Patterning the old way when the CAD is just too hard

[bullmoosepaddles]

Just read this. WOW. Great work Sir. Thank you for the insight.The croc skins are gorgeous. But not nearly as much as the bags they became. Awesome talent you have. I understand the memory issues.  Some days it seems I search for the thing I am working on more than work on it. 

Go well 

Gene    

[RockyAussie]

14 minutes ago, bullmoosepaddles said:

I understand the memory issues.  Some days it seems I search for the thing I am working on more than work on it. 

Thanks for the kind words Gene and don't you just get a bit cranky when like yesterday ya spend 2 hours searching for a little pattern piece to only find that it was where it should be all along? I'm still working on the 3 remaining croc bags taking generally 3 pics to get 1 that looks ok. Should be some new stuff to load soon now I hope.

[alexitbe]

Beautiful work!

 

I note you mention the method of taking a pattern from a last....  Have you ever made a shoe?  I am thinking of trying it myself and even have a last ready...  Just fear starting the project..

 

Cheers

Alex

[RockyAussie]

1 hour ago, alexitbe said:

Beautiful work!

 

I note you mention the method of taking a pattern from a last....  Have you ever made a shoe?  I am thinking of trying it myself and even have a last ready...  Just fear starting the project..

 

Cheers

Alex

Hi Alex, I have in the past made many custom made shoes or more precisely shoes for problem feet. That is about 10% of the population unfortunately. Although I was pretty well equipped I was spending more time measuring feet and taking orders than the time it took to make them. I could not get any staff with any sort of experience be that I even advertised throughout Australia for nearly 3 months. Still got most of that machinery packed away but I found the leather work angle was far easier and affordable to train people and a lot of the same machinery is used. Anyway that,s all history ...What sort of shoes would you like to make? Post a picture here of the style of shoe and the lasts as well and I'll try and lead you through a pair. Fear of starting is always the biggest problem.  

[RockyAussie]

On 16/07/2018 at 5:28 PM, dikman said:

I think I'll stick to holsters (I can barely do them!). That croc looks amazing on the finished product, Brian.

I;d love to do some croc holsters but I don't ever seem to attract them customers. I might have to find some time to get down to the rifle range and ....who knows!!!

 

On 17/07/2018 at 6:48 AM, gigi said:

Thank you very much Brian for posting the tutorial and for the value you add to this forum!!

Hi Gigi,

 

great to hear from you...especially as your saying all that nice stuff and all as well. I hope to see some of your fantastic work here soon...

On 16/07/2018 at 7:52 PM, RedDun said:

Someday it might not take me hours to wrap my head around putting a simple bag together... Someday.   :-) 

I say the same thing every time I do one still

[alexitbe]

1 hour ago, RockyAussie said:

Hi Alex, I have in the past made many custom made shoes or more precisely shoes for problem feet. That is about 10% of the population unfortunately. Although I was pretty well equipped I was spending more time measuring feet and taking orders than the time it took to make them. I could not get any staff with any sort of experience be that I even advertised throughout Australia for nearly 3 months. Still got most of that machinery packed away but I found the leather work angle was far easier and affordable to train people and a lot of the same machinery is used. Anyway that,s all history ...What sort of shoes would you like to make? Post a picture here of the style of shoe and the lasts as well and I'll try and lead you through a pair. Fear of starting is always the biggest problem.  

Dear Brian,

 

Now I am embarrassed with my"have you ever made a shoe?" question.

Thank you very much for your interest and kind offer of help. I have been trying to find a shoe maker in Germany to help me make one, but people only seem to repair shoes. Would you prefer me to post a picture of the last on this thread or send it by PM?  In an ideal world I would like to make a monk shoe, but in reality I would like to make the easiest style to make.

 

Thank you once again.

Alex

[plinkercases]

if you do a shoe thing please start a thread we can all follow along and learn from!

