Bootmaking books?

[dw]

Mack,

Al Saguto once told me that Golding, Thornton, Swaysland, Plucknett, etc., were all written with the understanding that they would be used in a context of apprenticeship...where the person reading the book would have a master/mentor to fill in the details.

Given the social milieu...where Guilds and apprenticeships were far more commonplace...that seems a pretty credible observation. I doubt that any of these books could be used to good effect in the absence of further and additional input or instruction.

For instance, I've never seen a thorough, comprehensive, or easily understood explanation of making waxed ends in any of the 19th and 20th century literature.

And the closest thing to a technique for doing heel seat stitching is in Hasluck...which is not only mostly about shoe repairing but if I understand correctly, is one of a series of monographs on widely disparate subjects--implying that Hasluck was not a shoemaker, nor a skilled craftsman in any of the other Trades he wrote about.

For me, I am glad that Golding and his cohort made the effort. Perhaps none of these books are the definitive word...probably they were never meant to be. But one thing is certain...they are, in many cases, all that is left to us of our traditions and an invaluable archive of techniques that otherwise might very well be lost.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

(Message edited by dw on June 13, 2010)

[dw]

Mack, all...

BTW, this is the company that found all my books for me. In England!

HP Bookfinders

He got me Leno, all eight Golding, all four Bordoli, all four Gresham, Plucknett and a signed copy of Swaysland.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

[john_ralston]

Are all 8 Volumes of Golding available in PDF? I see 3 listed.

Thanks,

John

[dw]

Three.

[john_ralston]

Thanks...I'll get to reading what's available.

[john_ralston]

Also, are the reprints worth buying?

[dw]

I think the reprints are worth every penny but I suppose it depends on what you're interested in...if you try to purchase a book (if it's even available) it will run a lot more than the reprint. Of course, the book will be a collector's item and a handsome addition to your library but if it's the information you're interested in and not the cover or the cachet, the reprints are more than adequate.

[john_ralston]

Thanks DW - wasn't sure if info was missing from the reprint, as it appears there is only one book available.

[carsten]

FYI, I just found an online copy of Max Sahm´s book. "Arbeits- und Fachkunde für Schuhmacher" posted here:

https://www.schuhmacherhandwerk.de/seit ... loads.html (An official website of the trade - where you can inform yourself about the master requirements in Germany)

more specifically, there a provided link takes you here:

https://daten2.verwaltungsportal.de/dat ... macher.pdf

It is an excellent book, very detailed and with google´s instant translation, that converts your cell phone to a see through translator, makes it IMO almost a sin to miss it - even if written in German.

Enjoy.

[dw]

Call me thickheaded...I've known about Max Sahm's book for years (I had a great grandfather named something-or-other Sahm) and I'm glad to see the link here to a copy in pdf format but I can't figure out how to get Google translate to convert it to English.

???

[carsten]

Well at least for android phones there is a google translate app. I guess for Iphones it must be available too. If it is not already on your phone, maybe you have to install it from the google play store, which should be by default on your phone. After installation you would select "German" ->"English" and you find a camera icon on the screen. Tap that and hold the camera of your phone onto the german text you want to translate. The phone scans the picture, translates it and displays it live on the screen of the phone. Works for a lot of languages - I think even other letters like Russian or Japanese. Its great for travelling abroad. Maybe it will work better on your printed book, because in the scanned version that I found, some words are merged together and the translation might struggle a little with that.

[nickb1]

the closest thing to a technique for doing heel seat stitching is in Hasluck...which is not only mostly about shoe repairing but if I understand correctly, is one of a series of monographs on widely disparate subjects--implying that Hasluck was not a shoemaker, nor a skilled craftsman in any of the other Trades he wrote about.

Forgive me for bumping this more than 10 years later, but Hasluck didn't write the books, just edited them. 'Boot making and mending' was written by someone called William Greenfield who "has spent his life at the craft of making and repairing boots and shoes, and is an acknowledged expert of obviously outstanding experience" (publisher's note p4). The Hasluck books were a series originally of "Amateur mechanic and work" handbooks, I think intended for people learning things in their spare time. For something over 100 years old I'm finding Hasluck relatively accessible. But it only takes one thing, from the myriad things that make up a context, that is no longer obvious from our current context, to get stumped!