The Crispin Colloquy

My take on Paul's 1906 boots. Home made last, chocolate french calf, buttercup kangroo trim, 1 1/4" heels. Still not to professional standards.

I got this beauty from an old shoemaker. It was old when he got it - most probably made more than 60 years ago - maybe more.

This is the fifth pair of boots that I have made on my own. They were made on a half inch heel last so I could use the Vibram "olympic" sole. The vamp and counter are cowhide and the tops are veg tanned kangaroo.

Well, months and months and lots of questions later...

Second pair of shoes...




If these are any good at all...and there are two glaring mistakes, numerous small ones, and the photography is none too good...it is entirely due to the help I received here on the forum. I offer thanks to Rob Elferink, Lance Pryor, Al Saguto Tim Skyrme, Marcell and "Mack" MacDonald...and everyone else who so generously offered advice. I am sorry if I missed someone in particular but thanks to all.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC


"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

Here is the 'mate' to a shoe I posted a few months ago. A cap toe in tan boarskin that I tried to make with a beveled, fiddleback sole. I had a bear of a time with my outsole thread and handwax, so the stitching and sole finish leave alot to be desired (as do many other features, including the [treatment of the toe puff). Still, at least the fit is good -- this is made on an old wooden factory last that I modified to my measurements.




[The above photo was taken in a mirror, hence the reversed image.]



p.s. DW, my rate of progress makes you look like Speed Racer by comparison.

(Message edited by lancepryor on March 21, 2008)

(Message edited by lancepryor on March 21, 2008)

Roman caligae, stitched together as were the originals, 1st century, the Mainz style:
the Valkenburg style:

(Message edited by neuraleanus on March 22, 2008)

Hello All,

Here is a pair I've waited a year to work on. You know how it is. (Well, really more like 25 years) December '07 I took this order from a couple visiting Arizona from Bethesda Md. She saw the pair by Dave Little in the Delano Texas Boot Book, and it's a variation thereof. It has always been one of the pair from that book that inspired me to want to make boots. That and the FW next to it!

ANyway, these are my first fully foxed pair, with inlays in the foxing. I've done many pair of foxings and wingtips on already made boots, and have wanted to do this pair from the time I saw them. I can die a happy man now.

Paul

Hi All,

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I lost my repair person in January so I've been doing both ends of the shop. I just finished a couple of pairs of boots. The first was a logger type boot with heavy lug soles and heels. The boot was made from a good heavy cow hide. The second pair are full quill ost. with water buffalo tops, in a roper style.

Nothing special...just evidence that I have been working on boots as well as shoes.

Green glazed w.buffalo tops black glazed w. buffalo vamps and collar. 18/8" heel, wide round toe.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

This is the finish work on the alpine welted short boots.
Nasser.

The picture shows a pair of shoes I just made from uppers prepared for me by a shoemaker in San Francisco. The shoes are nothing special for professionals. However, since I make shoes only as a hobby, I am pretty happy with this pair. I would like to thank to those who kindly provided me with helpful advices.

Washek

A new pair from my workshop - actually goes to an US customer as a bespoke order. He specified very detailed what he wants. I hope he will feel that he get it.


(I have never made so short heel like this.. and I think I would never do if I haven't seen Jim's beautiful work. Thanks Jim!)

Here are some of my latest projects.
Burnishable buffalo with glazed buffalo tops.
Black pullup buffalo tops and vamps.
Shane Deeter

Here's a pair of boots that I just finished. I think the colors went together very well. They're burgundy Roo, with forest green tops, with burgundy overlay and black Roo inlays. The lining leather is buffalo which is working very nice in my boots.

Thanks

Mike

Here is a pair of "mules" that I made my wife for Christmas. This was my first attempt at a shoe. It was also my first attempt at a nonwelted shoe, I pegged the sole. A little basket weave for the sole. I learned alot, The next pair should really be nice.

Here's a pair of ladies shoes that Randee Frommer just finished. American alligator with inch and a half heels.

DW carved the heels out of wood and made an extra pair out of stacked leather just in case) but Randee covered them and did everything else.


PS...she says they fit her really really well and are super light.

Georgene, Paul Rick...

Thank you for the kind words. I've worked on a lot of boots over the years but now I know what a maker feels like. Thank you, Georgene, for the help and encouragement you provided. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to get everything together. The alligator was actually the leftover tails and leg area of two skins left over from a pair of boots. Alligator is such a fine leather to work with, it is very strong and doesn't need any backing.

Here are two more photos of the shoes. The first were taken before they were actually finished. Polished and socked, they are now complete.

Randee...

Just finished this pair of whole cut Oxfords for a customer. (yes, I actually have customers now!).

Garlin-Neumann glazed buffalo upper.

I used Stevenson-Paxton insole shoulder for welt, which I was pleased with.

Here's a pair of neo-Georgian or neo-Jacobite style shoes I just finished...in time for my daughter's wedding this weekend. They are meant to evoke (not mimic) the period between the mid-18th and early 19th century.

I will wear them with a kilt.

I machine stitched the forepart of this shoe (because I already have a customer for a pair and he does not want to pay the piper for hand stitching) and hand stitched the waist. Didn't turn out all that bad although I was kind of in a hurry finishing off the bottoms...not my best job.

Thanks go to corporal Al Saguto, 2nd Glasgow Highlanders, Highland Light Infantry (WWII)




--
Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW
Pictures of the wedding will be required in Oct. at the AGM.

Jim Kladder

These low heeled boots were made with Stevenson-Paxton oil-tanned lowers and chrome tanned roo uppers. I removed the heel seat I was using in this design. It seemed to be an unnecessary extra just to have the look of the stitching go around the heel.

Here's a pair of boots that I just finished for a silversmith here in town. It was fun working for another craftsman who was interested in and appriciated the process.

Actually that was A boot, here's the pair.

Just finished these zipper boots for my daughter. There were many, many new lessons learned along the way, but they came out pretty good, all things considered.

They are made with Garlin-Neumann calf uppers. Got the last and heels from Georgene.

I wasn't going to show you this recent boots i made,but i thought why not!they are a special order and please do not pass judgement,they are men size 11 or 12 with more than 3 inch heel hieght,with side zipper and they are made to order.
Nasser