Civil War Shoemaking

[Tmattimore]

D.A. & pablo thanks for the good info. I had planned on just lining the quarters but will now revise for a full lining the modern elastics could prove quite uncomfortable. I have some sample elastic from germany the catalouge is at the shop but I will post details tommorow. It seems like pretty tough stuff up to 120 mm wide. The ole 31-15 is definetly not up to the task I have a 151 post I will try some samples on tommorow or monday. My main concern is to keep them from looking like the charro botas coming up from down south. I am planning to mckay sew the soles as the original I have, but since the littleway can not sew with linen I may cover the out sole with a 6 oz. layer. I have a pair of bryant made early mckay slippers with a cover and have seen other shoes up to the 80's done thus. Adios Tom

[das]

Tom,

Glad you're going to try these. They are a cool boot. I'll be all ears on your elastic source in Germany too.

I really think you still ought to tune up a 29k-class Singer patcher so it stitches tight and regularly in it's 360 degree feed. BTW, you can get smaller needle sizes for Singer patchers than Adlers these days--down to Singer size #10 I think. Pilgrim has all the parts/needles. That machine will do nice "finish" work if set up right, and the 360 degree feed means it's easier to turn the bell-crank lever to walk the feed-foot methodically along edge of the cut-out for the elastic gore, than turning the work [quarters, gore, and lining] and getting it all to stay aligned right under a presser-foot or even a roller-foot.

They still make a good strong hard-spun cotton thread for shoe-repair that's a ringer for the old cotton twist for closing, but I doubt if it'll feed through the other sewing machines--a patcher will feed it just fine. Or, if you want to go whole-hog [$], try the 35/3 Barbour's machine twist linen thread for closing, from Windmill English Saddlery--very smooth stuff, but either way, cotton or linen, fill the little thread-lube/oil-cup on top of the patcher with 100% pure neatsfoot oil for thread lube, and use a size #21 or #22 Singer twist-point needle. Be sure to install the little felt thread-wiper though--that's what those two little holes on the left side of the top edge of the oil-cup are for--or you'll splatter neatsfoot oil all over. Stitching wet with neatsfoot seems a little messy at first, but the thread behaves much better, thick threads loop over the bobbin at each stitch-cycle with less effort [wear], and the little bit of oil that gets onto the work absorbs into the thread and leather, and dissipates very quickly leaving no stains. One old-hand I know soaks his wound bobbins [nylon thread] in motor oil [yuck], and another uses neastfoot oil as thread lube in his American straight needle for side-seaming cowboy boots with linen thread. And, seeing the oil-cup has been there on patchers for over 100 years--this is nothing new.

What kind of MacKay do you have that won't feed linen thread? I've got a nice old Landis chain-stitch MacKay--an 88--and it feeds 5 or 6 cord linen just fine, but you have to get the correct twist [left? right?], and use Solari's liquid wax [not thread lube]. Yes it's messy, but it will make a nice stitch. Just wrap the wax pot with plastic wrap in between uses to keep it from mothering, and clean the horn after each use.

Don't think I've seen these "cover" layers you're talking about. Most early MacKay'd work I've examined has been channeled in from the edge of the sole. There's actually a hand-cranked bench machine to do this, if you can find one, mine's a Champion brand. [There's also a hand-tool splitter that came with most MacKay's.] These both slit straight into the edge of the sole at whatever depth you set, creating a flap maybe 1/2" wide, or wider, depending on how you adjust the cutters. It then lifts the flap up at a right angle, and a groover blade then runs around under the flap and cuts a "U" groove into the sole proper. You stick on your sole, and run the feed-point of the MacKay in the groove so the stitches [chain] lay-up in there, flush with the surface. When done, run some Barge or other cement under the flap, and rub it down with a hammer handle to hide the stitching, et voila.

With time and wear [too often] these MacKay channel flaps come loose and lift up a little around edge, which gives the impression of a thin [4-5 oz.] layer that has been glued over the surface of the sole to hide the stitches beginning to peel up, but in reality it's just this wide flap of sole.

You sure those "covers" you're seeing are not just these channel flaps come loose?

[tmattimore]

I have one of the champion's also I use it on all my outsole work. It could be the cover is just the edge turned up or worn away. My mckay is a usm littleway originaly desgined for nylon thread and the factory reccomended lube was 30 wt oil. It does help keep the the whirl, shuttle, pinions, finger and toes well oiled but I have sewn 60 pair of midsoles on in two hours so it needs to be well lubed. I will try some oil lube for my adler patcher and see if that will get it done. Thanks Tom

[das]

Tom,

Glad you have the Champion groover/MacKay slitter. I was dreading being asked to shoot a jpeg photo of mine for reference, after I shot my mouth off about it

Unless I missed something, which is not impossible, I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts those "covers" you're seeing on old stuff are just edge-slit MacKay channel flaps that have peeled-up or broken off.

