The Crispin Colloquy

Gary,
No joke with me. I was on an overnight fishing trip once and we didn't catch nary a one of the fishes so we shot an armadillo and had him for breakfast. It is very good but a little unappetizing to skin one of the critters....TR

Jake,

If you find a long-handled peg float with one of those swivel-heads, back out the screws that hold the face on just a bit, then take a short length of heel scouring paper--80 grit--and carefully fold it over the front and back of the float face so you can insert the ends under the block fore and aft, like attaching paper to an electric sander. Then re-tighten the screws, and you have a super-fine insole sanding tool too.

Gary,

What? The PETA people after you now? Are armadillos a protected species? Can you make boots out of armadillo too? Maybe we should lobby Congress to lift the ban on armadillo harvesting then

Hey, armadillios taste good. On the half shell they are a delicacy here. As far as boots, well, they would be a bit stiff, but would look pretty impressive...

And nope, they are most certainly NOT protected.
They can be found all over I-35 (their preferred habitat, it seems) (oh, and I do mean ALL over it...), and their natural predator is the wild Kenworth.

One last armadillo note. The joke was the size, I was insinuating -HUGE. PETA after me? I'm a walking oxy-moron. I hunt, ride,castrate, dehorn and brand animals. I work with their hides. I also teach science and am a "suuthern" Baptist. You would think I am one confused character.

Gary,
Nothing wrong with being a Suuthuhn Baptist. I er wun too. But hey you are very close to the line up there in Northun Texas, almost one uh them Okies. I guess we are a little off the track here...OK ...Boots...Yeah Armadillo boots. Somebody has already done it, I think...TR

Al,

That's a nifty idea! Thanks Partner!

My peg float for shoes, an old hand-forged one. The haft is not original (it had none when I found it).

Gary,

All sounds about right--fer a Texan

This is real beauty! I don't know how old it is but they don't make any tools this nice and haven't for a long time. This is a peg wheel. It has a doubles set of marking wheels on one side adding up to 10 pegs to the inch, staggered very nicely, thank you. The other side is a single wheel at i think either five or seven to the inch. The "axle" is adjustable in or out so that you can set the distance from the edge of the sole. Swe-ee-et!

BTW, photos take a long time to load so I have to archive this topic a little more religiously. The photos and posts are *not* gone.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

These are rhan files or perhaps you call them rand files? In any case the two on top are quite old and actually are my favourites. (BTW, for some reason my email program only recognizes the British spelling of favour and colour and such--rather than fight it, I just go with the flow ) The files themselves are a series of sharp edges.

The middle file is a Barnsley of fairly recent vintage...25 year old?...and the bottom file is a German version bought from the Goetz catalog. It has a very fine rasp surface--almost like a fingernail file (which is what I use it for occasionally).

Rhan files are used to level the heel seat and will remove material right up to the surface of the counter cover.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Hammers...here are a series of my favourites. On the left is a Hammond 00 shoemakers hammer (sometimes called a Crispin, I believe) with a mirror polished face. All time favert!

On the right is a Barnsley London Pattern. I really like this style of hammer in certain places...the pane is thin and set on the hammer in such a way that it makes it easy to drive leather into the outside channel.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Hammers...here are two more I'm really fond of...

On the left is a German pattern Hammer made in 1909. Classic shape and beautifully balanced.

On the right is a "Frommer Pegging Hammer"... ie. an common, not very expensive or collectable, french hammer--with the multiple curves--which I cut down and extensively reshaped in order to make it suitable for pegging. The face of the hammer is about the diameter of a nickel and checked. the long peen allows me to peg in the shank and waist of a pair of boots and the small face prevents hitting everything but the peg.



Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Hammers...this is a beatdown hammer. It is used to shape, compress, and conform sole leather to the bottom of a last and somewhat like a sledge hammer when building heels.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Hammers...this is what is called a "flounder" or a closer's hammer. I have polished the dickens out of mine. It is really good on the layout and assembly table and I use it while crimping to chase wrinkles as well.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Two more...

These are "ticklers"--at least, that's what my teacher called them--or, more correctly, I suppose, "stitch pricks."

They are used to separate and tighten outsole stitching, leaving that distinctive series of marks that you will see on the welt of fine quality boots and shoes. The mark goes in between each stitch. Sometimes a "fudge wheel can be used to simulate stitch pricking but except in diligent hands, the fidge wheel ends up not quite lining up between each stitch.

The top one is an antique and very sweet. The bottom one I made from an old bolt back near thirty years ago--copying one my teacher had.



Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

OK! Here's the mystery tool and then I'm done for the night...

This is a burnishing tool of some kind. I know it needs to be stuck in a handle. Salaman makes reference to these but no one seems to know exactly how they were used. It was made in the US. Maybe someone out there has seen it used by their teacher or has knowledge of it.

Can you identify this tool?!!


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW,

I call it dividing the stitches. Some bootmakers use a screw driver , but I have a pair of pliers that my Father made. Works much better than any push divider or stitch prick...TR

Tex,

Just out of curiosity...and for the ages...could you please explain how you do that with pliers? I'm not "seeing" it.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW,

Of course they have to be modified. The jaw of the bottom half is smoothed up to make it slip around the bottom of the sole. then you narrow down the top half to about 3/16 of an inch. After that you grind an angle on both sides of the top, which is now a blade. Got the picture now? Sure beats having to push and you get the marks more even in depth. You can use a piece of leather on the bottom of the sole to keep from making any marks..TR

DW
That looks to me like a prehistoric fudge tool. Before the wheel was discovered.
Jim

Jim,

[chuckle] I guess you're right. But I've used both and my reflexes just aren't fast enough anymore to control the wheel.

Tex,

Got it. That does sound accurate. I bet I'd be as clumsey as a peg legged man in a gopher warren with that method, though. I guess it's true...you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I like it though. Thanks.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW,

This reminded me: what about the first string of photos on the Gallery? As new ones come on, the old ones disappear to save space obviously, but do they still exist somewhere accessible? How can we see them if we want to?

Tex,DW
I learned to use a pair of garden scissors to divide the stitches. They already have a flat base. You have to take the sharp edge off and grind enough down where the gap is just a little less than the sole. I picked mine up for fifty cents at a trades day.

Al,

Far as I can tell they're all there. There is an archive just as there is here. Your black oxfords are there, my grey ladies balmorals, your 18th c. tall, men's boots, with the burgundy collar, Peter Hormans lace-ups, Marc's medieval sheos, Janne's black wing tips....

It's interesting to go look at them again.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

B