[alexitbe]

11 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Hi Alex, I have in the past made many custom made shoes or more precisely shoes for problem feet. That is about 10% of the population unfortunately. Although I was pretty well equipped I was spending more time measuring feet and taking orders than the time it took to make them. I could not get any staff with any sort of experience be that I even advertised throughout Australia for nearly 3 months. Still got most of that machinery packed away but I found the leather work angle was far easier and affordable to train people and a lot of the same machinery is used. Anyway that,s all history ...What sort of shoes would you like to make? Post a picture here of the style of shoe and the lasts as well and I'll try and lead you through a pair. Fear of starting is always the biggest problem.  

Hi Brian,

 

As you suggested I have posted the pics here, but can remove it tmrw if you prefer (I think it might be best).  I have two pairs of lasts I can use.  The wooden was for golfing shoes and looks like something has been carved out at the bottom.  It has the measurements 295 mm 24.5 cm, 25.7 cm and F35.5, if that means anything to you.

The other pair are brand new, with nothing done to them.  Both are my size.

I look forward to hearing you opinion.

Thanks

Thanks for your time.

Alex

[billybopp]

6 hours ago, plinkercases said:

if you do a shoe thing please start a thread we can all follow along and learn from!

Yes please!!  I've been toying with the idea of making shoes too!

- Bill

[RockyAussie]

9 hours ago, alexitbe said:

I would like to make the easiest style to make

Good idea. I think we should start making a pair in a new post though. I will need to finish these bags I'm working on here first so give me a week to line up some stuff and we will get into it. Please advise me what tools and machinery you have available...lasting pliers etc. Nice looking lasts BTW.The scalloped out section on the wooden ones is strange to do that to a last but would have been done to give a metatarsal lift for one of them common foot problems.

[alexitbe]

Hi Brian,

 

Thank you very much for your kind offer of help...  I look forward to trying to make some shoes with you.  Its very exciting...  I will be counting the days...

 

With regard to the tools: I have lots of hand tools including lasting pliers, awls, files etc.  Over the last 3 years I have slowly been collecting shoemaker's tools in order to be able to finally make some.  Actually, half of the tools I have no idea what they do... :). If we find I don't have what we need I will buy it asap.  I have a walking foot machine, a patcher and a Frobana sole stitcher and a skiving machine.  I hope that will be ok.

 

All the best.

Alex

[johnv474]

Alex,

I saw the offer to help, but just in case you find it useful, there is a series of videos on Youtube by a guy named Andrew Wrigley. He makes a pair of dress shoes from scratch using only hand tools. The videos can be lengthy but I learned a lot.

If you do make these shoes I'd love to see a devoted thread... no matter how they are turning out. We can all contribute and learn.

-JohnV474

[YinTx]

On 7/14/2018 at 4:48 AM, RockyAussie said:

Well, took longer than I expected for this to show up on Ebay... I must say the original is still much nicer looking!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Men-Originale-Leather-Crossbody-Bag-Petto-Vintage-Casual-Shoulder-with-All/273147739469?hash=item3f98dfbd4d:g:L-sAAOSwdHtasWXL

YinTx

[Rockoboy]

That copy on eBay is really cheap and nasty looking. I wonder if the hide is pressed PU leather? It looks like plastic to me. Maybe its imprinted leather of the cheapest possible type. Either way, it's not 5% of the value or appearance of the @RockyAussie original!

[YinTx]

22 hours ago, Rockoboy said:

That copy on eBay is really cheap and nasty looking. I wonder if the hide is pressed PU leather? It looks like plastic to me. Maybe its imprinted leather of the cheapest possible type. Either way, it's not 5% of the value or appearance of the @RockyAussie original!

Agreed.  And even though I know mimicry is the ultimate compliment, it still always saddens me when it happens because the deceit is unscrupulous.

YinTx

[Rockoboy]

1 minute ago, YinTx said:

mimicry is the ultimate compliment,

It is when its done for the right reason and with a good attitude. I would think somebody is knocking these bags out at cheap prices to make money for themselves. No honour in stealing some other person's design without paying respect.