[From Golding's 8 volume set, Vol. IV, Section VIII...originally written contributed by George Sabbage, I believe.]

SABBAGE'S SECTIONIZER FOR THE LOCATION AND DIMENSIONS OF FITTINGS ON LASTS

This Sectionizer is used for fixing the location of fittings for lasts from 2's to 11's men's, and gives the sizes of the patterns for the various fittings. It is built up by taking the foot's length and dividing it into eleven. It is then applied to the last by adding one-eleventh of the length of the foot at the toe-end for the extra length of the last beyond the length of the foot.

The usual allowance made in the trade for men's is three shoe sizes, i.e. 1 in., and for women's lasts two and half sizes, beyond the length of the foot. Yet a woman's 7's is the same length as a man's 7's.

We advocate the theory that the length added to the last should be gradual all through the scale, and, as already stated make the length of the last increase over the foot by one-eleventh of the foot's length. Compare this with the trade allowance. When a man's foot is measured by the size-stick and registers "8's" (i.e. 11 in.), we add three shoe sizes, and the last is made size 11's (i.e. 12 in.). Thus one-eleventh of the foot's length has been added and from this we get our 12 in. sectionizer. (See Fig. 3.)

If we take half of 12 in. we get size 6's infants', which is just 6 in., and is suitable for a foot measuring 5 1/2in.; one-eleventh of 51/2 in. is 1/2 in., the usual trade allowance used for that size. We always maintain that if we err at all it should be on the long side.

The "sectionizer" method guides us for adults by giving the greatest extension for the largest length of foot. For instance, if the foot measures size 10's in the size-stick, the shoe should measure size 13 1/16". Another advantage posssesed by the "twelfth" sectionizer for lasts is that when producing the sole area of a last we have fixed points for an ordinary foot that correspond with the elevenths of the foot, and therefore have more guide points for the different parts of the foot. We have also an approximate measurement of the longitudinal position of the various bones of the foot and this should guide us in the construction of sole shapes and in taking the measurement of the foot. As the extra length allowance is all in the front part of the last over that of the foot, the various divisions counting from the back of the heel of the foot and 1ast retain the same number, only on the foot they are elevenths but on the last they are twelfths--a difference of 1/132nd of an inch, which may be considered negligible.

When measuring, certain prominences of the foot should be located. The position for taking the joint is recognized as the junction of the second phalanx of the large toe with the first metatarsal; the joint is actually where the articulation of the two bones takes place. It is best to take the measure straight across, as if taken on the slant or oblique, different results would be obtained by different measurers unless the obliqueness was indicated. It is advisable to take a second measure one "eleventh" farther back on the foot, i.e. seven-elevenths from the heel. This gives the outside joint position and the rise of the lower instep--a position that the Americans term the waist measure.

Fig. 1 shows two scales, one for size 2's and the other for size 11's. Each scale is divided into twelve equal parts, giving divisiona that can be marked on the lasts 2'2 and 11's as a guide in determining the location and dimensions of the various fittings about to be described.

[This is part two in a multi-part copy of Golding's chapter on Sabbages Sectionizer]

Fig. 2 is a chart showing how the intermediate sizes from 2's to 11's are obtained, and the names of the positions hereinafter mentioned in the descriptions of the fittings.
To obtain this chart, draw lines parallel to the base and at equal distances from each other. The 12 in. scale of Fig 1 is marked on the lower or base line, and the 9 in. scale on the top line. By connecting similar positions on each scale, the intermediate sizes are obtained.

[This is part three in a multipart reproduction of Golding's treatise on the Sabbage Sectionizer]

Fig. 3 shows how the divisions are applied to the section or profile of a size 11's last, and this can be used for determining the locations of various fitting to be added to the last. For lasts differing in length from the 11's, the divisions shown in Fig. 2 can be used for the appropriate size of last.

[this is part four in a multi-part reproduction of Golding's treatise on the Sabbage Sectionizer]

Fig. 4 shows the sole of the last divided as in fig. 3.


The lengths of the divisions for the other sizes of lasts can also be obtained from the following table--

One-twelfth divisions increase by 1/36" per size.

Size	Length in Inches	One-twelfth Division
2	9"	3/4"
3	9 1/3"	7/9"
4	9 2/3"	29/36"
5	10"	5/6"
6	10 1/3"	31/36"
7	10 2/3"	8/9"
8	11"	11/12"
9	11 1/3"	17/18"
10	11 2/3"	35/36"
11	12"	1"

[And some of my own observations appended to the text]

The following is an image from further into Golding's Volume IV, that I think is relevant to the discussion. It depicts the foot sectioned into elevenths. In my own system of measurement, the high instep would fall at about the top of section 5, while at the same time the tape measure crosses the root of the fifth metatarsal. The low instep is found at section six while crossing the middle cuneiform. The waist is found at section 7 (or actually just a little behind section 7, at least on the lateral side) and the ball measurement is taken from section 8 on the medial side of the foot to section 7 on the lateral side.

