained and show dings. I have a piece of SB Foot utility side I use on my desk. Hearty stuff, and it shows dings, sweat, etc. If you don’t want to use an acrylic coating of some kind or chrome tan with a plastic-y top coating but want greater water resistance and a full grain, a Crazy Horse would work. Just think about what might go on the desk that you would not want to take up some of the pigments or waxes in the pad. Some people use veg tan to tool designs on a standalone mouse pad (rather than a full desk pad like it appears you have in mind), then seal it with Resolene or another acrylic sealer.

The first request you will get is for pictures of your current equipment to get a sense of shape, size, etc. You will likely need a fairly thin, supple leather and the ability to shape it around a form with padding. Probably a thin chrome tan cowhide, or more likely sheepskin or something with a similarly soft temper. Sheepskin stretches a fair amount, I discovered upon first trying to use it, but that just means it’ll require a little practice to work with.

Greetings and welcome. You can ask all sorts of questions and get helpful answers here. There are some things specific to firefighters that others have made, like radio straps, that showcase some neat work. Looking forward to seeing yours!

I’ve got that in mind for the right piece, too. I like the symbol.

Did you cut those pieces or use a kit? Either way, that looks fabulous. Excellent work! As to the snap, I can’t quite tell how tall it is, but most of your bulk comes from the thickness of the layered card pockets, I wager (my personal wallet looks similar). You may be able to reduce the bulk by skiving the edges, and/or reducing the number of pockets inside, and thus the number of overall layers. To hide the female portion in the snap would likely require a different style of snap altogether (that one looks like a line 20 snap). KAM Snap has been recommended on here and appears to be very low-profile, although I haven’t had occasion to use its products personally. I think @fredk can tell you more.

Snazzy. I like it, including the appropriately-Viking name. One of my friends at the local Tandy has a love affair with all things Viking, so he would like that.

I like the Celtic designs and runes. Did you stamp the designs and letters, or did you carve them? What is the item, exactly?

Agreed. Mine remains firmly squished in my front pocket most of the time, and I’d rather it stay closed and smooth easily than smooth when open.