The Crispin Colloquy

Dear Bob,
I have been working in publishing production for many major US publishers as consultant and could make a lean, but accurate Acrobat version of the book that people can download easily. To support this, I have at least 10,000 fonts many with oldstyle figures and ligitures [a ligature is when the F and L are conected when writing flower, for example with one combo "FL" letter]. With ease, I could scan images and OCR the text, create page breaks that match the book and then post them on the forum. There is no easy way to 'get the book into the computer' as the scanning and or OCR takes time and someone to manage the content of each page. I have all the latest software and a fast computer to support this effort.
Your publications would be returned in the best condition.
You can call me if you want to talk or ask questions:
718-809-7703, or lcresson@gmail.com.

This offer is open to others with books to share but no means to create the electronic file.

Dear DW,

Could you post Swaysland?

Thanks in advance for info that get us in touch with the old masters of footwear!

Lisa,

Not anytime soon. I have my own book that I'm writing and Golding Vol. I is my next priority for my part of the the HCC mini-Gutenburg Project.

I believe that if it's gonna be done, it needs to be done right. My Golding volumes are a good example (I hope and believe)...they even have the covers reproduced to as close to the original size and colour as possible.

And the text is reproduced as close as possible to the original page breaks, formatting, kerning, and font as I can achieve (I admit that I don't have anywhere near to 10,000 fonts). The text has also been recognized, so that it *is* text and not a bitmap. That makes the book searchable, if nothing else, but ultimately allows for copy and paste operations.

And illustrations get the same treatment. For example, I had originally tried to reproduce Sabbage's Sectionizer here on the forum...with moderately good results. But when I went to deal with it in the book, I found out just exactly how far off I was. Then too, most of the illustrations in the old books are either lithographs or very early photographic reproductions. At least ninety percent of the time they need to be cleaned up to reduce (notice I didn't say eliminate--that would be impossible) artifacts that have been introduced either by the original process or by the reproduction of those illustrations in publication.

It's not perfect but until perfect comes along it will have to do.

But the upshot is that it takes time...lots of time and effort...and Swaysland simply isn't even on the horizon yet. What's more there may be some copyright issues with Swaysland.

Having said all that, anyone who wants to contribute to this project by scanning in out-of-copyright books, that they have access to, is welcome to do so. However, it might we wise to consult with either myself--webmaster--or HQ so that the quality of what is being presented online and in the HCC Library remains consistant.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Dear DW,
How is it going on the Bob Galvin digitizing? The Golding .pdfs were a very informative reading.

Regards,
Lisa

And. . . my offer to digitize publications that get posted for the group to download remains open. Send me a private email.

Regards,
Lisa

http://www.osu-okmulgee.edu/academics/health_and_environmental/shoe_boot_and_sad dle/


It is with regret that we officially announce OSU-Okmulgee's decision to close our Shoe, Boot & Saddle program of study. NO new students will be accepted for enrollment this spring 2005, and SBS technical courses will be offered only through December 2005. (Students may continue general education requirements for graduation after this date.)
"Sad for the Brand"
Brian C. Thomas

That is unbelievably sad news. Is it the lack of interest from students or does some administrator figure we don’t need a new generation of boot, shoe and saddle makers?
What is going to happen to the wealth of knowledge and information preserved by the classes thought at OSU? I sincerely hope someone finds a way to preserve this for future generations.

Jennifer June Weblog post.
HTTP://WWW.DIMLIGHTS.COM/BLOGGER.HTM
MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2005
The fate of OSU-Okmulgee's Boot & Saddlemaking Program
"It is with regret that we officially announce OSU-Okmulgee's decision to close our Shoe, Boot & Saddle program of study. NO new students will be accepted for enrollment this spring 2005, and SBS technical courses will be offered only through December 2005." (Source)
Yes, the rumors are true...Oklahoma State is closing it's Boot & Saddlemaking Program*, but all is not lost. I spoke with longtime instructor Mike DeWitt today and he tells me the program will be moved to nearby Green Country Technology Center.
You can contact the Center at (918) 758-0840.
Details will follow, but students will begin their courses in August 2005.
Mr. DeWitt thinks the move will benefit both the program and its new students. The program will be housed in a brand new building ...custom-built to meet its instructional and equipment needs. And students will no longer be burdened with general education requirements like history, math and speech classes.
Mike DeWitt has agreed to follow the program to its new location...at least long enough to make sure it gets off to a good strong start.
*OSU-Okmulgee's Boot & Saddle program is the only one of it's kind remaining in the United States.

