Sheilajeanne Report post Posted February 8, 2022 (edited) This is how you do it when you don't have fancy tools! It was especially interesting to see him using a miniature metal hook, similar to a crochet hook, to both punch holes and sew the layers of the sandals together! He must have very strong hands, and that hook must be really sharp on the end! https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=320176276730786 Edit: does anyone know how he applied the decorative pattern to the shoes? The video doesn't show that part. Edited February 8, 2022 by Sheilajeanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted February 8, 2022 45 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said: does anyone know how he applied the decorative pattern to the shoes? Probably in a similar manner as of those in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NljAni7tIkQ kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 8, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Sheilajeanne said: This is how you do it when you don't have fancy tools! It was especially interesting to see him using a miniature metal hook, similar to a crochet hook, to both punch holes and sew the layers of the sandals together! He must have very strong hands, and that hook must be really sharp on the end! https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=320176276730786 Edit: does anyone know how he applied the decorative pattern to the shoes? The video doesn't show that part. block printing they carve patterns in wooden blocks then use that to dye the product. Google it is is also how they do fabrics of all kinds. i am amazed all the time how these folks produce such beautiful stuff with the barest of tools. and the centuries old techniques. Love the way he uses his knife as a lever to cut that. Edited February 8, 2022 by chuck123wapati Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted February 8, 2022 (edited) And love he's using a scrap of broken glass to do the final edging and burnishing on the soles! No fancy stitching pony, either - just his bare feet! KGG, sewing machine embroidery? Hmm...don't think so. That machine he's using looks like a really old domestic - maybe an old treadle machine that's had a motor put on it. Okay, maybe one of the machine experts here could take a look at it, and let us know what they think...it seems to have no problem sewing the straps, but the leather on those isn't very thick. I went back and looked at that section of the video again, and I see a loose thread hanging off the end of one of the decorative pieces (3.40 on the video, and again at the very end of the video, when he's showing off his finished work.) I THINK it could be a crocheted pattern, done using fine yarn, then appliqued to the leather. The pattern looks like small circles knitted together. With the primitive sewing machine he has, that wouldn't be possible. So, maybe the women in the family do the decorative bits by crocheting or embroidering, and he attaches them to the leather. Edited February 8, 2022 by Sheilajeanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 9, 2022 would be a great video to post when someone asks what tools they need to do leather work LOL. Yes after i put my glasses on i can see its not printed too. amazing work. chakwali chappal is the name of the sandal from what i gather from the comments they are pakistani Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scoutmom103 Report post Posted February 9, 2022 (edited) Thanks for sharing. That was amazing the beauty he created with minimal tools. The old cast iron sewing machines (esp. singer, or singer based) are great. Nothing fancy, but wonderful stitches when they are cleaned up, and they can be on a treadle, hand crank, or external motor. Parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Edited February 9, 2022 by Scoutmom103 still working on 1st cup of coffee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted February 9, 2022 It is always fun to watch a master at work. The lack of "nice tools" didn't hold him back whatsoever. Not even a stitching wheel, he just eye-balled the spacing and it is great. It is a good reminder that your ability isn't necessarily limited by the quality of your tools. But if you're not blessed with his abilities, then good tools will help. Thanks for sharing that, it made me smile! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 9, 2022 7 minutes ago, Tugadude said: It is always fun to watch a master at work. The lack of "nice tools" didn't hold him back whatsoever. Not even a stitching wheel, he just eye-balled the spacing and it is great. It is a good reminder that your ability isn't necessarily limited by the quality of your tools. But if you're not blessed with his abilities, then good tools will help. Thanks for sharing that, it made me smile! that stitching tool is pretty cool looks like he is basically doing a sewing machine stitch by hand, the needle just doesn't hold the loop like a machine does. I guess after a few thousand stitches you would get pretty good at eyeballing the spacing. Sometimes with better tools our work improves but do we really improve? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted February 9, 2022 1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said: that stitching tool is pretty cool looks like he is basically doing a sewing machine stitch by hand, the needle just doesn't hold the loop like a machine does. I guess after a few thousand stitches you would get pretty good at eyeballing the spacing. Sometimes with better tools our work improves but do we really improve? That's exactly what I was thinking, a manual sewing machine. Regarding our craft, leatherwork, I think most of us can appreciate the level of craftsmanship attainable with rudimentary tools. But not many of us would want to trade our high end equipment for a piece of broken glass. As far as whether better tools have any correlation with our own skills improving, I'd say they definitely can. One example that jumps out at me is skiving. Better knives equal better skiving and a bell skiver even better results. Sure, you still need to understand how to use the tools properly and there are learning curves to anything new. