Skiving stiffeners

[ScottEnglish]

Hello to you all.

When skiving stiffeners, how thin should the edge be?

It is my understanding that traditionally vegetable-tanned belly leather is used for stiffeners. I am using chrome-tanned belly leather. If I skive the edges to a knife-edge, they are somewhat ragged in places. Not a problem at the toe, but certainly so at the heel.

Thanks.

Scott

[tozafoot]

Is there a reason you are using chrome tanned leather for your stiffeners? I use ~4oz veg tanned leather, and soak it for several hours after skiving: I take it out of the water, blot it so the surface is only damp, and then add it to the shoe on the last, between the upper and lining (I use a little Hirschkleber on both sides of it before inserting it). It gets sewn into place before it dries out completely, and when it dries (shrinking a little as it does so), it is stiff. 

re skiving thickness: I start the taper about a centimeter from the edge, and take it down to about a fingernail thickness at the edge.

I made my first shoes and boots this way in 2015, and the stiffeners are still going strong 7+ years later. E.g. see these boots with stiffeners at toe and heel:

[ScottEnglish]

Thanks for the reply tozafoot. I used chrome-tanned leather because it's what I had available.

I've looked at your website with interest having first become aware of it through your posts on this website. Like you I have an interest in foot shaped footwear with a flexible sole.

[tozafoot]

I’m not sure whether chrome tanned leather stiffens enough after drying from a thorough soaking to act as a decent stiffener… never tried it.

Re foot-shaped shoes with no heels and flexible soles. Nice to “meet” a fellow traveler! It amazes me that most of the footwear for sale in “the West” will deform your feet and ruin your health, but hardly anyone seems to care. Have you come across the Natural Footgear website ? They have some interesting articles about the importance of roomy toes, flexible soles and lack of heels, and some interesting photos and videos (e.g. of blood flow in feet with restricted and unrestricted toe room). They also sell footwear, although many of the brands they carry don’t have enough toe room IMO. And most of them are non- fixable once the soles go through. I did manage to resole some SoftStar Primal RunAmocs, though — those and Unshoes Uintas are the only thing I wear these days that I haven’t made myself.

Re my blog. I really should post some more photo essays of things I’ve made in the last couple of years. It does take a time to put them together though, almost as long as making the footwear! But now that I’ve made several pairs of welted shoes, some sandals, several kinds of unlasted shoe, I don’t feel as much need to chronicle stuff for myself, because I now know the ropes. Do you post photos / methods of the footwear you’re making @ScottEnglish?

[ScottEnglish]

Hi tozafoot. I've only just read your post. Thanks for mentioning the Natural Footgear website. I intend having a look at it.