The Crispin Colloquy

I think I have one. I'll look when I go to the shop tomorrow.

Thank you. I have also located a machinist who will cut one special if all else fails. Apparently, finding the 32 stitch per inch wheel is going to be the easy part.

Joanns Fabrics sells a quilt marking wheel that is very close but Im not sure of the exact spi.

cody

I have the sides and the big wheel to a commercial singer treadle, anyone know where i could get the middle?

Courtney

Courtney,
I have my 31-15 mounted on a table, atop an old Singer treadle, which includes the "middle". However, I am missing the axle, wheel and rod attachment from the treadle "pedal" to the axle.
Sounds like between the two of us, we have one complete outfit.
Mine was set up that way when I got it, and has been that way for many decades. It came out of Okmolgee Boot Making School in the mid 1980's. I'd love to make it back to a treadle. Maybe we can horse trad or...

Speaking of treadle stands, I also am the caretaker of a complete and functioning Short Arm Patcher Stand. It belongs to this old fellow who lives in the area, and he asked if I could sell it for him. I was hoping it would fit my long arm Adler, and well it doesn't, by like 2". Anyway I told him I'd try to find a home for it, if you know what I mean.

Please pm me at paul@noazleatherworks.com to discuss it.

Paul

Sent you a couple emails

Courtney

Where can one buy a feathering knife (the thing that looks like a french edger with one point ground off)? I could find it here. Does anyone have one they would be willing to sell? If so my email is atlasintschool@aol.com .

Thanks,
Cody

Goetz sells them, they are made by Tina. I believe there are a number of Goetz dealers in the USA, including O Baltor in SF. I bought mine from Euro Int'l in Florida, but I don't know if they still sell them.

Does Goetz have a website? I havnt been able to find anything on google.

Thanks.

http://www.goetz-service.com/web/home.php?lang=us&nr=2

I think you need to register in order to see the catalog. I'm not home, but I may have a PDF of the catalog. If you don't succeed in seeing it, let me know.

Barnsley also made a feathering knife. I have one of theirs. Colin Barnsley at Woodware Repetitions is picking up the slack since Geo. Barnsley went under, and may be reproducing the feathering knife. Much of what the original company made, but not every thing, is being made by Colin now.

Thank you both for the replys. Goetz does have a public catalog btw.

Cody

Goetz is out of business. I don't think anybody has taken there place.

You might also try Arford Enterprises in the UK. I don't have their catalog handy, but you could e-mail them.

http://www.arfordenterprises.co.uk/index.html

I'm confident that Tina still makes the knives, you just need to find someone who sells them.

Lance

Arford does have them. Just checked. Left or right handed.

When did Goetz go down???

Cody

And who has all their inventory now???

Cody

I've been looking for a source for heavy duty elastic in 6 inch widths for making Chelseas and other elastic side gore boots for some time now. I had some old stock on hand but worried that it would run out.

I just recently ordered some black and brown 7' heavy duty (may even be a tiny bit heavier than my old stock) from I Sachs & Sons in Chicago (thanks for the lead Amara). Telephone 312-666-0091 They also have 12"

It isn't cheap but it's real good and if you order even one yard of the 12 " you might get 3 or 4 pairs of chelseas before you need to order more.

Hello to all! This is my first post on the board. I have stalked for a bit, but now am going to jump in. I intend to pursue this as a hobby, and would like to start with a men’s oxford style shoe. I spoke on the phone with Lisa Sorrell, and she directed me to a number of shoemaking classes. While I absolutely agree that this is the best route to start, I am quite sure that my current schedule does not allow for such a long break. Also, the cost of a class, combined with airfare and a week’s worth of lodging/food is a sizable expenditure at a single time. So, I am going to not heed her excellent advice (at my own peril), and am instead going to read, watch videos, stalk this forum, and just try my best, knowing that my first result may end up as a novelty ash tray/doorstop.

My first step (no pun intended) is sourcing tools and materials. I have created a list of what I think I need below. If there is something I don’t need, please let me know—the same if I omitted something.

I hate buying cheap tools, but realize I don’t need the Rolls Royce of tools either as a hobbyist. Therefore, good bang-for-the-buck suggestions are preferred (sometimes, a little splurge here or there is ok, as I am a toolaholic). I would prefer used tools that were made in an era when quality mattered, if possible. Also, if you have an “extra” tool that you haven’t touched in a while since you found one that suits you better, or spare supplies, please send me a PM, as I would prefer to buy from a maker over a professional garage sale- to-eBay business.

Also, THANK YOU so much in advance for any help and suggestions you may have!


Tools
Inseaming awl: Suggestions? Source?

Pegging awl: Suggestions? Source? (I might make my own from a straight awl, per DW’s suggestion)

Edging tool: Suggestions? These seem to be inexpensive and plentiful

Hammer: Suggestions? Source? ( I really like the French style, just because it is a work of art, but if that is not the best route, please let me know!)

