The Gallery

This is a photo gallery for members of the forum. Here you can share photos of your latest work for members to view. Like an Art gallery, however, where the exhibits come and go, photos will be deleted on a regular basis to save room on the server. Beauty, like Art, is fleeting.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
homeboy
6
6
Posts: 410
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:00 am
Full Name: Jake Dobbins
Location: Mountain View, AR
Has Liked: 111 times
Been Liked: 30 times

Re: The Gallery

#1176 Post by homeboy »

WOW! They turned out nice!

Jake
What one man has done....another can do.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1177 Post by dw »

homeboy wrote:WOW! They turned out nice!

Jake
Thanks, Homey. I thought they turned out OK.

But if you click on the bottom photo and then click on it again, the waist in particular really shows its stuff.

And Bob's your uncle. :cool:
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
Footsupport
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2013 2:49 am
Full Name: Lucy Gibson

Re: The Gallery

#1178 Post by Footsupport »

romango wrote:The gray leather is from the bargain table at Oregon Leather. It is undoubtedly cowhide, 1mm thick and medium stiffness. Most leather shops I have been to seem to have an upholstery, garment and saddlery focus. Usually too thin, thick or rubbery. So, I am always on the prowl for leather of a good thickness and stiffness for shoes. The lining is pigskin liner from Tandy Leather Factory in Portland. It's OK but a little inconsistent to use. I'm looking for something better.

The heel is 1 inch. It is crepe (I believe that is what this thick, lightweight black stuff is called), built up much like I would do a stacked leather heel. The heel lift is heavy duty Vibram. I would not use this crepe for a customer as the attachment to the shoe is glue only. I do use it for test shoes because it is quick and easy to cut and shape. Since these are just for me, I don't mind the less than robust heel attachment.

The last is a cast last. I've yet to adjust or make a wood last that fits as well as this one. But I would like to be able to. I believe I get a superior short heel fit with a cast than I have been able to achieve by adjusting wood lasts.
5093.jpg

How do you make those cast lasts?
User avatar
romango
8
8
Posts: 854
Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:40 pm
Full Name: Rick Roman
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Been Liked: 8 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1179 Post by romango »

My second attempt at stitching patterns. I learned a lot on this round. Also, on the advise of Paul Krause, I skant skived the vamp and heel panel. That does give a cleaner look. But I like it un-skived too.
sm_DSC_5071.JPG
sm_DSC_5070.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
paul
8
8
Posts: 1038
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:00 am
Full Name: Paul Krause
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Been Liked: 14 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1180 Post by paul »

Alright Rick. Way to go.
Five rows, pretty impressive. Not too bad a job. Only by doing does one begin to discern the distance each row must go beyond the neighboring row. I'm sure there's some kind of axiom for that, I just don't know what it is. Stitched tops are not my specialty.
The skived edges look pretty good. A little neutral polish rubbed in with your finger will lay for the flesh down and clean it up even further. I've even applied a swath of edge paint along that edge, on the flesh side of the vamps to settle the fleshy fibers, and give a little color to what shows.
I wear a crepe layer on my heel bases. I put it down first, and then build with leather lifts the rest of the way. Good shock absorber. You have to be careful doing too much crepe or using Cloud crepe, as it can compress and could cause a twisted ankle. I haven't done it on a customer boot yet either, just my shop boots.
Enjoy wearing these.
Paul
paul
8
8
Posts: 1038
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:00 am
Full Name: Paul Krause
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Been Liked: 14 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1181 Post by paul »

Seems I was a little confused on the heel bases with the pair you showed previously, 'Scuse me.
User avatar
homeboy
6
6
Posts: 410
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:00 am
Full Name: Jake Dobbins
Location: Mountain View, AR
Has Liked: 111 times
Been Liked: 30 times

Re: The Gallery

#1182 Post by homeboy »

They look good to me Rick Ol'Boy! Keep'em coming!

