The Crispin Colloquy

All,
Does anyone know where to find a good feather knife for use in cutting the channel on an insole?
Thanks........J.

Euro International in Florida sells -- or at least did a few years ago -- the Tina feather knife. Be forewarned, once you order from them they may pester you to order more items, though they only call me maybe once a year.

It is also listed in the Goetz catalog, so any Goetz dealer might be able to order one or might have one in stock.

I think I saw some at Kaufman shoe repair supplies in NYC, they dont really have an online catalog but they take orders by phone:

http://www.kaufmanshoe.com/

I'm looking for a tox box material called RX-3042. It's a thermoplastic material and I used to be able to get it from a wholesale place in LosAngeles, but they no longer carry it. I've tried some other materials from a company in St Louis, but they don't work very well. The person in LA who used to carry it, thought it was made by Renia and called Reneflex, but I can't seem to find any information on the website. Any ideas?

Jeanne,

Welcome to the Crispin Colloquy.

If the toe box material you are looking for is made by Renia, it is, I believe German in origin. At least the only place I've seen Renia products is through German finders such as Goetz or Minke.

Oregon Leather in Seattle can order from Goetz. If Goetz has it you will get it...eventually. Usually takes several months, at least.

Do a search on this board for "Oregon Leather" for their 1.800 number. I don't have it handy on this computer.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

Hi
The material can be bought through LaBelle Supply in Vancuver BC Canada I just got some. Have you ever tried Tepp it is a fabric and cork material I prefer it for toe boxes it is not as thick and feathers out quite nice.

In a pinch for a fitter model I used some old denim and wood glue and it worked real well and Cheap like me. Just remeber to cut the fabric on the biase so it will move for the curves.
Regards
Brendan

Wanted: Better ball and ring pliers, drier, leather shrinker, small leather pieces

I’ve been modifying ice skating boots, and am assembling a web page on same. Can someone help me find better tools?

1. Ball and ring pliers usable without strong hands. Explanation: I have a widely available ball and ring pliers (e.g., from emocs = George’s shoes, or Montana Leather Company) with a set screw. It ships with a note indicating that the screw must not be used to tighten it. Instead you squeeze, swing the screw into place, and tighten the set screw. I am barely strong enough to do this (new upper level figure skates are fairly thick and stiff, two layers of full grain leather sandwiching foam or plastic, can barely be bent with your hands), and many would not be. Does there exist one with a sturdy enough screw and large handle to use it to tighten? Or something fancy like a geared ratchet mechanism? Or are there similar tools for stretching small areas around ankle bones, big and little toes, etc., that can reach far into a boot, that are easier to use? Where can I find them?

2. Boot drier with no heat, or very low heat. I tried the Dry Guy Circulator made for the downhill ski market, which is supposed to stay below 99 degrees F (81 degrees C). That was hot enough to distort the boots, destroying the careful job of heat molding. I’m guessing something thermostatically controlled below about 85 degrees F would be safe.

3. Chemical to shrink leather. Explanation: If a breakdown crease starts to form where the boot flexes, of course one can glue or stick something inside the crease so there is no longer space for further formation. But it would also be nice to spot-shrink the leather at that point to get rid of the crease.

4. Small amounts of leather – like a couple square feet. I’ve found many places that sell leather made from an entire cow, a couple that sell something that might or might not be large enough to cut insoles, but nothing in between. Who supplies leather in sheets of a few square feet?

Thanks.
Mitch

(Message edited by mitch on July 05, 2008)

Hi All,

I had a customer contact me the other day looking for someone to make a custom pair of English riding boots. If there are some of you who would like to have a new customer let me know. Thanks for the help.

All, looking for a Puritan low post chainstitcher and a Landis/McKay/Champion 77 or earlier. Also needing old top removable lasts for boots. Hope someone can help while I still have a few bucks.
JesseLee

Mitch,

Welcome to the Crispin Colloquy.
There is a contraption that is a stronger version of a ball and ring, bench mounted with a large lever. I've seen a couple of them but have not seen anyone sell them in a long time. You can probably only get them second hand and than only if you come across one. To make it easier to stretch areas around ankles and such you can soften the leather by applying some rubbing alcohol over the area and than stretch it or even wear it. If there is a plastic piece sandwiched in between you may have to apply heat with a heat gun or hair dryer.
On the Ball and Ring stretcher with the plastic bolt that has the little metal insert that snaps out when you tighten them too much you can reverse the plastic bolt, so that the metal insert is on the side away from the handle. This way the metal insert won't pull out.

For a boot dryer, the best way to dry leather goods is to stuff them with news papers and let them dry without any type of heat. Any form or forced drying will ultimately damage the leather and cause it to crack pre-maturely.

You will not be able to remove a crease unless you stiffen up the boot more. If the boot flexes the leather will have to crease. Make sure you get fitted to the correct skate that is not too roomy in the forefoot so it will not create an overly large crease. Sometimes putting a spacer in top of the insole makes a lot of difference. Once you have a crease there is not much you can do to get rid of it.

