The Crispin Colloquy

All,

I have been asked very informally about the possibility of the HCC providing individual venues for visiting shoe students traveling to North America from the UK--HCC shops, sites, and persons of interest for them to visit for a day or so. Their travel-costs would be funded by their sponsors, The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers.

I know some of you teach short courses and have great facilities for students to visit. Please PM me if you'd be interested in having a visiting shoe student spend a day or so with you, and a brief outline of what sort of experience you might offer them. This would be strictly an official HCC/WCC program, so no private enterprize please. We have such a variety of working shoe and bootmakers, this would be a great "real world" experience and networking opportunity for these students. LMK your thoughts.

Cheers,

Al Saguto
dsaguto@cwf.org

All

I have just secured the new shop which is very BIG. In July I want to start hosting Old Timey courses as well as displays, gatherings etc. Anyone who wants to learn the old syle techniques of boot making is welcome to come by. Its a laid back, country cozy atmosphere, HUGE kitchen at your disposal. I have all the tools, so bring lasts if you want to make a mid/late 19th century pair of boots or shoes, and if you play an instrument and sing, join me in our recording studio upstairs for a session done by boot makers.

Cheers,

JesseLee

I hope this has not been posted before, I stumbled across this video on YouTube called DIY Shoe Magic, the parts of the shoe seem to clip together its not my cup of tea but i thought it may interest a few people on here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef6yUZuYgN0&feature=related

They also have a website here is the link.

http://llp05tw.myweb.hinet.net/

some ten or more years ago a last year industrial design student from the Ontario College of Art and Design came to my shop for making her the same thing for her presentation,removable uppers/tops to be changed on soles,i thought it was a silly idea than as i do now,but i made her few changeable uppers for soccer shoes,i can't remember details,but it was the same concept design.
I am glad you said it's not your cup of tea,mine either and i hope they will never come here,if i had a say.

Nasser

Fun video of my friend (almost got her to the AGM--maybe next year) Randy Kroop, A. M. Kroop & Sons, Laurel, Maryland:

http://marylandlife.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=soundbooks.view_soundbook&folder=Se ptOct2009

Opps... Here's her website:

http://www.kroopboots.com/

Thought folks might be interested in this video of Pierre Corthay:

http://tinyurl.com/2ecrz7w

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

Thanks for the post DW.

My French was very proficient back in high school about 25 years ago. I wish I could remember more but at least I got the jist of the conversation.
Was that crust leather that they were using? I've never seen that done... nor have I seen a man's dress shoe in green but it looks great!

Sean

Sean,

I don't understand any French to speak of, so I had to just look at the pretty pictures.

As I understand it, using crust, vegetable tanned, is fairly common in French and Italian shoemaking. The crust comes in that natural, neutral colour and then is dyed and antiqued to whatever shade is desired.

It's an intriguing process but not simple, from what I've been able to determine.

I've seen some green...especially what was once called "midnight green"...shoes that I liked very well.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

Hi - my name's Caleb and I'm an Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist, someone who's keen to learn bootmaking and who's incredibly impressed with the standard of work on here. I'm writing a radio documentary about the disappearing/reappearing art of bootmaking in Australia and was hoping to get in touch with some people from here? Also - I have a rather large collection of vintage shoes and boots - lots of riding gear - is it appropriate to post pics of them to the gallery for people's inspiration?

Hi Caleb,

Welcome to the forum. I would suggest Topics->Open Forum->Boots and Shoes in History->The Gentle Craft

would be a good location for some of your collection pictures. DW might have another suggested location.

The Gallery is for new work.

Caleb

There are a few Aussies here too mate.

Tim
www.shoemakingbook.com

Hi Tim - I suppose I should try and get you on tape as well! Have seen your online videos, and your reputation precedes you. I've seen Duncan McHarg on here too - he lives in the next town along from us in (currently) icy central Victoria.

No worries Caleb,

but it would need a big inducement of monumental proportions to get me down there at this time of year.

Tim

FYI

There's an exhibit titled "Cowboy Boots And Art" in Santa Fe at the New Mexico Museum of Art until Sept 5th. www.nmartmuseum.org

This Exhibit made the front page of the "Antiques and the Arts" tabloid dated August 6, 2010. www.AntiquesandTheArts.com

Thanks
~ Sylvia

I buy my business cards from Moo Cards. They're easy to set up online, high-quality, have full color photos on the card backs, and for a box of 50 cards you can have up to 50 images on the back. I use my business cards like little brochures because they all have a different picture.
They recently had a business card re-design promotion and I won the opportunity to have my old cards re-designed. Check out the new design and vote for my cards!
New Business Cards

Thanks Lisa. I'm just running out of my old boring cards.

There's an article about me and my shop right now on the web site Luxist.
http://www.luxist.com/2011/02/16/luxist-speaks-to-lisa-sorrell-about-cowboys-and -sorrells-custom

Nice!

Great article and pictures. Where did you get the two handed knife you're using to trim the heel?
Georgene

Georgene,
Carl Chappell (www.chappellboots.com) carries them.

Rick,
Thanks!

Lisa

^ They're a Swedish Draw knife, made for woodworking, that is carried in the United States by WoodCraft...among others. I think you used mine when you were here, Georgene. IIRC, I've had mine for near onto 20 years.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

(Message edited by dw on February 17, 2011)

Information on the conference "Why Leather?" at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL on the 8th September 2011. You, your colleagues and students are very welcome!

Best wishes,
Susanna Harris (on behalf of the Archaeological Leather Group)

I'm going to try my hand at creating a link. This is a little blurb from the Cowboys and Indians magazine blog. I'm really happy to know that I'm a favorite with their readers.

Cowboys and Indians magazine blog

Lisa

Hi Lisa.

There is a problem with this board software that wants to open these links in the same frame that the messages are in. It is somewhat size constrained so not all of the object is able to fit in the frame.

With YouTube, some videos will not allow you to open them in a frame because of all the loss.

As I said before, it is good practice to right click and open the link in a new window or a new tab.

Art