Not familiar with the Littleway MacKay. Is it chain-stitch? "The oil can is your best friend" with any machine, but I was talking about the thread. While wet the Solari's liquid wax acts as a thread lube. Only when it hardens up to its rosinous self would it cause grief. I hope your Adler patcher has an oil cup for the thread. My Adler doesn't *sigh*. At lest try the Adler for sewing the elastic gores. If it's a bomb, okay, I'll eat crow. My two Singer patchers are mainstays in my shop. I only use the Adler for "patching" [repairing], and am looking to sell it, frankly, to make room for another iron beastie that'll do finish-work. The Adler won't.

[tmattimore]

After looking I agree with you on the channel. The littleway is a high speed factory type machine desgined to use nylon and oil for thread lube. I bought it for many reasons but not least of all because USM is a descendent of the Mckay co. They had a real racket going with the lease bussiness but that too came from Mckay and Blake as they never sold a machine.When I had trouble with it I found a retired USM roadman and flew him out to repair it. He told me that the way he learned to repair the machine was they sent a new one to his shop with a guy from the home office and gave him 8 hours to completely dissasemble the machine down to the last screw and put it back together. USM's lease arrangment was that they did all repairs and provided all parts and if they could not get the machine running they would have production delays deducted from the lease. He said that had been company policy from the old Mckay sewing machine company days. He said it was a great job but that the company truly had the shoemakers by the sort and curlies until they were broken up in 1955.
As to the elastic I have samples from Jager TTC, 104 Pickering road, Rochester N.H. 03867 # 603 332 5816 product #24102 in widths from 12mm to 200 mm in 9 colors 20 meter minimum order since it comes from germany two to three weeks shipping.
I will dust off the old adler and give it try it does have the oil cup.
Tom

[das]

Tom,

Your Littleway sounds d-e-l-u-x-e. I've always coveted one of those old treadle-powered MacKay's myself--"cachunka-cachunka-cachunka" is about as fast as ever sew anyway. Anything faster than an awl and bristles is voodoo anyway. Did you know that if a human being travels faster than 50 mph, their blood might boil?

Interestingly, I have a buddy who still runs a bunch of old USMC machinery, and has the lease books. Every year they send a check off to USMC. I said "what you still doing that for...USMC is ja-bust?". Apparently not I was told, they still send out the lease payment books, or somebody does, so the "racket" continues even though there's no service left.

Many thanks for the elastic source. I'll give them a try.

Glad your Adler has the oil-cup. Don't forget to lash on the felt thread wiper pad, or you'll get oil all over everything. Happy booting.

[tmattimore]

If you want to hear a sad one I was told that when USM and Hudson merged this year they went thru the old warehouse and scrapped out most of the old machines, who knows what treasures hit the melting pot.
tom

[ken_irvin]

Hello All,

I am in the process of making another Issac & Campbell knapsack (English import ACW). I have recently examined another original pack and observed that the leather corners and the straps for carrying were all waxed flesh and I was wondering if anyone had a recipe I could use on 4-5 oz veg tanned leather to make the leather appear originally waxed. Does anyone do true waxed flesh in that light a wieght? I have heard Kellett is outta business, and I am holding on to the side I have for a pair of boots.

Ken

[tmattimore]

I have used a mixture of tallow,(sheep or cow)beeswax, and a little oil melted together slowly. 1lb of tallow 2 small cakes of beeswax and 1/4 cup oil. Some substitute parrafin. If you don't have a packing plant near by try a candle maker they may have a source. I use a large steel wall paper roller to work it in with and a steel slicker to smooth out. The trouble with much 4-5 oz veg is that it is cut from heavy hides and has little strength left. Ask for a hefier side. Also with much sweat you can work a 6-7 down to 4-5. I suggest the leather be damp or cased and almost dry.
Tmattimore

[ken_irvin]

Tom,

What kind of oil?

Ken

[tmattimore]

Ken
I use neatsfoot. It is not easy to get cod oil in the rockies D.A. may know of a source for something better. I had a very old can of whale oil that I used too use but lost it when I moved.
Tom

[dw]

Tom, Ken,

I tried my hand at this once upon a time...with fairly good results, given that this isn't really an all-consuming interest for me. I used Al recipe and as I say it worked out pretty good.

You can buy both cod oil and lanolin at:

On Target
PO box 480
Cortland, IL 60112
815.286.3073

They sell oils and greases for the trapping trade.

When I bought, a gallon of cod oil was $25.00 and a quart of Lanolin was $26.00. Make sure the lanolin is a grease, however. Sometimes what's advertised as lanolin is really a lanolin oil (what's added?) and not nearly as good as the heavy, waxy pure lanolin--that's the "wax" in waxed calf.

I also got a gallon of rendered beef tallow from them which I use to stuff my insoles prior to channeling and lasting. Keeps them from cracking and also makes for a better footbed.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[ken_irvin]

DW,

Could you share the recipe? I wouldn't mind giving this a try.

Also my dad just made a pair of wooly chaps and the wool seems quite dry, I was curious your thoughts on the lanolin from the purvyor above would that help the wool to lay down better? He cut them out with the grain but the hair seems abit unruly.

