The Crispin Colloquy

I don't advertise sandal making but when elderly Mrs Fraser walked in the shop after reading an article about me in our local neighborhood magazine, She decided to come to the shop for a pair of sandals,She knew what she wanted and told me so.


Nasser Vies
HCC-Member

Here is a pair of Grenley boots finish today by Danielle, from Holland. She has been in my shop for two weeks and before that she was a student at Marcell for four weeks. A very talented lady!

I helped with the tops and she made the rest.

Also, a friend made the trees for her boot. He is working in the orthopedic trade and have a lahte that can make tall boot trees. I could recomend him if any of you need to copy a tree.

(Message edited by wfowks on June 11, 2010)

Randee made these black veg calf (Waterhouse) jodphurs for herself. I finished the bottoms. Inch and a quarter heel. Pegged waist. First pair of jodphurs from this shop.




Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

(Message edited by dw on June 15, 2010)

I've begun naming all of my boots after classic country music (and an occasional bluegrass tune). This is one of my boots for May entitled "Smoky Mountain Rain." The tops are gray rough-out Italian tanned kangaroo from Hardtke and the background is Nightshade kid from Shrut and Asch. The foot is black ostrich, also from Hardtke. It's built on a little size 5 1/2 ladies last with a 2" heel. I haven't made too many boots on a high-heeled last and it was a pain to last.

"The Way I Am"
The tops are the new Italian tanned kangaroo from Hardtke that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I can never remember the name of it but it comes in some good colors. It's a little stretchier than I would like but it's a good deal for the price. This particular color is called Benedictine but it's actually closer to the color Tan they used to carry in the glazed Italian tanned kangaroo. The foot is green saltwater crocodile from Mark Staton. I love the tile pattern on this foot.

My first post, hope it works. Here is the latest from my studio in Melbourne, Australia.

They are a Greenly Field Boot style similar to the ones posted below. They are modelled however on US Military adaptions that my client (who has very wide feet and very thick calves) brought in as reference.

They are made from a New Zealand veg tan cow hide for the upper and Australian veg tan kangaroo for the facings, backstrap and linings. I do all the dying myself.

J.S. Roberts

(Message edited by jsroberts on June 19, 2010)

My third pair cowboy boots... first beaded side seam. Hand stitched outsole.

Pebble grain French calf. My daughter is happy with them!

Tom Mix Remix
Design inspired by Tom Mix boots from a couple of the collectible books. As a "Remix", I've made them in a Torrero style using a black kangaroo buckstitching as accent on the back seam, collars and foxing. Cement construction leather sole with #3 heel. The black horse hair tassels are meant as a design option.

Tom Mix Remix
Design inspired by Tom Mix boots from a couple of the collectible books. As a "Remix", I've made them in a Torrero style using a black kangaroo buckstitching as accent on the back seam, collars and foxing. Cement construction leather sole with #3 heel. The black horse hair tassels are meant as a design option.

Oversized image, sorry

(Message edited by jsroberts on June 28, 2010)

Balmoral Boots. First attempt at this style. A horror to take the lasts out. Some stretching and wrinkles that I didn't expect otherwise I'm quite happy. Apologies for the photos. They are taken with my phone.
J.S. Roberts


(Message edited by jsroberts on June 28, 2010)

First pair of shoes completed at Marcell's NY class. A great experience!

\

I got brave & finally tried a bal (made up the pattern, as I had no idea how they're really constructed) and tried the Scotch grain from Edelman's I got awhile back. This leather did allow me to make nicer folded edges than I've done so far, and skiving it wasn't bad either - but when I got to the lasting--yikes. It doesn't show in the pix, but I ended up with some vertical creases/wrinkles at the toe front that I just couldn't get rid of. In fact I could barely last this leather at all with any technique I've learned so far! I ended up actually notching it and lasting the parts in between, like a heel counter! I don't think that's a good technique, even if it worked, sort of.
Anybody got any tips on lasting such stiff leather (by comparison to the soft stuff I've used till now?)

I do not do students But Alyssa who is a student at the University wanted to intern. She majored in theatre and works in costume. this is her first boot. She has a future.
{allysa}
Tom

(Message edited by tmattimore on July 02, 2010)

Here is a pair I just finished. I made them for a friend. The lasts are those that I showed in my pictorial of lastmaking last autumn.

Black calfskin oxfords, hand sewn Baker's outsole, 10 spi, beveled/fiddleback waist. This pattern is one that I like, it adds a bit of distinction to a simple black oxford. You do have to 'spring' the vamp/quarter seam, because the two facings are cut from the single piece of leather due to the design.





Lance

For Jesse Lee Cantrell

1864 Drovers boots
These were designed for a special Florida cavalry unit of the Confederacy in 1864, which were the primary early cowboys for the Confederate army driving beeves north to feed their men. Originally they had a brass toe cap and brass plate above the heel across the lower part of the counter. The leather is 4oz. oak tanned which is Virginia waxed ie. the hide came as is and was finished with a harness wax dressing in the shop. Stitches are 8 to the inch using # 7 Barbours linen cord, hand waxed. Boot straps have a period copper rivet for strength as per originals. Soles are double pegged at 8 to the inch with the toes nailed with square iron nails as per the heels.





(Message edited by proxy posting on July 21, 2010)

Veg tan kangaroo
I really enjoyed finishing the bottoms. I'd rather wear the Vibram 1/2"heel sole, but I'd rather make the leather sole with a stacked leather heel any day.

I made these shoes for my wedding last Monday. The leather is a pebble grain French calf golf shoe leather from a closeout sale.

I took advantage of the fact that the black color is not struck through allowing my gimped edge to be white.

Sorry, I forgot how to make this. Let's see...

This is not my work but I thought it was so unusual and so striking that it belonged here in the gallery.

The first photo is of some "pinwork" that was once fairly common on shoes meant for exhibition. This is a 19th century example, I believe. It is comprised of thousands of tiny pins of different metals...thus producing the colour.


The second photo is of some prize winning shoes made by contemporary Japanese shoemaker,Genki Shinomiya.


For your edification and inspiration...

Finished and delivered, one pair of boots.
My new favorites. These are made of Black and #88 Brown from GH Leather.
Thanks to those involved for the help and encouragment.

These are my second pair of shoes since taking Marcell's class in June. I was told that I needed to make 20 pairs before they would be good...so a long way to go!
I really learned some things from this project - particularly how little I know what I am doing. Each mistake does tell me what to focus my attention on next time, however. I ended up essentially ruining the shoes by trying to dye the sole edge with Fiebings. \image

(Message edited by hallotp on August 09, 2010)

(Message edited by hallotp on August 09, 2010)

I thought i will post a picture before this one leave the shop soon,The customer asked for them to be made rugged(not dressy in his words,I bought some real good Spanish calf for it,but he chose this badly tan cow/calf 4 oz and didn't absorb water well and made hand blocking difficult.

Nasser