miscellaneous tips, advice, and cautions

[paul]

Tex and Tmattimore,
Thank you for the replies. Tex, you refer to this style constuctiuon as too much trouble. Could you explain the parts that make you feel that way? It seems like it would be less instead of more, so I'd be interested in what you consider trouble, and what I might be missing. I certainly am one for finding out for myself, but your experience is valuable.
Thank you, PK

[Tex Robin]

PK,
I was referring to all of the cementing down of the lining and the vamp. They have to be made solid to withstand the re-soling you will be doing in a year or so. If they are not bonded down solid they will come apart in a very short time. The narrow thin welt method of making a ladies boot is easier and in my opinion more pleasing to the eye and it does have some welt protruding to protect the bottoms. Just my opinon. Try it both ways and decide for yourself..TR

[paul]

Tex,
I think I can see how that might be a hassel. Glue all over the teeth of your pincers. I will try it and have an opinion afterward.
So far I haven't been able to put my hand on any thin narrow ladies welt. The folks I've been ordering from only seem to have 1/8" thick mens welt. Where could I find some such as you're recommending?
PK

[tmattimore]

There is also the method of mckay sewing a midsole on and then gluing any sole you wish on that. you can trim as close to last as you wish and resoling just needs a heat lamp. If you keep your stitch line close to catch your upper. the shoe should last almost as long as welted construction. It does make a more rigid bottom then welted constuction and requires a full sock lining.

[Tex Robin]

PK,
I either run the welt through my splitter or use like it is with thinner soles...TR

[rosynay]

All:
Hope all of you skilled artisans will not fall out of your chairs laughing
at me but after having several pair of boots that fit everywhere but the heel
I made up my mind to find a way to tighten my boots in the heel. Some heel cushions threw my foot out of balance
but what worked and has made my boots
comfortable is this. Took a common thin foam rubber foot liner and bent it in the shank area . Placed several layers of moleskin which has glue on the back side over the bend for a tighter fit then placed the pad in the boot, heel first, and made sure the bended shank area hit the floor of the boot at the inside heel where it joins the counter. The pad was placed no further down into the boot than the heel area and this leaves the foot portion pointed toward the top and in my case makes a nice heel slide in the boot and does not throw the foot out of balance in the boot. I will trim the shape when I make sure the boots are tight enough and may even glue them in place.

The materials were obtained in the foot
care section down at Walgreens.

Hope my description is understadable.
RL

[Richard]

I would like to know what the best treatment for water proofing boots and general conditioner for boots. I made a pair of brown French calf boots, and the person asked me what they should treat them with. I was not sure how to answer that question. He lives in Michigan (snow & rain) and he wears the boots year around. I suggested a pair of rubber boots but that did not seem to go over very well. I mention that he should keep the salt off the boots by using salt remover. What is the best treatment mink oil, bear grease, or silicone for these boots? Any suggestions welcome.

Richard

[bultsad]

Richard,
One of the better waterproofers availible is Skidmores Beeswax Waterproofer. It's just soft beeswax that is applied and then you heat the leather with a hairdryer until the wax liquifies and absorbs. Two to three light coats and you are basically waterproof until it wears off. How often you reapply depends on how often you wear the boot and how wet it is. The way things are going here in South Dakota I imagine one treatment should last indefinitely. It has not rained since September.
Jim

[dw]

Richard,


Jim's advice is good, especially for waxy or oily boots. I used SnoSeal ( a similar product) for many years...until I heard they were putting mineral oil in it. I also use silicone waterproofer for dress leathers such as French calf--there's less build up and less dirt adhering to the leather. Of course, simple shoe creams such as Meltonian work passing well for dress leathers, too, if used regularly. After all, the main ingredient there is wax. For work leathers I prefer Monana PitchBlend. It's a combination of pine pitch, bee's wax and mink oil. Preserves and waterproofs all at once...AND makes your boots smell like pine rather than human--important if you are a serious hunter.

