The Gentle Craft

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hugh

Re: The Gentle Craft

#51 Post by hugh »

Much obliged to Al, and DW. The BalkanBoot speaks volumes.
erickgeer

Re: The Gentle Craft

#52 Post by erickgeer »

I don't think this belongs in this topic, but it has to do with construction.

I have a pair of what I think are Military motorcycle boots. The closest I have seen to these are I think WW 1 flying boots, but mine are only (I'm guessing) 12". They have the imprint "Indiana" with an "Indian Chief" head profile - on the rubber sole. I have wondered about these boots for years, I have never run accross this stamp on the bottom anywhere else. They are made from a very heavy "pebble grain" leather, with a single 4' wide strap above the laces (not a lace protector). What got me really curious was that they apear to be goodyear welted AND fully pegged.
I know pegged soles are stiffer, and you want a siff sole on a motorcycle boot, but this seams kind of overkill - was this normal?

If it merits it, I can take pictures today, and post them.

Thanks,
Erick

(Message edited by erickgeer on June 04, 2004)
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dmcharg
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#53 Post by dmcharg »

G'day Al,
Trying to find an apropriate spot to write. Sent a couple of e-mails to you a couple of months ago (not able to get to the library much, if ever, at the moment) about the boot and drawings I've sent over, wondering what you thought of it? I'm wondering if I've been mucking things up and sending it all wrong so they haven't been getting to you.

I would greatly appreciate your comments.

Hope I can check this again in a sane amount of time Image

Cheers
Duncan
bill_bolen

Re: The Gentle Craft

#54 Post by bill_bolen »

I would like to trace the history of the closed toe twin bar t-strap shoe (English Sandal type with two horizontal bars). I am new here--hope I'm in the right place. Marc Carlson suggested I post a message at this board for guidance.

I have traced the design back in time through newspaper ads to 1900-1905. The earliest photo image I have is of a five year old boy born in 1893, in Kulm, North Dakota of German ancestry. I also have a photo of a 3-4 year old boy with plaid dress that appears to date from the 1870s or 1980s. The image is not too clear, but appears to show him wearing t-strap shoes with two horizontal bars fastened by buttons on each side of the shoe. The photo is from Germany.

Can anyone here provide any information on this subject, or steer me in the right direction? I don't know how to post pictures here, but can send images to anyone via e-mail, if anyone is interested.
Eimear O'Connell

Re: The Gentle Craft

#55 Post by Eimear O'Connell »

Hi - I wonder if anyone can help me... I'm a Conservation student currently writing a 'materials and technology' assignment based on a pair of (i think) eighteenth century ribbon-tied womens shoes - pointed toes, vandyked tongues, silk brocade covering, waisted heels... I'm finding it reasonably easy to locate information on developments in shoe style and fashions but more difficult to find anything useable on manufacturing techniques. Basically what i need to know is exactly how such a pair of shoes would have been constructed, from raw materials to finished product. Any information anyone can give me, or any literary/web-based resources you can point me in the direction of, would be very much appreciated. Many many thanks in advance!
das
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#56 Post by das »

Eimear,

I know just the item, if you can cope with French: 'l'Art du Cordonnier', by M. de Garsault, Paris, 1767, in an multi-volume work titled 'Descriptions des Arts et Métier's. A facsimile reprint was issued by Slatkine, in Geneva, CH in the 1980s, and you might find that through inter-library loan. It's in volume 16 of the Slatkine facsimile, which is titled 'Les Arts du Cuir'. It has pictures and text. If you can wait, I'm hoping my English translation will be published not too far from now. Good luck.
catti

Re: The Gentle Craft

#57 Post by catti »

Dear D.A.Saguto--HC,

I have just read your email of more than a year ago in which you mention your English translation of L'Art du Cordonnier. What News?

I have just spent several hours surfing the HCC site and just want to say:

Thank You All Very Much!
das
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#58 Post by das »

Catriona,

Thanks for asking. Here's the latest:

'Art of the Shoemaker' has gone to our museum's publications department, and is in the hands of the book designer as we speak--it's "in production" IOW. I can tell you this, it's planned to be 8 1/2" x 10" cut size, 256 pages, 78 color plates, 20 B&W, hardcover--and it's a dandy cover too--a 1720's jewel encrusted ivory figurine on the front, and another on the back cover. As soon as they give me an estimate on a "release" date, you all will be the next to know. Stay tuned.

The body of the book is my English translation of M. de Garsault's 1767 treatise, but it includes via annotations, appendices, etc., a lot of shoemaking material from 6 or 7 other 18thc. shoemaking texts in French, German, and Italian from 1745-1790. There are plenty of glamorous antique shoes and boots illustrating it, as well as antique shoe tools, so the effect should be something between a "big costume" book and a "big tool" book.
catti

Re: The Gentle Craft

#59 Post by catti »

Dear D.A. Saguto,

Thanks for your reply. Very exciting news, I will look forward to the publication.
FYI: I went to the British Library yesterday and looked at one of their 1767 folios of the Art du Cordonnier. They have a copy service both in situ and online. (You probably know this already). Disappointingly, their collection of publications on boot and shoe making is very meagre.

