The Crispin Colloquy

The kip came from Waterhouse Leather but I just discovered they have it in stock at Oregon Leather, which is owned by Montana Leather (last I heard). So any of their outlets might have it. It is available on the Montana leather web site. As a side note... I found the English kip to be a better product than premium grade Italian crust that I pick up in Italy.

Here is a boot I made recently. It is made of French calf and reinder leather for the tops. It is made the European way with the lining inserted in the boot and sewed toether at the top seam. Doing this make it possible for long heel stiffeners which pass the side seam.

romango wrote:The kip came from Waterhouse Leather but I just discovered they have it in stock at Oregon Leather, which is owned by Montana Leather (last I heard). So any of their outlets might have it. It is available on the Montana leather web site. As a side note... I found the English kip to be a better product than premium grade Italian crust that I pick up in Italy.

Is this the English tooling kips that Montana Leather is listing, about 2-2.5oz?


Francis

Janne Melkersson wrote:Here is a boot I made recently. It is made of French calf and reinder leather for the tops. It is made the European way with the lining inserted in the boot and sewed toether at the top seam. Doing this make it possible for long heel stiffeners which pass the side seam.

Janne,

Nice looking boot. I've always loved black and tan together.

I got some samples of reindeer and calf from that outfit in Sweden that you told me about...this was some years ago. I suspect that if you knew what to order it would look very similar to the old Russia calf...as it was before most of what we know about it sat underwater for 200+ years.

They also sent me a tin of Morningar (?). Love it, love the smell. I've gingerly put it on some dress leathers and after a day or so, the only sign it was ever applied is the faint smell.

I suppose if you treed your tops you would lose that distinctive "hatching". That's one thing that made me back off from ordering reindeer--it was textured nicely but I worried that it would all pull out. The calf samples they sent me didn't have the hatching which further discouraged me.

DW,
thanks, glad you liked them. I treed the boot which had no any effect on the "hatchings". Since reindeer is a wild animal it has a lot of natural structur to it like scratches and marks from a bug which bites them badly. When those marks heal it leave marks that creates a nice uneven pattern. Unfortunately the tanner closed his shop some month ago.
The stuff you got was probably "Smorning" which means kind of a dressing. Pine tar use to be one part of it.

"What you make is what you sell"...since I made that first pair of alligator balmorals I've taken three more orders of them.

Not real fond of the toe shape on these but they're for a customer in LA and this somewhat "rustic" look...casual, certainly...seems to be perpetually in vogue there.

The main reason I post them is that having posted a brief photo shoot of closing a channeled outsole, I wanted to show the finished shoe and esp. the way the bottom came out.

Alligator and Milano calf uppers 5/8"-3/4" heel, beveled (but not fiddleback) waist. The feather around the heel was eliminated and the insole was brought up around the last to provide a cupped shape. The medial heel, on the last, was also shaved some to counter pronation.

First time I've done a full, "natural" outsole and really been happy with the result. I am toying with the idea of "wheeling" the forepart with a greek key motif but I'm still not satisfied I can get an even and a matching impression on both shoes.

Choose any of these smilies to the left (in composition mode that is). I like these!
And I like your opening quote. It is an inspiration.

Besides the simple beauty of these, I'm lovin' the last.
And while I get it about the toe, it's way preferable to a round toe.

Any chance we'll see you at the AGM?

Paul

Thank you, Paul. Haven't heard from you in a while.

AGM? No...I have a student coming in right at the first of November. Beyond that I'm getting deeper and deeper into full bore, do as I feel like, semi-retirement mode. October is one of the prime months for pursuing sea-run rainbow trout (AKA steelhead). And I'm nothing if not avid about fishing and have been for many, many years (much less anything I do, I suppose). To the point I'm feeling a little guilty about the work I'm not getting done...but only a little. Can't decide which is worse--the resentment I feel when a customer comes in or the guilt.

Gone...

