Vintage cobbler and shoe making tools

[acem77]

Hello, 

I am scuba diver that discovered a debris field of a ship accident. I have been finding a lot of cobbler tools. Thos has lead me to your post. Would you be interested in assisting me identify some of my items. 

I have found a few of the items you posted here. I just found a "Cobbler’s Leatherworking Brass Welt Mill" with what looks to be "Davies & Jupp" on the side. 

I found info on Jupp London online but not Davies. I assume it's the same lineage. 

If needed i can create an account to share more info. 

Thanks

 

[fredk]

8 hours ago, acem77 said:

Hello, 

I am scuba diver that discovered a debris field of a ship accident. I have been finding a lot of cobbler tools. 

Welcome to the site

Do share photos of your finds with us

Somebody on here may be able to help with information about your finds

[Tastech]

I am intrigued please do post some photos . 

Brass welt mils were made of brass so they would hold up better in the salt water . Most other tools would be made of steel with wood handles . It would be interesting to see how these hold up over time .

 I would be fascinated in the the background story . Where were the tools found and what year did the ship sink . Where did it come from and where was it going . You would be surprised with the meticulous records kept by shipping companies . If you can find the records you can find out a full cargo list . ,where it came from and where it was going . 

 I get excited when i find old tools in a long forgotten shed or in the back of an old shop  covered in dust . Its like finding treasure . But actually bringing them up from a shipwreck is about as good as treasure hunting gets . 

 The fact that you found a welt mill tells me a few things . Good year welting became fairly normal around the 1850's so it would be some time after that that there would have been a market for a factory produced welt mill . I have seen new ones for sale on etsy i think , but there would be limited demand for them now days . To be honest i i have never seen one come up for sale on Ebay in the last 10 years . I think the tool is so obscure that no one really knows what it is  so mis-identify it.  There was one owned by the master shoe maker who taught me but i never saw him use it because we would buy welts pre made in various thickness and widths . If i ever do come across one in the flesh i would not hesitate to buy it  to add to my collection . 

[Tastech]

@acem77 Below is a link to an English shoe making tool manufacturer called George Barnsley  The catalogue  is from the 1920's . Barnsley tools were probably the best in their field at the time and still used today . I still use vintage Barnsleys's everyday .   I think the catalogue with help you identify what you have . But we still want to see photos .

https://archive.org/details/barnsley-and-sons-shoe-tools-catalogue-1927/page/n1/mode/2up?view=theater

Click the link and download . On the bottom right you will see left and right arrows .click the arrows to turn the pages . In there you will find a version of just about every shoe making tool and what they are called . Other makers have variations of the same tool but are generally named the same . I use the catalogue as a reference source but i am pretty familiar with most of it . I think i may even have a bout 70% of what is pictured , not because i use them but because i collect them .

For those that a wondering what a welt mill looks like ,below is a photo . The teeth on the mill correspond to a height or thickness of leather . A skiving knife is held across the chosen teeth and the leather  strip pulled through cutting it at the desired thickness . Essentially it is a leather splitter . Its not a big tool