Happy New Year!
What one man has done....another can do.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1183 Post by dw »

Not my work but worth looking at...(these are tiny pins or nails)
japanese pinwork.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1184 Post by dw »

Another Japanese creation. Esp. interesting to me is the stacked leather heel...as opposed to a plastic heel covered in leather. (As always click on photo for larger view)
intaglio_decorated_boots.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
paul
8
8
Posts: 1038
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:00 am
Full Name: Paul Krause
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Been Liked: 14 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1185 Post by paul »

Remarkable indeed!
Those tiny pins! Incredible!
And that is an impressive heel. No doubt hand built!
Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.
Very inspiring!
Paul
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1186 Post by dw »

paul » Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:25 am wrote:Remarkable indeed!
Those tiny pins! Incredible!
And that is an impressive heel. No doubt hand built!
Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.
Very inspiring!
Paul
Without overstating, I think, the best of the English trained Japanese bespoke makers are probably setting the standard for refinement and attention to detail, today. It may only be a matter of time before we start seeing 64 to the inch from them.

I don't know of any western shoemaker who is even in the same league as the top tier Japanese makers. I suspect that the center of gravity has shifted...East.

Not to take anything away from the best English, French and Italian makers--it just seems to me that they're just too focused on making money to take their shoemaking beyond that point where it is at least marginally profitable. There's no profit in pinwork.

That said, the shoe with the pinwork is probably (almost certainly) unwearable. That many pins, that close together, will make the outsole break up if the sole is flexed. It's exhibition work...something we in the West don't do much of anymore.

As for the heel work, I've played with it a bit...I hate the machinations one has to go through to mount a heel on a woman's shoe--tucks, screws, plastic--and it is a challenge esp. if one is determined to avoid using nails. You almost have to map out the profile of the heel prior to actually beginning so that you don't expose the pegs (or nails) when you begin shaping the heel. There might be a better way of doing it, such as building and shaping the heels first and then deconstructing it before actually mounting it, shaped lift by shaped lift on the shoe. But I don't know what would be gained.

Maybe...if I can find it...I'll post a photo of my latest attempt. But don't expect too much, I'm not at the level of that Japanese work.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1187 Post by dw »

As promised:

fitter's model, 1-1/2" heel, toplift about the size of nickle...
DSCF2820_2.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
User avatar
homeboy
6
6
Posts: 410
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:00 am
Full Name: Jake Dobbins
Location: Mountain View, AR
Has Liked: 111 times
Been Liked: 30 times

Re: The Gallery

#1188 Post by homeboy »

Those are nice looking fitters! Looking forward to seeing the final product.

It's always inspirational to view your work! DON'T QUIT! :clap:

Adios, Jake
What one man has done....another can do.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1189 Post by dw »

Here's a couple of photos of the shoes I used for the photo essay on channel stitching.

Women's Adelaide shoes, 1-3/8' stacked leather heels, burgundy kangaroo slip bead, black cherry rub-off ostrich leg vamp, black kangaroo counters and facings.
DSCF2946_2 (1024 x 768).jpg
DSCF2948 (1024 x 768).jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
User avatar
homeboy
6
6
Posts: 410
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:00 am
Full Name: Jake Dobbins
Location: Mountain View, AR
Has Liked: 111 times
Been Liked: 30 times

Re: The Gallery

#1190 Post by homeboy »

Sweet! :thumb:
What one man has done....another can do.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1191 Post by dw »

Picked this photo off another forum--the photographer is Daniel Wegan and I think...don't know for sure...the boot is in the Lobb Museum.

"Handmade prize-winning dress wellingtons from 1853, featuring 53 stitches to the inch on a slim, small leather welt!" -VRavio
53-stitches.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
paul
8
8
Posts: 1038
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:00 am
Full Name: Paul Krause
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Been Liked: 14 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1192 Post by paul »

:thumb:
Remarkable! Thank you for putting this up.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1193 Post by dw »

Just came across another photo of these boots and some additonal information...

The boots were made for the Great Exhibition in 1851, in the Crystal Palace in London. The maker was John Nelson Hefford a shoemaker from Derby. He won a prize medal for the boots.