Leather can be found in a lot of places, a local finder is a good source to begin or check with a local shoe repair shop. Depending on what you need it for you can look at difference type of animals that are smaller than a cow.

Hope his helps you some, good luck finding what you need and let us know when you have the info on-line.

Rob

Mitch,

I bought a ball and ring stretcher on E-bay awhile back. Don't have the directions or receipt any more. But I think this is the same one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bunion-Spot-Shoe-Stretcher-Hoke-Ball-Ring-Cast-Iron-NEW_W0QQ itemZ160237047798QQihZ006QQcategoryZ63850QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ _trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

The nut on the bolt looks bigger than the one on the stretcher on the Montana Leather Co. site. Maybe the seller could check the directions for you to see if it says anything about how the bolt can be used. I can't tell for sure, but I think the pin that holds the bottom of the bolt in place is metal.

Jenny

Mitch,

Dick Andersen at Thornapple River Boots, who makes many boot making tools used by many of us, has a rub bar on his site that may help you relieve pinchy spots on skating boots. Check here:
http://www.thornappleriverboots.com


Regards,
Georgene

Well,

I finished my saddle shoes with the plantation crepe soles. A little clean up and I'll post photos.

But I used up all my plantation crepe and am looking for another source. The stuff I had...and that I like...was natural gum rubber crepe but it was very dense. It was 12 iron.

Thinking I might want a thicker sole, I ordered some 21 iron from Oregon Leather but it was very soft. I don't want that soft stuff. You can't build a heel from it.

So if anyone knows a reliable source of dense, firm natural plantation crepe, esp. in that cream colour, I'd appreciate a lead.

Thanks

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

DW,

National shoe here in Toronto has plantation crepe soling in natural colour and thickness 3mm(6 iron) 6mm(12iron) and 12mm(24iron) their web site is www.nationalshoe.com phone416 292 7181 also 1 800 387 5246 in case you speak with a new staff,the code for the product is 1pc in their 2008 catalog.

Nasser

Thanks Nasser, I'll give them a shout.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

I'm looking for a source for seam reinforcement tape, and for veg tan topsole and outsoles for sandals.

Thanks!

Forgot one other thing...I'm also looking for wood clog bottoms. I contacted Walkley's in the UK but haven't heard back from them yet. Any help would be much appreciated!!

Hi Elizabeth. Welcome to the Crispin Colloquy.

If you are looking for topline tape or anything in that category, you might have better luck looking in a fabric store.

Yes, such items are manufactured for the shoe industry but except for jobbers (and my latest and greatest doesn't seem to be answering the phone lately) you have to buy in large quantities to get access at all. Now if you can contact Ideal Tape and ask for a sample pack you may get all you want or need but you can only do that once.

The other alternative is to call McPhereson's in Seattle and see if you can order some from Germany. Be prepared to wait six months.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

Does anyone know where I might get a rolling foot for my Singer 31-15?

Rick,

I bought mine from Pilgrim in Quincy MA (800) 343-2202 about 6 months ago. They had them in stock. Harris did mention that these were a little different from the ones he used to get. Installation is a little tricky with these new ones. He tried talking me through it without much success. I ended up disassembling my bobbin assembly and slide the roller foot in from below the needle plate. No brain surgery but harder than it should have been.

Before you order, check your thread guide. If it's like the one I used to have
it will interfere with the roller foot lining up.
Harris will sell you a new one that does not interfere for small change.
(it's really just a piece of wire bend into the right shape but it works)
It took me a trip to Pilgrim to figure out why my roller foot wouldn't line up. Seeing a different machine set up with the thread guide gave it away. Make sure you talk to Harris when you call and ask him about the thread guide he got me if you need one. The 31-15 works very nicely with a roller foot both for sewing and gimping, well worth the investment for the roller foot.

Rob

Robert,

I talked to Harris and he is sending one out to me. Thanks for the great pictures. What would we do without the Colloquy?

Robert,

If I might make one small suggestion. I use roller feeds on my construction machine (Singer 236) and a roller, not power fed, on my old Singer that I sew the fancy stitching on the tops. I found that they sometimes have a sharp or square edge and when they are adjusted right close to the needle, the sharp edge sometimes cuts the thread as the needle goes up and down.

My suggestion is to carefylly inspect the roller and if there is an edge, to slightly remove it with 4oo grit abbrasive cloth and to then polish it. This is just a little thing to do but it might save you some wondering and frustration.

I wish you well.

Larry Peterson

Larry

The thickness of the material being sewn affects the distance that the wheel sits from the needle, and if sewing thicker material you may need to move the wheel further back so it doesn't touch the needle and cut the thread.

I don't know that removing the sharp edge on the wheel is the answer as it helps to use it as a guide, but moving the wheel certainly is. The thickness of the needle can affect that distance too.

Tim

Tim,

I am impressed with your work. Thank you for the data on the roller wheel.

Sincerely, Larry Peterson

No worries Larry,

The mark left by the wheel is also good for using as a guide for a second row of stitching should you need it.

Tim