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 9, 2022 44 minutes ago, Tugadude said: As far as whether better tools have any correlation with our own skills improving, I'd say they definitely can. One example that jumps out at me is skiving. Better knives equal better skiving and a bell skiver even better results. Sure, you still need to understand how to use the tools properly and there are learning curves to anything new. I agree you would get better results with better tools. If those new better tools were taken away could you skive better? lol. My example that man can lay out a near perfect stitching line, if you gave him a 100 dollar set of chisels and somehow convince him that the time wasted using them would net better results and let him use them for a year or two could he go back and still create that stitching line without them? Would his stitching lines improve? Or replace that worn out old knife with an expensive head knife would it make his cuts better? Some things i think are obvious that they help others not so obvious. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted February 9, 2022 26 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said: I agree you would get better results with better tools. If those new better tools were taken away could you skive better? lol. My example that man can lay out a near perfect stitching line, if you gave him a 100 dollar set of chisels and somehow convince him that the time wasted using them would net better results and let him use them for a year or two could he go back and still create that stitching line without them? Would his stitching lines improve? Or replace that worn out old knife with an expensive head knife would it make his cuts better? Some things i think are obvious that they help others not so obvious. Good question. I imagine going backwards to lesser tools would result in a steep drop in quality. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted February 9, 2022 1 hour ago, Tugadude said: Good question. I imagine going backwards to lesser tools would result in a steep drop in quality. He has likely been doing this all his life. I think if he had to go back to lesser tools (his original tools), the muscle memory would still be there. It might take him a little while to get the strength back in his hands, though - can you IMAGINE hand punching holes through that sole leather all day long? Mucho respect for this craftsman! And I would definitely buy a pair of shoes from him! They would probably last longer than anything available here in Canada! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samalan Report post Posted February 9, 2022 I would end up stitching my toes together or something else fun to watch though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted February 9, 2022 Samalan, LOL! Me too - I'd certainly be poking a few holes in them! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 9, 2022 1 hour ago, Sheilajeanne said: They would probably last longer than anything available here in Canada! yup and they ( shoes available in Canada) are made with the best most modern tools and materials. So that is why i asked the question lol using the best tools doesn't necessarily make that quality happen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted February 9, 2022 Chuck, they're probably made with modern tools, but done in foreign sweat shops... And yeah, dubious quality... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted February 9, 2022 1 hour ago, Sheilajeanne said: He has likely been doing this all his life. I think if he had to go back to lesser tools (his original tools), the muscle memory would still be there. It might take him a little while to get the strength back in his hands, though - can you IMAGINE hand punching holes through that sole leather all day long? Mucho respect for this craftsman! And I would definitely buy a pair of shoes from him! They would probably last longer than anything available here in Canada! I wasn't referring to him. I was referring to a normal leatherworker who is given better tools and then they are taken away. I'm suggesting that much of the benefit goes away with the tools. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 9, 2022 14 minutes ago, Tugadude said: I wasn't referring to him. I was referring to a normal leatherworker who is given better tools and then they are taken away. I'm suggesting that much of the benefit goes away with the tools. I'm sorry i have to put my money on the man not the machine. Quality comes from the human element more than anything. You can buy a clicker press and make a perfect product in shape, but it still wont enable you as a person to learn or acquire the experience and skills to cut out that same product by hand better. It also wont necessarily make the product better quality but it will look perfect in shape, be cheaper to make, and be faster to do. On a global scale he is probably just as much of a normal leather worker as your vision of one. lol. Its a big world lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted February 10, 2022 wonder where a guy could get the sewing needle he uses? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted February 10, 2022 29 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said: wonder where a guy could get the sewing needle he uses? He probably made it himself out of a steel nail. It almost looks like a metal flatten sharp headed crochet needle. kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcuk Report post Posted February 10, 2022 (edited) Maybe of interest, this stitch looks like the stitch that is achieved with the speedy stitcher. Here is a video that may help with your quest for some of similar tool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5HuDCxAUUw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2UPOmhnwQA Swiss Army knife a bit rougher though. Hope this helps JCUK Edited February 10, 2022 by jcuk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billybopp Report post Posted February 10, 2022 1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said: wonder where a guy could get the sewing needle he uses? That's a jerk needle. I have several but never used them. They came with cheap brass awl hafts that I bought on ebay. As for a glass scraper, I've seen a number of cordwainer/cobbler videos where they have used broken glass rather than a knife of some sort to scrape the edges of soles, despite having otherwise "normal" tools. Not sure why, but it seems to be a common practice! - Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted February 10, 2022 Tandy sells a glass burnisher, so it's definitely not a new idea! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billybopp Report post Posted February 10, 2022 1 minute ago, Sheilajeanne said: Tandy sells a glass burnisher, so it's definitely not a new idea! Yes . But what he's using isn't a burnisher .. that has a smooth edge (and works great!) ... These folks use the sharp edge of a broken pane of glass! - Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted February 10, 2022 I know, billy, and it does double duty - edger AND burnisher! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