I am in the process of ordering some lasts, and as part of that I've been revisiting the discussion of fitting lasts and Sabbage's sectionizer. So, I have some questions that I would love feedback on.

Measuring the foot: when I've been measured for a (shoe) last, the measures have been:

What I believe is called the joint, i.e. the girth around both the inside and outside balls of the foot.

The waist, i.e. the girth about 1 inch behind the joints.

The instep girth, which goes from the inside waist, up and forward over the top of the bone (cuneiform?) on the top of the foot, and then down and back over the bone at the outside of the foot. (i.e. from Sabbage section 5 on the bottom/tread line to section 6 on the top of the foot).

The short heel, from the bottom of the heel around the top of the foot where it meets the leg/ankle

The long heel, from the bottom of the foot over the same bone on the top of the foot and back around.

The throat/ankle girth, around the leg under the ankle bones.

Is my interpretation of how to perform these measures consistent with how you do this?

Further, in looking at Sabbage, he seems to also talk about measures that might be straight across the foot, rather than at an angle as the forgoing measures are; e.g. straight across/around the foot at section 6 (low instep), and straight across/around section 5 (high instep), and even perhaps straight across at the joints (sections 7 and 8). Does anyone use these additional measures, and, if so, in addition to or in lieu of the measures I described earlier?


Next, in measuring the last, I have a few more questions.

DW, in your description of the SH measure (on the last), you measure to section 6 from 1 length up the heel. So, where do you measure the long heel to?

Also, do you do measures straight across/around the last, for example the low instep and high instep (which I assume go straight around)?

Does the measurement of the "instep girth" go up/forward from section 5 at the feather line to section 6 on the top of the last?

Thanks in advance for any insights anyone can provide.

Lance

Lance,

Since my name was taken...surely not in vain ...I'll give my best shot at responding.

I think you are taking measurements in a pretty standard way although I do it a little differently, using a low and a high instep--corresponding roughly to Sabbage's section six and five, respectively. Look at the Sectionizer as it is applied to the foot rather than the last to get a clear and accurate idea of where these girths are taken.

Actually, Lance my short hell is measured from one section up the heel to section five...or the high instep. My long heel is measured from the same point on the heel to section six...or the low instep. I find that in a well balanced foot the short heel will be one and a half inches smaller than the long heel. But I don't go looking for that difference. It's simply there most of the time. Some feet will not be in that ideal proportion,of course, so again it's something to just be aware of and not striven for.

Measurements around the foot are sometimes different from around the last especially if you think you can hold the tape measure exactly the same. Plus, I use a tape measure on the foot and a dacron string on the last.

For instance, the ball measurement on the foot goes from joint to joint--a rough 15* angle; on the last these points can be located accurately so the measurement is taken pretty much from one joint mark to the other.

The waist is taken behind the joints at roughly the same angle and the last is pretty much the same except that the string just naturally finds the narrowest configuration unless you have built up the waist.

The low instep is taken over the middle cuniform, pretty much straight around the foot; on the last the low instep can be located with some accuracy on the dorsal surface of the cone using the spatial location of the middle cuniform as a reference point and the string crosses that mark but finds its own position under the last.

As for the high instep, the tape goes over the root of the fifth and between the middle cuniform and section four....on the foot. This would be section five. On the last, again, the high instep can be located on the top of the cone and the string goes over the mark and around the "cuboid" bump on the side of the last (assuming it has one).

Bear in mind that the empirical measurement of one section (let's assume, hpothetically, a size 9 foot and a section length of 2.4 cm) on a flat surface such as the pedograph will not translate to 2.4 ccm when it is transposed to the top surface of the cone. While each section may indeed be equidistant, a sectional distance of 2.4 cm on the horizontal baseline will probably increase to 2.6 cm (or more) between section marks on the dorsal surface. Remember, especially if you are making boots that Sabbage's Sectionizer postulates a shoe last with little or no heel. Whereas a boot last will generally have considerably more heel. Thionk of the Sectionizer as a two dimensional grid and then mentally superimpose the profile of the last on the grid--a very different look results, but to my mind still valid.

That's the way I do it...hope it helps...

PS...I reproduced Sabbage's Sectionizer from Golding as faithfully as I could (since then I've generated better illustrations) and it is pretty dern accurate. But I think that on modern lasts, the cone doesn't rise as far back toward the heel as Sabbage's illustration indicates--especially on spring loaded lasts. Practically speaking, what that means is that on my lasts, at least section four is in mid-air.

PSS...sorry this is so long. If someone else can explain it better shorter...have at it.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Dear DW, thanks a ton for these posts. I am going to read the relevant section in Golding very carefully. This is somewhat related to what I was asking you over email recently. As always, I am humbled by the amount of information available here.