Dack's shoes question - Page 8

It looks as if I got into the Dack's Shoes Question a little late.  However, if Colonel 77 or Man of Lint can answer my questions, I would appreciate it.  Also, I was interested in the size 14 Camel shoes that tonylamer mentioned on 2 Oct.  What's the best way to get his attention?

These just came into my possession: unworn, genuine camel skin, 8.5 F. From the stamp on the inner sole, these might be from 1984/85, the 150th anniversary year.

I'll post some better pics when I do some up this weekend.


More pics (Click to show)

Edit: pictures added.
Edited by FaceOfBoh - 12/1/12 at 11:09am

FaceOfBoh, nice shoes! Wonderful grain on those. I have a pair of Dack's camel wintips. Hope you lotion them, and if you do, let dry thoroughly, perhaps a few days. They may stay sticky after lotioning but once dry, will be fine after a brushing. Enjoy, and thank you for posting the photos.

You can message him here Martin : http://www.styleforum.net/messages/messages/compose/u/144200
Welcome to Styleforum.

Thanks for your comments. What is this lotion you refer to? Pebble grain (and in fact exotics) are new to me. I only use polish, wax based and creme, depending on the shoe/need.

What do you suggest?

I use Lexol or sometimes I'll use various brands that my local cobbler carries. I thinly apply with my fingers and work the lotion into the leather by hand. Then I let rest until dry. As I stated earlier, you may or may not experience a sticly feeling to the leather after applying the lotion (conditioner) so let dry a day or two before brushing. I've experienced this on some old Dack's and Florsheim shoes. I have no idea why. They all dry fine though and are still in loyal service today.
As far as specific treatment for camel, I just lotion as any other leather and have had no problems. Some of the members here prefer Saphir products to any other for their superlative results but this is a personal chioce. Personally I use the cheap stuff.
As far as polishes, with this camel skin, I use no polish ever on them as they just never need it. A good lotioning once every 3 months or so is all they ever need.

Message for Man of Lint.  Thanks for the addresses to contact tonylamer.  His thread was actually in Feb 2012 and apparently the camel oxfords, size 14, went the next day!  Chap from the northwest snapped them up.  Lately I have helped a couple of merchants, who advertise on E-Bay, to decode older Canadian Dack sizes, for example, 312 or 4105 or 413.  They were not familiar with using a numeral for the width.  We established quite a friendly communication.  Cheers, Martin B.

You are most welcome Martin.

Any Dacks fan want a pair of Hartt shoes?
They're 10.5 A/B - I thought I could make it work but they're too narrow for me.
Cost of shipping and they're yours. They really are a nice shoe.
These are how I found them; I've polished them since then so they look a bit more respectable.

To FaceofBoh.  I sold Hartt's in southern Ontario in my pre-20s years.  We had a small in-stock catalogue from the company that we used for promotion.  That would be in the early '50s.  Your brown willow calf shoes are in the copy I still have and were called The Brentwood, Style No. 661.  The shoe was also available in black calf as the Brentwood under Style No. 454.  Now, here's the test for my "shoe recognition" effort.  The number 661 should appear inside the heel counter as the middle number, top row.  I can't remember the Last number, but it would appear on the far right, bottom row.  Let me know how I did.  If the shoes had been 14 C or D, I would have bought them from you in a heartbeat.  I'm curious, where do you encounter these old, classic Hartt's and Dack's?

Martin B:
Here's the number from the shoe:
A/B 105 2062 4
524694 65
It's all Greek to me but no 661 in sight.

I'm in Edmonton and find a lot of Dacks and Hartt in the thrift shops, many of them in completely wearable condition. I also find a lot of Canadian-made Florsheims, often in unworn condition.

It's a shame that there's not much of a demand for the Dacks and Hartt. I'm always willing to hook people up for cost + shipping, not to make a buck (how could I on those terms?) but simply to give these pieces of quality Canadianna a third act.

FaceofBoh

 

So - I didn't make out too well in guessing style numbers!  Back when I was selling Hartt shoes, in the catalog and on the shoe boxes, brown shoes were known by three digit numbers in the 600 series; black shoes in the 400 series.  What I don't remember is - what number appeared in the actual shoes.  All my latter day Hartts show four digit numbers like your Brentwoods.  We'd need to talk with someone who worked in the Fredericton factory to get the ungarbled story.  Actually, I live only 1 1/2 hours from FC, so perhaps I can locate a contact.

 

Anyway, thanks very much for your reply and suggestion re the thrift shops.  I agree that it's a shame that more use is not made of these outstanding shoes.  So, if you encounter any size 13 1/2 D, 14 C or 14 D, let me know and I'll give you a fair price for them.

 

Martin B

It is a shame indeed and praise to your efforts in doing your part to preserving what is left. You know, to my knowledge, there isn't a single manufacturer of mens dress shoes (or womens for that matter) in Canada anymore. Not even one, and for a xountry with over 30 million people, it is a national shame and somewhere, a crime..

Hartts are particularly good shoes especially the double sole jobs from the 50s. Near indestructible.