Boot/Shoemakers News

Was your Grandfather (or Grandmother) a shoemaker? Perhaps an Uncle? Or maybe just someone you knew and remember from childhood. Tell us the story.
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gcunning
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Boot/Shoemakers News

#1 Post by gcunning »

Brian, anyone,
I heard that James Leddy's place burned. Do you know anything about this??
Tex Robin

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#2 Post by Tex Robin »

Gary,
Where did you hear this ?...TR
Tex Robin

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#3 Post by Tex Robin »

Gary,
If something like that had happened it would be the first thing on the 10:00 Abilene news. It wasn't. So who started this rumor?....TR
fletch

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#4 Post by fletch »

Perhaps there is some confusion with the fire at M L Leddys in the Ft. Worth Stockyards last month. I was in James Leddy's shop 1-29-03.
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gcunning
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#5 Post by gcunning »

My father-in-law read it in the paper. He doesn't know that there is any difference between the two.
He heard me talking about James Leddy and Alan Bell and said he had read where Leddy's had burned.
Thanks Mark it must have been M.L Leddy.
That's why I said "Does anyone know about this"
I figured some one would have said something if it had been James's.
Thanks again Mark for the clearing that up.
rileycraig
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#6 Post by rileycraig »

All,

A few months ago an establishment called "From the Hide", about a half block from M. L. Leddy's at the Fort Worth Stockyards, burned down. Just recently M. L. Leddy's caught fire...I haven't been over there and have no idea what the extent of the dammage was. I will attempt to reach Gene tomorrow and get more information.

Good Bootmaking,

Riley
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#7 Post by paul »

Can someone please tell me where the HCC gathering is? It's the weekend of October 25th and 26th, right?
PK
tomo

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#8 Post by tomo »

Not sure if this is the right vehicle, but I'd just like to send my heart felt best wishes to the people affected by cyclone Catrina. I don't know if any of our forum participants hail from that area, but I'll bet some of you know people who do.
Out thoughts are with you.
T.
shoestring

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#9 Post by shoestring »

Tom & others

As my family is scattered out and I can not locate them thanks for your thoughts(N.O.)home town. Thanks

Ed
das
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#10 Post by das »

Anybody have any current information on David Ross MBE, formerly at www.rossboots.co.uk, in Uffculme, Cullompton Scotland?

Frank?
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#11 Post by tmattimore »

I think he closed his web site his fax used to be
01398 332473
Tom
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#12 Post by jesselee »

What are these contests I keep hearing about? I accessed one site. It didn't seem to have a lot. I would enjoy going to one and seeing all the boots. I reckon there is no catagory for 1800's cowboy boots.. Odly enough, one would think that the working cowboy would still wear them. Seems to me they are a sturdier boot.

Jesse
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#13 Post by hidesmith »

Just a quick bit of humor - I didn't know where else it belonged.

Penny and I don't watch TV. We have no cable and rabbit ears only work on the old TVs. As a result, we have a somewhat extensive video and DVD collection, which the rest of the family sometimes take advantage of.

My brother was looking through our collection recently, and was amazed with the fact that I apparently have a famous double. He looked at the front of a vidio and commented, with surprise that the guy on the cover looks JUST LIKE me! The resemblance is uncanny!

He brought the vidio to show me - it was the video of the HCC annual meeting at Sturbridge. I was just as amazed as he was, and told him so. Then I drew his atention to the rest of the vidio case, and it turned out to BE me. I'm not sure if he was relieved or disappointed, but I had a bit of fun!

Bruce
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romango
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#14 Post by romango »

The local newspaper, The Register-Guard, here in Eugene, Oregon just did a very nice article on my shoemaking business. Maybe I'll have some real customers soon!

http://www.romangoshoes.com/in_the_news/
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homeboy
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#15 Post by homeboy »

Rick,

Congratulations! Now get ready for the phone calls. This is the way the ball starts rolling.

Once again, Good for You!

Jake
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dw
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#16 Post by dw »

Rick,

Great to see you getting the attention you deserve.

I was interested in seeing your shop and noticed the "pin rack ala DW" in the background. It seems like it is up pretty high...for me. Do you last, and so forth, standing up?

I read in the article that you have a whole library of lasts. I didn't know that. Are they a recent acquisition?

Yeah, like Jake said...get ready. Also raise your prices...soon! Don't do like I did and get backed up so that you find yourself, somewhere down the line, making shoes for prices that are two and three years behind the cost of living. Image


Tight Stitches
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#17 Post by romango »

Thanks DW,

I will raise my price soon. I won't let myself get back into more than 6 months at my current rate.

I have a sit down inseaming jack just like yours. What difference does it make how high the pin rack is. We only use that to keep the shoe out of harms way between steps, right?
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#18 Post by dw »

Rick,

You're right...it doesn't make any difference. A lower pin rack combined with a sit down inseaming jack offers convenience and accessibility...nothing else.

The photo in the article shows you standing up...presumably pegging. And with the high pin rack behind you I just assumed that, for convenience and accessibility, you might be inseaming and lasting standing up.

Thanks for the mention, BTW.

Tight Stitches
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romango
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#19 Post by romango »

Oh, I see...

No, actually I'm sitting in the picture. Guess I just get excited when I'm pegging and there is a photographer lying on the floor and it look like I'm standing. Image
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#20 Post by dw »

Rick,

Are you really sitting? I just looked at it again and I guess I can see it now that you mention it but if I blink and look at it again, it can go either way.

Tight Stitches
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relferink

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#21 Post by relferink »

Rick,

Nice article. The journalist did get most of the story correct, should we start an email campaign to explain the correct meaning of inseaming or should we let this one slide?

Better get ready for some new business. Thanks for putting Cordwainers in the public eye and in your paperImage.

Rob

By the way, what are you pegging? Just some loose pieces of leather or is there a shoe attached that doesn't show up in the picture?
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#22 Post by romango »

Hey Robert,

I show up well in the picture but the shoe heel I'm pegging doesn't. Rest easy, it's there.

Good eye catching one of the few errors int he article. The others were perhaps dating of my machines. But that would be my error. I don't really know the decades where some of these older machines held sway.
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#23 Post by mac »

Rick,

Great article! I like how much information it gives to the public. I think it will keep you busy for a while. The people of Eugene could really get behind the idea of bespoke shoemaker.

No idea you were from Eugene, either. One of my favorite places in the whole world!!! I'm a track guy from way back and fondly remember running on the bark mulch trails during spring training camps and some of my best performances at the track when I was in High School and University... Maybe I'll have to make some kind of excuse to come for a Tango lesson or yoga class next time I'm in OregonImage

What kind of Toga do you teach?

Sean
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#24 Post by das »

Rick,

Congratulations! Your rise to stardome... Next stop Letterman or Leno, eh? Make some shoes for a celebrity, and you're all set dude Image
marcell

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#25 Post by marcell »

Rick, Congratulation!

I am sure you will get more customer from it.
It would be good to hear this kind of news more frequently about each other.
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