Best Wishes
marc
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#60 Post by marc »

And just as an amusement for everyone -- the following is from

# Dutton, William Henry. The Boots and Shoes of Our Ancestors as Exhibited by the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers. London: Chapman and Hall, 1898.

No. 485 on Plate XIII.

"No. 61. “Cordwainer’s Last Mystery.” An entire shoe made without a wood or iron last, without a seam. There is no opening in the top. The upper is one piece of leather quite seamless; the shoe is otherwise properly made. The question is—How was it sewn without a last? At the Cordwainers’ Exhibition in 1895, where it was the object of great interest, being viewed by a large number of practical shoemakers, the mystery was solved by Mr. Kenwood, who made one similar to it."
3732.jpg


I *think* I can do it... I'll have to try it

Marc
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#61 Post by kaspar »

Hello all
I am new to this forum... and concearning the boots that Mr.DWFII posted (cowboys from Balkan). I have been collecting old footwear (pre 1945) some 2 years ( I am not an expert or something like that) and here is the first pair that got me into collecting old footwear. I got these from an antique shop in Brno, Czech Republic. The dealer said they are dancing boots from Belorussia around 1900, called "Shrnovaćky". They have fancy decorated heel. First I thought there are wooden pegs fixed in the heel but when I got home and cleaned the old shoe cream off the heel...they were actually copper nails. The shank is stitched and pegged.
4572.jpg
4573.jpg


(Message edited by kaspar on November 22, 2006)

(Message edited by kaspar on November 22, 2006)
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#62 Post by kaspar »

Hi
One thing has puzzled my mind a quite a time. The famous feathered shoe made by Pierre Yantorny. First I thought that the feathers(1,5mm long, some bird from Japan) are handstitched to the upper, each one separately. But that will be quite "insane" work when seeing how smooth and well lined they all are and the pair of shoes took 6 months of work. Maybe the shoe is made from the leather of that bird. I marked the places where might be a joining point of different leathers. In my opinion. Or the feathers are glued somehow?? Does anybody have information or an idea about this? There is also very little material in the web about Yantorny and his work. There is also a exhibition of Yantorny´s work in the Ville de Romans
[url=URL]http://www.rhonealpes-tourism.us/articles/museum/exhibition/drome/the-world-s-most-expensive-boot-maker-is-in-romans-368.html[/url]
4595.jpg

Cheers
Kaspar
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das
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#63 Post by das »

Kaspar,

Welcome to the HCC Forum. Those are some lovely shoes you make. I asked June Swann about the feathered shoe on the off chance she knew something about it. Here's her reply:

"Yes, the Yantorny feather shoe is in the Romans Yantorny exhibition no.35
and illustrated p.11 and described in the catalogue:took him 6 months to
make the pair, solely as art object to see how far one could push
shoemaking: feathers from Japan, each about 1 millimetre & 1/2. The page of
his Journal reproduced does not say how he did it - why would he give away
secrets? - though length of time taken suggests each feather attached
separately.
Catalogue 'review' as soon as I have time, the stack now 10" high.
June"
kaspar
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#64 Post by kaspar »

Hi D.A. Saguto
Thanks for the reply. Havent been around some time- busy at the school and with shoes. Hmm... interesting. I have allways been skeptical a bit, when comes to the attaching each feather separately. Then he must have worked day and night to achieve such beautiful and precise work within 6 months. But persons who have access to his masterpieces and have studied them, know the best. Anyway I`ll take my hat off, this is awesome work. And thank You again for asking June Swann about this.

I wish Merry Christmas to ewerybody also.
All the best from Estonia.
Kaspar
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#65 Post by kaspar »

But concerning the "64 stitches to the inch" that makers from Northampton were famous. Did these shoes only served the role being exhibited in the shows or where they also meant for walking? I mean is this kind of seam durable when taking tension? 2,5 stitches to one millimeter. Image
Any thoughts?
And does anybody have information about this or have some photo evidence? D.A. Saguto, maybe June Swann can help. Maybe she have photos (if they are for public eye) or other information? Would really like to see what will be this seam be like. I remember in one book was a picture of a shoe that was some-kind of a prize winner- concerning stitches,but stitches done by machine.

Cheers
K.

(Message edited by Kaspar on January 12, 2007)
das
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#66 Post by das »

Kaspar,

I have only seen that sort of super-fine stitching on "prize work", that is boots and shoes made for exhibition in 19thc. trade shows--not for wear. The highest stitch-count I recall off-hand on worn goods is in the 20-30 stitches per inch range.

Hope that answers your question.
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#67 Post by kaspar »

D.A. Saguto
Thank You. Well I asked around and also answer was that only trade and exhibitions.