For simple conditioning, again, it depends a lot on the leather, but I use Lexol (brown) for conditioning dress leathers and a range of products for oily or work leathers. For these, I use Lexol Neatsfoot, or RM Williams Saddle Dressing, or the Montana Pitch Blend. Mink Oil will work but be careful it can go rancid if not rendered properly. Also be careful of Neatsfoot oil...much of it on the market is adulterated with petroleum oils or is synthetic--not good.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[jake]

Richard,

I like Montana Pitch Blend. They make it in a paste or liquid. I prefer the liquid.

Go here http://www.mtpitchblend.com/ to learn more.

[cmw]

DWF

Are there any problems with the silicone based mixes. I've been told that the silicone stops any future possibility of keeping the leather moist and pliable. We tell our customers to avoid it. Do you use it because it is more water-proof?

CW

[dw]

Chris,

I hadn't heard that. What are your sources? Just grapevine or do you have some literature or facts to support it? I'd quit using silicone in a minute if I thought that was true. But you know, you hear all kinds of things in this business...

At one point I was having trouble with the finish on some glazed water buffalo calf. When I complained to the supplier, I was told that the Lexol I was using, during and after crimping, was the culprit.

Unable to swallow that bowl of lumpy porridge, I called Lexol. They told me that they had not changed their formula in 40 years. Now someone was feeding me a line...but who?

Knowing that the leather industry is never satisfied with a good product, I inquired further. Sure enough, they'd changed the finish on the buffalo--faster, easier, less expensive...the same old story in every part of the Trade.

After nearly 25 years of using water buffalo calf they up and change the finish and want to blame someone else...anyone else but themselves. I've nearly stopped using it altogether.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[Tex Robin]

all,

I sprayed several coats of silicone on a pair of Wolverine laceups that wore to Southern and Northern Sweden. There was heavy snow on the ground and I hiked through the woods and some of it knee deep and the boots never leaked or got wet. I would wholeheartedly recommend silicone for waterproofing. And the Wolverine boots kept my feet warm in -35 degrees F. They are called Durashocks and they sell for just over a hundred bucks at Academy. I know it is getting off the subject but their Parka, which is way under the hundred bucks was so warm I had to take it off when I went in a building....TR

[Tex Robin]

All,
Good and bad news. I am now the proud owner of a Tor hammer(made in Sweden) gift from Janne but I am minus a brand new sharpened lipknife and the only explanation I have is that one of the inspectors removed it from my checked baggage on the way back. I had mailed two of them and some patterns to Janne in advance and should have mailed the knife back. I am glad that they didn't remove my Tor Hammer!....TR

[cmw]

DW

From what I understand from school and my boss the silicone stays with the leather to long to treat it from time to time and increase the lifetime of it.

I must admit thatI take thier word on it.

I have some ropers that I use for general nasty-day use. They are almost water tight. I use leather grease? because they are so thick.

On the subject of salt we tell people to wash them down with a thin dish-washing det. and water mix. It also removes most grease that comes from the roadside

Sorry about taking so long
CW

[Mike Strong]

Hi All,
Has anyone out there have any experience in making Polo Boots. Got a member of a team in Boise Id. asking if I would make him a pair. Is there any areas that might cause problems? The pair I looked at doesn't look to hard to make. Any insight to this kind of boot would be of great help. Thanks
Mike

[George Ball]

I need to stretch a pair of boots. Is there a liquid or formula for wetting them, or is water just as good as anything?

[jake]

George,

Personally, I use a water/"stretching fluid" combination.

I will probably take some heat on this technique, but I usually wrap the boots in plastic sacks for several hours to mull for a while. I do the same before I last a pair of boots too. Upon removing the boots from the plastic sacks, I may need to "spot" wet in some places. Then I use a modified last to stretch exactly where needed.

Hope this helps and you get some more feedback.