Also I was mistaken about them being a Lobb's...they are at the Northampton Shoe Museum(for those going that way).
Pair of beige and black leather dress Wellington boots. They have a wide flat square toe with a low stacked heel. Galosh in black leather with shaped top edge. Leg in beige leather with side seams piped in red. Front of leg decorated with appliqué design in black leather and coloured silk (now missing) of crown, national emblems, crosses, stars and scalloped border. Back of leg decorated with scrolling pattern. Beige leather boot top band. Wide ribbon loop sewn to inside of top at sides. Its leather sole has a domed waist.
Hefford53spi (1280 x 1024).jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
paul
8
8
Posts: 1038
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:00 am
Full Name: Paul Krause
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Been Liked: 14 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1194 Post by paul »

Just beautiful. Any idea why the silk didn't survive?
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1195 Post by dw »

paul » Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:08 am wrote:Just beautiful. Any idea why the silk didn't survive?
I don't know...silk seems to survive better than other natural fibers but it is natural and organic. If silk moths make silk are there other moths that eat silk?

Just guessing and guessing probably doesn't add much...
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
User avatar
amuckart
6
6
Posts: 344
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:45 am
Full Name: Alasdair Muckart
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Been Liked: 5 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1196 Post by amuckart »

I'd say the red in the crown etc. is the silk. You can see that it's degraded on the right hand part of the crown on the right boot (the one on the left of the picture with the pair). It might not be missing completely, just damaged.
User avatar
dw
Seanchaidh
Posts: 5830
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 1997 10:00 am
Full Name: DWFII
Location: Redmond, OR
Has Liked: 204 times
Been Liked: 122 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1197 Post by dw »

amuckart » Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:21 pm wrote:I'd say the red in the crown etc. is the silk. You can see that it's degraded on the right hand part of the crown on the right boot (the one on the left of the picture with the pair). It might not be missing completely, just damaged.
I agree...But it looks like there was silk in the center of the star and also the cross and orb. Since the black is overlay (according to the description) it looks like the silk may indeed be missing in those spots and the underlying yellow leather exposed.

Hard to tell from a photo.
DWFII--HCC Member
Instagram
Without "good" there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.
User avatar
grenik
1
1
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:56 am
Full Name: Pat
Location: Houston, Tx

Re: The Gallery

#1198 Post by grenik »

First real wearable shoes. One individual test shoe, then one set of test shoes, and then this pair. Lots of room for improvement, but have to start somewhere. Thank you all for posting techniques on this site it really helps novices like me.

Cheers.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
artzend
7
7
Posts: 519
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:00 am
Full Name: Tim Skyrme
Location: Agnes Water, Queensland, Australia
Been Liked: 2 times
Contact:

Re: The Gallery

#1199 Post by artzend »

Grenik

It is hard to tell from the photo but it looks as though the backseam is not quite right in the middle. This causes the front of the facings to pull crooked. If the seams at the back of the lining are correctly placed then it does look as though this has happened.

It is easier to tell with a Derby, but it looks that way here.

To eliminate extra seams that can cause discomfort in wear, make your quarter linings in one piece with only a small inverted V seam at the bottom.

Apart from that, they look good.

Tim
http://www.shoemakingbook.com
User avatar
grenik
1
1
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:56 am
Full Name: Pat
Location: Houston, Tx

Re: The Gallery

#1200 Post by grenik »

artzend » Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:33 pm wrote:Grenik

It is hard to tell from the photo but it looks as though the backseam is not quite right in the middle. This causes the front of the facings to pull crooked. If the seams at the back of the lining are correctly placed then it does look as though this has happened.

It is easier to tell with a Derby, but it looks that way here.

To eliminate extra seams that can cause discomfort in wear, make your quarter linings in one piece with only a small inverted V seam at the bottom.

Apart from that, they look good.

Tim
http://www.shoemakingbook.com
I appreciate the comment. The facings and the sole/heel finishing are the most disappointing to me with the shoe. The stitching at the bottom of the facing is quite poor. The backseam was sewn according to my reading of Skyrme's Bespoke Shoemaking book. Execution was difficult for me. I put another piece on the back for decoration and to cover up the back seam.

My lining is also one piece and sewn only in the back and along the top of the shoe and facings.

There was more pulling and stretching and compromising than I wanted. Here is the back, and I tried to get the back in the center and the medallion in the center. I was really trying to understand how the leather laid and pulled around my last, so I did a whole cut shoe. Probably more ambitious than I needed to be at this time.

Thank you again for the comments, they are appreciated.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Post Reply