The Crispin Colloquy

Thanks Nasser.

Do you have inches or mm measurements for these sizes? I do not speak german, but GMBH lists punches per the following examples :

"R 3 bis R 6"
"R 7 bis R 9"


...and so on. Are the 0, 1, 17, 18 sizes you list for GMBH?

Maybe I'll bring some calipers into the Allen Edmond's store near me...

Sorry i should have explained, The set of punches i have is Anton wieser, 22 in the set, They are familiar with the name and the set,if you ask for the equivalent of the sizes i given and tell them it is Anton Wieser sizes, I don't have a caliper to measure,I wrote them an e-mail in English and they responded,their catalog is useless unless one read German and i am not one, but keep at it.

Nasser

Nick,
find a Götz dealer and order the tool item number:79701010 and 79701013 at page 182 and you have all you need or brouging. Instead of the "patent ornamnet puncher", which is very expensive, you can mount it to an ordinary puncher. This is what I am using and in the London trade the call the tool "two in one".
Here's the link to the catalogue http://www.goetz-service.com/web/pdf/goetzkatalog.pdf

(Message edited by janne melkersson on November 11, 2010)

Janne, Nick,

That's what I have except I have about four of the multiple punches and the holder. A bunch of us here created a "Buyer's Consortium" and bought punches for broguing. I don't know a one of that group that actually uses the holder. But I don't know what Janne means when he says "puncher."

I might also add that I bought a number of sizes of single punches and the single punch holder. I don't use the holder--the punch tubes were never secure in the holder. Or so secure you played hell getting them out. Fortunately Dick Anderson makes a "holder" he uses for sharpening a gimping tool and it holds the punch tubes very well. I have several of these and keep my most often used punches constantly mounted.

I have 0-7 and 10 and 12 as well as some diamonds,stars, etc..

I will say this...the multiple punch is hard to use and get exactingly clean holes especially as you go around curves and especially if you are reversing it with each step to keep spacing accurate. I've nearly quit using the "two in ones" as well.

So, dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist that I am, I lay out my broguing pattern in CorelDraw, print it out and punch, by hand, one hole at a time. It is not significantly slower and assures me the kind of accuracy and spacing I want.

It should also be noted that it is both imperative and difficult to keep the punch tubes clear when punching...especially the "0's" and "1's".

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

DW,
I meant the tool at page 182 called punches round #79700.. They way I do it is to mount the inserts #79710.. into the round puncher and secure it with a modern super glue. It works perfect and is a pretty cheap sollution.
Hope this helps

Does anyone have a North American supplier for adhesive topline tape?

Jon,

Lisa Sorrel was kind enough to give me a source.

Textile Tapes
104 Pickering Rd.
Rochester, NH 03867
603-332-5816
Really nice people to do business with.

Thanks, to you and Lisa, I will give them a call.

Greetings, I am grateful for the responses I received re: replacements for rhinoflex, I'm checking them out. I wonder if the website www.cobblersupplies.com is known to colloquy readers - a customer just made me aware of it. It offers materials that people without wholesale accounts usually can't get. Sharon

Does anyone out there have a source for good combination leather/rubber heel lifts? This would be especially good from a Canadian source, but that's not essential.

The lifts I've bought here haven't been that great. I'm looking for something well constructed of good leather. The JR heel lifts are perfect, but I don't know where to get them.

Kaufman at NY has the JR heel lift and the other one from Italy.
Did you try the vibram combination leather/rubber heel lifts? I think you can get it from most suppliers.

greetings, does anyone know what texon is made of, paper, but some kind of plastic as well? thanks, Sharon

I'm looking for a pair of Lasting Pincers. I looked at several web sites and seem to find a few different styles. I've even found a used pair, but they didnt look like they would work very well as the jaws are worn. I'm just not sure which style will be the best.

I'm just getting into making my own shoes. I've gotten to a point in my life that I can. I wanted to 25 years or so ago in highschool but wasn't sure where to look. I'm very green at this. I will probably have a lot of questions.