Well, it sounds like it's all good. Unless, that is, you're the guy who's waiting.
But I suppose Steelhead fishing get's a pass from anyone who knows you very well.

I need to call and chat again sometime soon.

Peace,
Paul

G'day All,
Sorry I've been very quiet for a long time. Nothing, shoe wise, has happened for some time, but a few weekends ago I demonstrated at a show at an old sheep property 160kms from here and a couple of young ladies from Hong Kong ordered this pair of boots as a souvenir of their time in Australia. One boot each.
Though they're not for wearing I treated it as though building a regular pair, as a warm up to getting back to making shoes on a regular basis. Next time I'll make the back edge on the last 'scoop' slope backwards. Should have realised that before

Upper, insole, sole, heel lifts and laces are veg. Kangaroo, hand dyed and hand sewn. Not too happy about the cuff stitches, but I know what I did wrong (beveled edge on cuff and leg was too steep. Next time it'll be a gentle skive)


Showing these to other people has had an order for another (single ) boot.

Cheers
Duncan

Great wee boots.

georgene mckim

Duncan,

I like them! I've always liked your work.

Good on ya, mate.

Thanks, Georgene and Dee Dub

Cheers
Duncan

First pair of men's dress shoes made by Christophe Washer from Brussels, Belgium.

Full cut oxfords, Annonay French calf, 3,4cm military (cuban) heel

GlenKaren all natural shoe cream.

Nice looking work from both of you gentleman.
Duncan, the interesting thing was that when first viewed on my iPhone, I couldn't tell these were miniatures!
Christopher, good training shows! Keep up the good work.
Paul

Thanks Paul, and the layout of my post was very deliberate
Glad it worked.

Cheers
Duncan

Hello I'm new here so don't bully me because of my work :(. . . anyway! this is a recent pair of moccasin loafers my dad and I have finished. The apron was hand sewn by me and the sole/midsole and heel was made by my dad, because I was busy on the shoe repair... you know how running a shoe repair shop is.. anyway we plan on closing out our shoe repair shop here in San Jose and only make "bespoke" shoes like John Lobb. I'll be posting another two pairs I'll be finishing soon one is full number 8 cordovan very nice indeed. Now I have to go repair shoes...

ciao for now

^ Nice, very nice. Nothing wrong with those.

Very sharp looking shoes.
Good luck with the plans. I know I struggle staying free of shoe repair.
Best,
Paul Krause
formerly of In and Out Shoe Repair/Western Boot Revival in San Mateo, CA 1985-1995

dw wrote:^ Nice, very nice. Nothing wrong with those.

thank you DW, I like your beveled waist on your alligator balmorals. I still can't do beveled waists yet, much less fiddle.

paul wrote:Very sharp looking shoes.
Good luck with the plans. I know I struggle staying free of shoe repair.
Best,
Paul Krause
formerly of In and Out Shoe Repair/Western Boot Revival in San Mateo, CA 1985-1995

thanks Paul, yeah shoe repair seems like a nuisance when your trying only to make shoes. I plan on going full time making shoes in a couple months which I'm really excited for. Then again I learned a lot from making shoes from shoe repair so can't complain.

These are an old pair of burgundy French calf oxfords we made awhile back. The leather didn't seem to take the polish much at all in the beginning but, the customer has been brining them back for shine regularly and look spectacular . I might just make myself a pair soon. hmm.

Another old pair we made awhile back also... Waxed hide uppers , hand sewn apron. I tried to do a real clean finish on the sole on this one very John Lobbish.

The shine takes fabulously on this one, not really that surprising though since its waxed hide or brush-off leather.

aaand. this is part of the inventory of lasts my dad owns. some total of like 10,000 pairs I believe is the total amount. Most are Lucchese Jones and vinning lasts not sure if I spelled that one right. Anyway its a great last.

Wow! If I had that many I'd take a picture too!

Keep up the good work.

Paul

That is incredibly neat. Boy. (not taking any pics of *my* workroom now).
Keep going
Duncan