How To Make A Full Or Half Bellows Tongue

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Hello all!

I am making a pair of galosh style boots with the quarter stitched under the vamp, and I am having trouble making a full bellows tongue for this style of boot. I have made full bellows tongue for galosh style boots where the quarters were stitched on top of the vamp, but I have never done so for quarters stitched UNDER the vamp.

Please assist.

Thank you and kind regards,

Nicholas

[Leatherimages]

Wow Nick,

That sounds like a puzzel. I got nothin'.

Sorry,

Paul

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Wow Nick,

That sounds like a puzzel. I got nothin'.

Sorry,

Paul

No worries Paul.

I have sort of jury rigged a set of full bellows tongues to these boots, and they seem to be work although I'm slightly worried about small gaps at the bottom of the tongues where they are attached to the inside of the vamp. Once it is lasted and used for a while I suppose I will be able to see if there's some way to improve upon the design. I am making two pairs of boots that call for this same tongue, so I am trying two different ways unless someone can offer any advice on how to do it well.

Regards,

Nick

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I decided to add links to some photos to make it easier for you to understand what I'm talking about. I'm afraid my explanation might not have been terribly clear.

The style of boot I'm making again is a galosh style vamp, with the quarters placed inside the vamp, rather than outside as shown in these photos. Once I get photos of the actual boots I'm making taken I will post those to be more specific.

http://img.nobodybuy.com/2010/12/22/hurricanedragonshoes/0x0_p1303973/handsewn-leather-boots.jpg

http://www.venice-italy-veneto.com/images/mens-dress-shoe-crockettJoneswestminster79.jpg

This being said I haven't seen many examples of boots where the quarter is stitched inside the vamp that have full bellows tongues, but maybe that's because I don't know the name for this style of boot (quarter inside vamp) and haven't been able to make exact searches. Is it because it's very difficult to make a full bellows tongue for this sort of boot?

[Leatherimages]

The ankle boots in the photos are Balmorals, and the shoes are Oxfords.

Without creating a whole new pattern, I don't see how these styles could be reproduced with a pleated-at-the-base tongue (which it seems it would have to be to produce a bellows tongue), and not have a big wad of leather atop the instep.

Both these designs have the quarters coming close together at the vamp, You'd have to change this in some way to allow for the base of the tongue.

I don't know how it could be done at all, much less with any degree of finesse.

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Paul,

That's what I was afraid of. I have sewn in the tongue, but as you said without quite the amount of finesse that could have been achieved without the bellows tongue. Oh well, it will work and I am not being paid to make these boots so they will serve as a lesson in how to handle future boots.

Thanks for taking a look and kind regards,

Nick