Sabbage's Sectionizer
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2000 8:11 am
[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.
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.