Thanks, Ken

[das]

Tom,

I published my waxed-calf recipe, and several historical variants, on the Forum some time back. It might be in the archived 'Forum I' on CD. Just another reason to buy one of you haven't already

[dw]

Al,

I was hoping you'd chime in here. In the move I put the recipe somewhere safe...only trouble is that at this late juncture, it's 'safe' from me, as well. And, of course, it is "your" recipe...


For them as can't afford the CD...or don't want to wait...Al's recipe is revealed in a series of posts he made to Gallery Gossip starting on May 21, 2003. Proof positive that reading The Crispin Colloquy...for *content*...can brighten your teeth and generate new brain cells.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[dw]

Ken,

As far as laying down the hair on the woolies...I can't really say but as you may know grey hair is much more unruly than the brown hair from which it sprang. How does this relate, you ask? I use lanolin to tame my mustache (which is now almost totally grey) and it seems to work for me. But you wouldn't want to put it on too heavy and once it was on, I'd leave the woolies out in a bright, hot sun just long enough to warm the lanolin up and allow it to be absorbed. Then while the hair is still warm, comb it out. Best I can offer...and it's all guessing.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[natasha]

I wonder if anyone would be willing to send me "samples" run up on your various antique machines. As an archaeologist, I only see bits that are sometimes difficult to identify, especially if the only source you have is a Xerox of a Xerox. They don't have to be complete specimens (better not), just scraps that you stitch on your McKays and others. I'd be willing to pay postage if you send them C.O.D. Thanks ever. I always learn a lot when I read the COlloquy, even if most of it is over my head. Pstscript to Tom Mattimore. Should be taking the photos of the zinc nailed shoes any month now. Send me an address. Regards, Natasha Williamson
Museum of NEw Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies PO Box 2087, Santa Fe, NM 87504 nwilliamson@oas.state.nm.us

[Jarnagin]

A trash pit has been found in Corinth this week that contained many leather items. Boot and shoes have been recovered from this pit in really great shape. I have seen the shoe but not the boot but the shoe are a little odd. These are a sewn sole shoe with wooden pegs holding the heel together. The shoes are all in the straight last pattern. There are no full pairs but they are similar enough to have been made at the same factory. This is a Federal trash pit.

There was a large leather bucket recovered as well. This bucket was made from very heavy leather with a copper band around the top and held together entirely by copper rivets.

My question is has anyone seen shoes from the Civil war period that the heel was entirely held on with wooden pegs?

Thanks

David Jarnagin

www.jarnaginco.com/leather%20definitions%20index.htm

[das]

David,

Well yes, kinda. I've seen 19th c. heels that were pegged w/o sewing, and some where only the pegs survive and you gotta look close to see the sewing stitch holes because the thread's gone.

Gotta run, Isabell's a-comin', and she's hungry.

[cmw]

Any and all

While in Leeds, I saw some civil war boots with a little horse shoe on the heels. Was this because it made for a more long lasting heel and possibly a shortage of parts.

CW

[stever]

Chris

The heel plate you described was not an issue item in the army from what I have been able to gather. Rather, it was a private purchase by the soldier. Based upon finds of shoes, boots in trash pits et. al. they were of limited use by soldiers as opposed to the almost universal use of them by modern reenactors. I would be interested in any contemporary documentation of any wide spread usage of them or even contemporary accounts of them being used.

Steve

[pablo]

Len,

Well, you're making me reach way back!

Joe Polinzi.. Dallas
Mitchell Britt .. Arl
Bernice Fletcher .. Ft W

That's it .. out of names.
pablo

[Len Boden]

Pablo,
I THINK it was Joe Palanzi..that seems to ring a bell.
Len

[cmw]

Steve

I can E-mail John Waller to ask for the the dep head for that part of the museum if you like. It might take a few days before he gives me a reply. He is a buisy man.

I think I have a bad picture taken through the glass. I'll try to opload it this wk-end.

My cup is empty now, so it's back to work.
CW

[Jarnagin]

I found this in reading a 1860’s tanning book and thought it might be of interest.

Selecting good hides for the manufacture of upper leather.

"In order to be good upper leather should have the following properties:--
1st, the pores should be very close, constituting its solidity. 2nd, the leather should remain pliant and not break easily in use. 3d, the leather should be water-proof, so that the feet may be kept dry in the dampest weather.

The following instructions should be observed in the manufacturing cow leather uppers possessing the above named properties. In choosing the hides such skins only should be selected as are of light weight, and whose exterior promises leather of superior quality. In the selection, attention should be given above all things to the hair; if it is a fine glossy, it is an evidence that the animal was well fed. The next point is the horns; if they are short and sharp pointed, then the animal was young. With regard to the flesh side, it should be as even as a glass and devoid of the bites of cattle worms. If otherwise the skins are free and thin, they may be considered in a suitable condition to be transformed into a fine upper leather."

The leather sold to shoe makers if it was not finished was called “white leather.” This does not mean it was white in color but did not have any finishing done to the leather in the currying process, but oil off.

David K Jarnagin

http://www.jarnaginco.com/leather%20definitions%20index.htm