Lasting pliers: Just got one off eBay: 1887 Union witcher #2

Skiving knife – Tina 270 or similar seems good (open to suggestions) – O. Baltor has a similar style one made in Spain. Any input on that particular knife? (I am relatively decent with sharpening stones, as an aside)

Lasts – Good source for one or two last pairs? The shoe-last-shop.com “London” looks promising to me. Is this a reputable source/last?

I already own from other projects: Bone folder, edging tool, straight awl, rasp, strap cutter, hole punches, set of waterstones, and a thousand other tools my girlfriend wants to sell.


Consumables
6/11 pegs: Source? Panhandle Leather?

Barge cement: no problem sourcing this…

White goop between lawyers! : Don’t even know what this stuff is! Celluloid cement? (mashed potatoes + Elmer’s glue supposedly will work, but I am sure there is a better option!)

Nails (for attaching leather to last): type? Gauge?

Edging wax: type? Fiebings burnishing wax or Heel ball wax seems to be the ticket?

Sewing bristles: Source for boar? Or should I use monofilament? If so, what test, brand works well?

Tar for bristles: Source?

Materials
I would prefer to buy as few pieces of leather as possible – if I can get a single half bend that takes care of 60% of the parts, that is preferable to buying 15 different leathers. If it is more economical to get pre-cut pieces (due to my small volume of shoes made), then I can go that route too. Obviously, the fewer sources, the more I save on shipping, and the few pieces of leather, the less I paid for material that may not get used should I throw all my cordwainer’s tools and materials out the window halfway through my first attempt…

I am looking to source enough for one to two pairs of shoes. (this may be difficult to do economically, I concede). If I can get the following from only one or two sources, that would be great. Again, if someone from this board has a few pieces of appropriate leathers “laying around” that would suit my intended purposes, please do not hesitate to message me!

Insole: 8/9 iron insole shoulder - Source: Siegel of California, Contact: Steve Siegel

Welt: 8-9 oz. Horse welting strips, soft rolled – Source: Horween leather; Contact: Skip Horween
Is it acceptable to cut strips from a portion of bovine leather that I would use for other parts?

Outsole: type, weight, source? Rendenbach seems highly regarded. (I don’t want their mark on my soles though…)

Heel Lift leather: type, weight, source?

Heel Top leather: I assume this is the same as the outsole leather?

Upper : I will do more research on this, as the sky seems to be the limit.

Lining: What are the most common choices? type, weight, source?

Toe puff and heel counter: 5-6 oz. shoulder?

Shank cover leather: type, weight, source?

Metal Shank: source? Any relevant considerations?

Cork Filler: any relevant considerations? source?

Welt/Sole thread: Size? type?

Upper thread: Size? type?

WOW! That was a LONG post! Again, thank you for all the help!

Hi Everyone,

I am in need of help sourcing some JR Men's heels with rubber dove tail insert (size 42).
I need a pack and right now would give up my first born to get my hands on them as I have a backlog of customers waiting.
Seems no supplier I know of in Australia has them as a stock item.
Any help would be great. I would need them express posted.

Many thanks

Nathan

This will probably be of no help whatsoever but I make my own combi heels. All you need is a piece of the same leather you made your outsole of...providing it is good leather and a piece of vibram heel lift material that is the same thickness. You might even be able to hammer jack the toplift leather although I've never tried that.

There's a tutorial here, which might help.

One of the reasons I like this method is that the JR combi lifts will seldom match the outsole no matter how careful you are. YMMV...this may not be a big deal for anyone but me.

Who sells a decent old fashioned tan/yellow latigo boot lace?

All my supplier sells are Cadillac brand in blister packs now, and they are very skinny and very weak.

das wrote:Who sells a decent old fashioned tan/yellow latigo boot lace?

All my supplier sells are Cadillac brand in blister packs now, and they are very skinny and very weak.

Don't have an answer for that but you might check out this site--shoelacesexpress

They may be the best source of laces of all kinds and all colours in the US.

I seem to recall having read elsewhere of some difficulty in finding leather laces of a higher decent standard, with there being some suggestion of just cutting your own...
Time and effort of doing so aside, happy instead to send you over something gratis from any of these people if you are inclined to want to test them Al?

http://www.theidentitystore.co.uk/searc ... rch=LATIGO

or

http://www.bowstock.co.uk/acatalog/Lati ... _Lace.html

or

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180-cm-SADDLE ... 2c6e9b54be

Otherwise a cursory search otherwise came up with Leather Cord USA. I wonder whether anyone has tried them.,

http://www.leathercordusa.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?

Does it need to be Latigo? Alum tanned or Chrome/veg re-tanned? How about kangaroo?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOOT-LACE-AUT ... 3f2a0fc8a0

Best,
HNW

..and a Happy Christmas to all!

Hello all brand new to this forum and boot making . I'm looking for dressage patterns and last. If anyone has patterns I'd be happy to pay for them and a source for last would be much appreciated. Thank you have a blessed day!