Brian,

Thanks for the info. Mike's a good guy, this is an old and venerable program...I hope it does well. When Texas Tech closed its program some years back I thought that the end of an era had come.

It's a shame....it makes me (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) feel a bit old. What with the loss of Barnsley and Westfield and so many other "names" and reliable sources, it's not getting any easier to be a shoe or bootmaker.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Dear Bob Galvin,
I lost your number and would like to call you back. Could you send me a private email?
Thanks!
Lisa

Just a quick note to mention that I'm placing a number of shoe and boot making and maufacturing and leather trades related books up for sale on ebay, please remind me your from the HCC and or Post on this site for a courtesy discount. Once again Thank You for this forum. From ebay just do an advanced search, under the regular search button on the top right corner of the page and then click on Items by Seller and put my ebay member name in, shoerepairshop and it will give you a list of all the stuff I'm selling. I'm posting about 50 or so related publications from the late 1800 thru the 1970's including my Ross Moyer Equipment catalog and a set of Goldings and a Swaysland, I mention them because they don't come up often, if ever!
Thank You and Kind Regards,
Bob

Bob,

I didn't see the Ross Moyer catalogue??!

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW,
Sometimes we get so excited we can't see straight, :-) "smilin'" you actually have to click onto page 2 of my listings, the item number is: 8191869023
Regards,
Bob

Anyone have a manual for the Landis splitter? Somehow mine has gotten out of adjustment and won't split everything evenly.

Also, I plan on offering machine manuals in pdf format on my personal webpage...such as the Adler patcher manual that caused such a stir here some months back. At that time I put out a request for copies (or pdf's) of useful manuals. Nothing ever came of it, presumably because of the brouhaha over copyright and the HCC. Since this latest plan doesn't involve the HCC, anyone who feels generous enough to share hard-to-find manuals are urged to contact me at frommer@bootmaker.com

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW,
I just recently got a copy from Harris over at Pilgrim, I could probaby photocopy it for you - on the diagram page some of the part numbers are obscured (probaby went through a fax wrong), but it works as long as you don't have to order those particular parts

It may take a couple of days, but e-mail me.

BTW, thanks for commenting on the tension thing. Larry pointed out that there are two knurled nuts on the tension - the manual doesn't even explicetly say it is the tension. It's working fine now.

Erick

Erick,

Thanks for offering the manual. I can use it.

I'm not sure what knurled nuts Larry is talking about. But there are actually two large knurled nuts (at "B" in the diagram) that tighten down the large toothed wheel (at "A") around which the thread wraps. This helps to tighten the stitch because there is less slack when the full mechanism cycles through.

But the thread lock is adjusted at "C", directly above the toothed wheel. There are two, *non-knurled* nuts sandwiching a...what is it called? I don't have my manual handy...hollow "casting" through which a threaded shaft runs. The nut closest to you (closest to the front of the machine) must be loosened and then the rear nut adjusted forward or back. This controls when in the cycle the thread lock clamps down on the roller. It should be adjusted so that the thread is positive when the articulating roller arm is at the bottom of its swing. At which point the front nut is re-tightened.

I don't know if my sloppy, early morning. terminology will confuse you even more but no explanation of the tensioning on a Landis curved needle is complete without a recognition of this important adjustment. Hope it helps...


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW
You are right about the adjustment for the thread lock .But that is just the adjustment of the lock ,the two nuts that I told Eric about only affect the thread tension as the machine cycles it keeps the slack out of the stitch. The adjustment you are refering to is important but it is a locking function .The real tensioning is done with the cog wheel adjustmet.

Larry Waller
Walrus Shoe & Leather

DW,
E-mail me, I could fax you the splitter manual while I take a few days to scan it for you. I have to wait for another e-mail if you have a fax# you could give me - I'm not running out the door right now.