Mark,

If you look in "The Boughton faire memorial bazaar" and look under "Tools and equipment for sale", the pincers on the right are still available,I sold the bull dog to a friend.

As for worn jaws on pincers,I used to see the old shoe maker put a small piece of glass between the jaws and crushes it and that he said will give the jaws better grip.

Nasser

Mark,

Oregon Leather (Portland and Eugene) carries a very good quality (Osborne)lasting pliers for ~$70.

All three pair of pincers that Nasser had available on August 2 (click on link) look like good pincers to me.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

Hi Mark, I love the old tools the best and would buy second hand as opposed to new every time. When you use a tool that some ol' boy has loved and worked with, the magic from his hands goes into the tool and is imparted into the work. When you use these tools a little bit of his magic goes into your work.
If you take something you've made by hand (as opposed to something massed produced some where) you'll notice that the more you hold it or work with it the better it feels and becomes, this is your magic going into it. And you don't get that in 'factory' stuff.

More power to y'awl
Tomo

Tom, that is exactly how I feel. And I feel they don't make stuff like they used to. I try to buy a lot of my had tools and bring them back to life. Take for instant This saturday I came home with 2 29-4 singers. one of them is on the treadle the other isn't. The one on the treadle is a 1897 model. it works good I just had to clean it a bit. The other isa 1912 model. a couple things are broken but I can fix them. This makes 31 total old sewing machines that I have. Most of which on on treadles and set up to use. I like making my own clothing and Shoes is one thing I've been wanting to make for Years.

Mark,

I too am a great fan of treadle machines. I collect Bradbury's and use them in my shop. I also have an 1860 McKay treadle machine and a 29K-2. Can't say as the Junker and Ruh is treadle, but hand operated.
Have you any idea where I can get a treadle chainstitch machine that sews with heavy cord, or a Blake stitcher?

Cheers,

JesseLee

no i don't. I've got a 1881 wilcox and gibbs chainstitcher but it doesnt use very big thread.

I almost had a early bradbury but lost it at the last minute. I wouldnt mind have a junker and ruh but I don't like the rarity of the needles and the prices on them.
I'm wanting some sort of hand operated or treadle leather machine that I can put soles on shoes and boots. Electric is nice but on some things I just chose not to use it.

Mark,

I have had a few Wilcox and Gibbs machines. They will sew through thinner leather. I have the same preference, hand or treadle operated.

Bradbury's are great, but shuttles are scarce. A 29K shuttle can be machined down to fit. And if you are lucky to have a shuttle, a 29K bobbin can be machined down and useful. They take 29K needles.

The last "known" Junker and Ruh needles were snapped up by us J&R fans. I got 10 of the biggest as I use #7 Barbours linen, and they cost a small fortune, but I needed 'em

Cheers,
JesseLee

I do have a Gritzner sole stitcher - similar to a Frobana, that is hand cranked. it has a curved needle and a knife that cuts the channel. The hand wheel goes around twice for every stitch made. the Frobana is usually mounted on a pederstol and they are usually a crimson/ burgundy colour. The Gritzner is a pale grey/green and is mounted on a waist high heavy wooden stool.

More power to y'awl.
Tom.

Tom,

I have heard they are sweet little machines. Does the knife cut down into the sole or through the sole edge?

I'm still trying to figure out how to stitch soles with my J&R. Any advice? I was thinking of soaking the sole leather around the welt.

Cheers,

JesseLee

Tom, good to see you popping up on here again.

I don't suppose you could post pictures of the knife arrangement in your Gritzner and the stool it's on? I got one recently (for a whole NZ$70) but there's no knife I can see and it doesn't have a stool. Does yours have any sort of wax stripper on the exit from the wax pot?

As far as I can tell the Gritzner is a type of machine made by a company called Frobana. There are burgundy ones too, but they seem to be later models, some made by AFL. AFL still sell needles for them.

The only problem I have with mine is that the needles I have seem enormous compared to the size of thread I can get through them.

Cheers.