K.
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#68 Post by kaspar »

More pictures of Belorussian boots. Shank seems to be stitched also to the channel visible. And ornamentation done with fancy wheel.
4787.jpg
4788.jpg
4789.jpg


The outer side of the boot. Side seam ends at the top/edge of the picture
4790.jpg


Inner side has seam that goes all the way to the top of the bootleg.
4791.jpg


(Message edited by Kaspar on February 04, 2007)
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#69 Post by jesselee »

Hi Kaspar. Your boots are wonderful. Is the shank really stitched as well as pegged? Can't see the stitches, or can you only see them on the inside? Interesting heels with the square copper nails! Hmmmm... That was on the Mexican pair (round though) that I am copying for a gal right now. Nice designs and all. Gotta think how I can make square copper pegs! Are the boots hand stitched or machine sewn??? I would love to copy them. All my bespoke work is repros of old pre 19th. century footwear going back to just before the War for Southern Independence (Civil War). sometimes there is artistic licence. Well I do use Barge and modern dyes. Have made my own dyes, used Rye flower glue, wrapped flax threads, made my own pegs and used REAL, old timey Oak/Hemlock tanned leathers I have gotten from my Amish buddies in upstate NY. The old ways are just as easy as using bought glues and dyes. In fact I find they give 'Gentle' a whole new meaning.

Was it you who mentioned 64 stitches to the inch? Not a practical form of stitching, but it can be accomplished as can replicating the feather shoe, IF you have learned those mysteries...

Anyone have Finches???? Send feathers and I'll do a demo... It's an old technique, and the shoes are wearable.. Again it's a 'Mysterie'... Like a magicians trick, once it's shown, no longer a secret. But there is 'A' specific technique to it.
Thats why it takes so long.

Ok, first the shoe is made, as any other shoe. Then a very, very tiny needle awl (which will break, so you have to make MANY of them) is used starting at the top of the shoe.
You push holes in the leather, very close, emulating how the bird grows feathers.
Then each feather tip is glued and each feather gently pushed into the hole (which is the size of the feather shaft, with very fine tweezers...
Hope this helps. Same thing was done with fine hairs also.

64 to the inch is much the same mysterie.. THINK SMALL, be patient and anyone can do it, just as being taught any trick.

BUT we have always guarded the Mysteries, because they are valued as 'art' to us. and during the times of the Operational Trade Guilds, these Mysteries were imparted only to those who had the dedication. Much like Masonry.

Jesse
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#70 Post by kaspar »

Jesse
I took some time to look these boots over again. All stitches are machine work. Even the counter stitching that is usually done by hand with larger thread. The coppernails are approx 9 mm long ( I took one out from the cracked heel). And they go smoothly thin and sharp at the top. Like tacknails.

I did not feel and see the stitching from the inside. only found one bunch of old yarn inside. Wonder why the channel is in the shank?

About the 64 inch. I made two awls. Though they are approx. 0,02 mm thick/wide they won´t do the trick- I can still feel the sting Image They pierce quite thick and heavy leather quite well. And also must make stitchmaker for those. And to buy magnifying glass to see the stitchholes.

Have You done 64inch work already?
Thanks for the feather explanation. You have tried it Yourself?

Cheers
K.
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#71 Post by jesselee »

Kaspar

I am amazed that the stitching is by machine? Chain or lockstitch? Must have been a pretty rich bootmaker to afford a machine in those days.

Interesting copper nails. Wonder if you can still get them?

I never used 64 to the inch for any practical purpose. I would use examples to tease the apprentices and make them think. I never told any of them or showed them how it was done, and never will. Done it several times when I would lose the piece I made previously.

Have done the feather technique also, on a pair of boots for a theater. Also on a purse wallet I think it was, very small using Finch feathers. It's pretty durable if done right.

Jesse
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#72 Post by kaspar »

Hi Jesse.
As I can understand its lockstitch.

Cheers
K.
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#73 Post by jesselee »

Kaspar,

Do you do your lockstitch by hand? I love the chainstitch, either by hand or by machine. It's a very forgiving stitch and wonderful 'chain-out' for outer decorative work. back stitch is very pleasing for this also.

I'll see if I can do up pics of the stitches for you.

jesse
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#74 Post by kaspar »

Jesse,
I do by hand/machine lockstitch. Hanent done chainstitch nor seen the machine that does. Off course welt and sole are...different, hmm what`s the stitchingstyle called there?

Anyway I will post some old footwear that I have gathered in ca. 2 years. Its not much and I hope this is the right place to post them. If not, please move. The first pair that started that collecting "illness" are these boots posted above. After that, well if I have seen something and the price is affordable then....
Hope y`all like them.
Cheers
K.
From 1930`s factory made men`s and women`s felt boots, stitched sole. These were very popular then
4810.jpg
4811.jpg


Folktraditional women`s slippers. Style is called Muhu slippers. According to where this kind of embroidered slippers came- from island Muhu.
4812.jpg


Peasant made clog using German Army`s camouflage material. Done after the WW II
4813.jpg


more to come...
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Re: The Gentle Craft

#75 Post by jesselee »

I have pics up of my work in progress which is a Mexican style boot made in 1872. I have the original drawings, plans and details. Also an interesting story/legend.

http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t273/JesseLee_bootmaker/

I can't send pics here because for some reason I can't save any pics on my computer.

These will be done in a few days. I will post more of the in progress as well as the finished boots.

Jesse
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