DW and Larry,

On the curved needle (this would probably be best in the other topic)

I'm pretty familiar with sewing machines, so I thought correctly where the tension was located, but the manual only refers to the tension lock adjustment. I had been worried about adjusting the tension, fortunately Larry pointed out that there is a nut to lock the tension into place in addition to the actual tension nut. I am surprised that the manual only refers to the main tension in the parts list.

As I said it's working fine now. I just have to find a use for the machine. I had been told by a few people several years ago that this is the machine I would want if I was doing a stitch-down type of shoe. After I bought the Curved needle I was told (by one of the same people who recomended this machine) that I needed a specialized machine that costs a small fortune....

Could anyone recommend either a way to utilize the Curved needle or another machine that could do what I need? I can still use the curved needle for what it's made for, since I'm not limiting myself to stitch-downs, but it was a bit of a let-down. I'm thinking that one of those Junker & Ruh machines might be the way to go - am I right?

Thanks both of you for the assistance on the Curved needle

Erick

Mr. Frommer
I have a box filled with parts from a splitter that I was unable to put back toghether. If you need parts please let me know. I tried to send you an E-Mail but I don't think it worked. 781-485-0511 Tues-Fri.I could find no brand name on it.

(I've crossposted this, and thought you all might want to see this also -- the Rees link has been mentioned in the past).

For anyone who might be interested, I've been gradually scanning in (and in some cases just extracting) some works relating to shoemaking that are out of copyright and putting them on line at http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/histshoe/index.htm

I would like to suggest the following as general interest:

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/histshoe/holme/holme1.htm
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/histshoe/Rees/rees.htm
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/histshoe/bootsandshoe/index.htm
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/histshoe/redfern/index.htm (I'm stuill working on the gloves section)

And extra cordwainer points to anyone who can tell me why the "Boots of Henry VI" probably aren't

Marc

Hi,

I've just stumbled across this forum by mistake whilst googling my surmane which is Bordoli. I was interested to see the messages posted in February about some rare books written by a Bordoli and was wondering if anybody could tell me more about whoever wrote them. My great-grandfather was a shoemaker in Leicester, England in about 1850 I think, so it would be cool to see if there's any connection.

Cheers,

Ruth

Ruth,

Here's a reply posted for June Swann re Bordoli:

======================
Ernest Bordoli was Secretary of Northampton Town Boot Manufacturers'
Association (England, not MA) in the late1920-30s. Sorry I don't have
precise dates without a lot of rummaging in Local Room of Public Library
(Abington St., if anyone wants to contact them direct). He was very good at
getting publicity for the shoe trade in those difficult recession years, and
turned out a number of pamphlets:
The Story of NTBMA (as above) 1929, where he calls himself Ernest Bordoli,
A.F.I. (Sorry I don't know meaning of latter). It includes a photograph of
EB as a comparatively young man.
A Tale of... Northampton & its Industry, c1930.
Footwear Down the Ages, 1933 - more substantial and 1 of 2 I thought worth
listing in N'ton Museum's Shoe & Leather Bibliography, various editions to
1983 (now E.B., B.Sc. = Bachelor of Science).
Old Friends, 1934 (also in NM's S&L Bib.).
Have you heard? c1936.
Whose Footprints? 1938. Also mentions: There's Nothing like Leather; Once
upon a Time.
General Editor of 'The Boot & Shoe Maker', 4 volumes, 1935; wrote its brief
Preface.

Leicester is of course in one of the next counties to Northamptonshire,
specialised more in women's shoes (N'ton made men's, but was established as
a known shoe town 200 years earlier than Leic. Men travelled long distances
to work here). I suspect this doesn't do E.B. justice: it needs more work
in the Library.
June.
==========================

Thanks June, that's really interesting information. I'll look into it further. I don't think Ernest is in my family line but he could be from a closely related branch. Thanks again for your time,

Cheers,

Ruth

To any and all:

I have recently come into possession of a Fortuna skiving machine (courtesy of Sharon Raymond, to whom many thanks!), and would like to locate a user's manual and/or any other literature on these machines. The machine has no model number; I assume it is a bottom-feed machine (the leather is fed in grain side up, and the bottom of the leather is skived).

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.

Lance

I have a print called "The BootMaker's Shop" from Colonial Williamsburg.The artist name is, John Crane. Can anyone give me any information about this print.

Thank you,
Mrs. V