[cmw]

George

Water with a litle dish washing soap works great.
The soap acts like the fluid, it helps the water work it's way in. It's cheaper to.

CW

[xenon]

Mike,
You might want to start by going to www.fagliano.
com.ar.
They are the oldest maker of polo boots in the
world, and have photos of all their models on
their websites.
Most polo boots tend to be stiffer than a regular
boot; the leather tends to be heavier. The
Faglianos use only cowhide or cordovan.
A soft leather will transmit the force of impact
directly to your shin or foot (very painful when
an opposing player's stirrup iron hits your leg
at 30 mph). Most polo boots are only worn when
in the saddle, and tend to be more durable than
comfortable.
Virtually all the polo boots the Faglianos make
are either the "Texas" model or the English style
with a zipper down the front. The soles are
heavy and the heels are the "walking" type.
Toe shape is full round.
I would be happy to answer any other questions
you may have.

xenon

[Mike Strong]

Xenon,

Thanks for the info. I'll go visit the web site. I looked at some that say they are tripled layerd, does this mean that they are using three thickness of leather? What kind of money would one want to charge for pair of these boots? I've seen them from 500.00 to 1200 dollars. I'm sure that the boots this guy wants is the zipper type. Thanks again for the help.

Mike

[xenon]

Mike,
Well, triple layered means three layers of something, anyway. There are manufacturers out there who advertise mule hide polo boots, which
is, of course, false.

Faglianos use a very heavy brass YKK zipper. The
sole thickness on their boots is 10 mm and the heel height is 32 mm. The shaft of the boot is
about 5.5 to 6mm thickness on the inside half (which touches the saddle) and about 3.5 to 4 mm on the outside half. The shell leather and the lining leather is about equal thickness. They make an extremely durable boot.

Polo boots tend to wear out at the inside ankle
and the inside calf. The ankle rots out from the
horse sweat and the calf rubs through from friction against the saddle flap.

The traditional color is always tan, although
these days you see some darker tans and light
browns. I don't believe anyone has ever made
a pair of black polo boots...

The ultimate polo boot is the shell cordovan,
which is worn by most all of the ten handicap
players in the world today.

[natasha williamson]

Hey folks, just discovered your website. I am an historical archaeologist who was looking for information on pegging, and the Davey Pegging Machine. Noticed people were looking for a way to stretch leather. Here's an old dancer's trick that may curl your hair, but I have never noticed it to harm the leather. Instead of using water or soap, we use rubbing alcohol. It makes the leather "forget" its former shape (just like your brain!) and it will hold the new shape when dry, which happens very fast and does not significantly affect most color.

[tmattimore]

The Davey wood pegging machine company was one of the founding companies of United Shoe Machinery Co. in 1899. From all I have found out it used or had purchased the Sturdevant patents. I have a wood pegging machine manufactured in Italy that is a copy of a USM machine. USM catalogs show the machine dissapering around 1912-1916. As for pegging shoes you have come to the right place.
Tmattimore

[casetradeboots]

To All,

Not to change the topic from war, politics, religeon, or education but I have a question about bootmaking. DW, Tex, or anyone out there that can put forth an opinion on fitting diabetics will be appreciated.

As Tex knows, I spent a little time down in Texas with him and made a pair of boots. At the time when those boots were finished they fit pretty darn good. Since that time it has been determined by my doctors that the oral medication I had been using to conrol my blood sugar was no longer working. My pancreas was no longer producing usable insulin. As a result I am now subcutaeniously injecting insulin several times a day.

One of the symptoms of blood sugar being out of control is weight loss for no apparent reason. At the time I was with Tex I weighed around 190. I am now back up to 220 and those boots required some time on the strechers in order to wear them again.

My question is do any of you bootmakers out there use any different measuring or fitting methods for diabetics? It is my understanding that weight changes,up and down, for diabetics is common.

Thanks for any advice,

Floyd Case

P.S. Tex they fit good now and I been wearing them, glad I didn't make them out of shark!!