Anyone have a Ghillies pattern?

[strapt]

I'm looking for a pattern for a pair of lace up Ghillies. I would like to make a pair that lace partway up the calf. Anyone know of a pattern like that?

Thanks!

[strapt]

Wow...

C'mon guys. All the fine folks, and vast knowledge visiting this board every day and no one has any pointers for a poor newbie?

Ghillies are those lace up shoes worn with ones' kilt at the ren fair. Sometimes called ghillies brogues. I'd like to make my own, but could use some pointers.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks friends.

[Luke Hatley]

Strapt , wished i could help . Someone will come a long latter.... but in the meantime take

a look at the shoes that i make...

Edited April 3, 2008 by Luke Hatley

[Drac]

think the name is throwing everyone off. I thought you were trying to make a ghillie suit (camouflage outfit) out of leather and was totally confRused as to why you'd wanna do that! *L*

[Oscar B]

http://www.btinternet.com/~kingsmerecrafts/Contents.html

This site may have what you want.

[Beaverslayer]

I was at a loss also, I did a search on Ghillies, and came up with the camouflage outfit for hunting.

Ken

[bcurrier]

I managed to lose the only pair I ever owned, and when I went to price a replacement pair - wow! I bought mine in Scotland for about $35. The same pair here was more like $200-250. I never replaced them, and just wear black dress shoes instead.

Still, I've thought time-to-time that maybe another option would be to buy a pair of wingtips and re-work them by removing the tongue and reshaping the lacing panels. That's pretty much all ghillies are anyway. Maybe worth a try on a pair from Goodwill to see how it goes before investing in something better ...

Bill

[yaklady]

My daughter dances so much, she wore her ghillies out. I decided to try to make her new ones, and used the old pair to create a pattern. I haven't actually made them yet, so who knows if the pattern will work. She got impatient and ordered new ones which cost about $40. I'm not in a rush now to make her any, so the pattern is still sitting there. I haven't heard any where to buy a pattern.

[Luke Hatley]

Strapt. I have found what, I think you are refering to.

Check out www.smoke-fire.com i looked on the site for the pattern and could not

find it, sent an e-mail and they said that they have all size of the patterns.

hope this is the one you need...

[strapt]

Luke those are some good lookiing mocs you're a making. Thanks for posting them.

And thanks to all of you for your input, and the great links. Sorry if my first post caused any confusion.

I'm thinking I may need to develop my own pattern with inspiration from the online sources you all have pointed me toward. I'll keep you all posted...

[MadTailor]

Strapt , wished i could help . Someone will come a long latter.... but in the meantime take

a look at the shoes that i make...

Nice pair. How do you get the edges to be so nice? Is that burnished by hand? I need some help with that....Thanks

[rdb]

Thanx go to Luke, but I found the exact page by searching for brogues:

$6.00 for the pattern.

http://www.smoke-fire.com/search_results.a...arch=fromSearch

[Beaverslayer]

That's a great site rdb, thanks for taking the time to find it.

Ken

[ferret]

Thanx go to Luke, but I found the exact page by searching for brogues:

$6.00 for the pattern.

http://www.smoke-fire.com/search_results.a...arch=fromSearch

They look very similar to romano/celtic shoes. Lots of similar patterns here .

[MarkS]

Thanx go to Luke, but I found the exact page by searching for brogues:

$6.00 for the pattern.

http://www.smoke-fire.com/search_results.a...arch=fromSearch

I have made about 25 pairs from this pattern. I needed to modify it a bit to make it work - both for smaller and for larger feet than the pattern is made for. Also, the cuts going to across the mid portion of the foot - before it goes up to the ankle are much too low; they need to be cut about an inch higher than the pattern otherwise every bit of grass, stone, and dirt will find their way underneath your foot.

I made them out of moosehide, butterysoft and supple, though lightweight cowhide has worked well too. Sew the extra sole on the outside of the shoe with waxed linen or artificial sinew (and stay off the concrete). The basis of the pattern is easy to put together. I will look at my notes later and see how the angles and measurements were used to create the other sizes and modifications.

For what it's worth, the ghillies were developed to deal with the low boglike areas where a traditional buckled shoe would have been sucked off the foot at the best, or simply would have held a bunch of water against the foot promoting foot problems at worst. The cuts along the sides allow the water to squish out of them and drain away quickly, while still protecting the foot. When worn, the ghillies weren't laced up the thigh - they were laced around the ankle several times. Lacing strapped tight enough around the thigh to keep the ghillies on in swampy ground WILL cut off the circulation to the lower leg. Most likely the laces will fall around your ankles anyway. The long laces were to wrap 'round the ankle several times to spread the load of the pulling of the shoe in sticky situations.

Most people of means would have used buckled shoes in this time period, the less well off would have used hand made ghillies as described above.

I re-enact this time period, and have worn the straight lasted buckle shoes, and the ghillies for days on end. I have gone hunting with both as well. The ghillies are absolutely silent in the woods, and you can slip through streams, muck, and creeks without having to take your shoes off to empty them. They are comfortable as only a moccasin can be, and conform to your foot like a second skin.

Mark

Edited April 12, 2008 by MarkS

[Luke Hatley]

Nice pair. How do you get the edges to be so nice? Is that burnished by hand? I need some help with that....Thanks

Thanks for askng , 80 grit sanding on the belt sander

then 150 grit sanding. then edges are dyed with chocolate dye

then to the drill press with a thick Felt Burnishing wheel

after the edges are wet.

final coat is satin sheen.

[strapt]

Thanks MarkS!

Your tips help out quite a bit.

Hey so what part of the country do you reenact? Curious, since mine are for a period costume as well...

[MarkS]

Thanks MarkS!

Your tips help out quite a bit.

Hey so what part of the country do you reenact? Curious, since mine are for a period costume as well...

I looked at my pattern modifications again, and I think maybe I over estimated how much I increased the side panels... each side went up about just over 1/2 inch.

I live in Michigan, and don't get to as many events I as I would like. Mainly because of the high fuel prices discourage me from traveling too far from home. Sigh.

On the up side though, it makes those events which I do go to all the more special!

Mark