DIY Cobbler-ing: Changing Sole Edge Color

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by Orgetorix

[/spoiler] Thanks for the info, pros. This is definitely an amateur job, and as I said a professional cobbler would absolutely be able to do it better. I just wanted to experiment, and anyone considering following my example should pay careful attention to what DW and Nick have said. I have some carnuba wax that I use for polishing my pipes. Maybe I'll think about a way to apply some of that for better protection, though I know it won't achieve the same results as DW's process.
I hope you understand that I meant no criticism...just thought you might like to take some of these factors into consideration.

 

[Orgetorix]

Originally Posted by DWFII

I hope you understand that I meant no criticism...just thought you might like to take some of these factors into consideration.

Absolutely, and I appreciate the feedback. I'd expect nothing less from a shoemaker or cobbler than to tell me how my method falls short. This ain't a wallpapering project where I'd expect to achieve perfect results just by being careful.

 

[cptjeff]

Originally Posted by DWFII

You did a fairly good job. But you might want to think about several things... First, when leather soles are trimmed and finished a specially shaped cutter followed by a similarly shaped collice is used to make the edge of the sole slightly concave and to create and "freeze" a set of "wires" at the top and bottom edge respectively. If nothing else these wires (it used to be there was an additional "step" or shoulder impressed into the welt) give definition and a clear, professional look to the edge of the sole. Nothing looks more amateurish, IMO, than a rounded sole edge. When the final finish is applied to the sole edge and the heel, a hard, usually carnuba, wax is burnished in, using some heat. The collice is again used around the sole, this time with heat, and another, differently shaped collice is used on the heel stack. This drives the wax into the fibers in a way that simply applying shoe polish cannot. And, in doing so, it simultaneously hardens and seals the leather to prevent water absorption. No other process works quite so well for this purpose.
Just out of curiosity, at about what point would one start to see that level of detail? Is that something that you see just on top end bespoke? EG? Allen Edmonds/Alden? Bass Weejuns? Would a local cobbler do that on a resole? It that something you would expect any shoe to have, or is that one of those details that makes a shoe more expensive?

Originally Posted by Nick V.

When Kennedy was president, maybe....
What would you charge? And what do you think a lower end cobbler not in NYC would charge? Certainly tempted to do this to my florshiems. Walnut calf, and I've never been all that fond of the very dark brown edge.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by cptjeff

Just out of curiosity, at about what point would one start to see that level of detail? Is that something that you see just on top end bespoke? EG? Allen Edmonds/Alden? Bass Weejuns? Would a local cobbler do that on a resole? It that something you would expect any shoe to have, or is that one of those details that makes a shoe more expensive?
There is some movement to eliminate these details (but not the burnishing) among low end manufacturers. But trimming and burnishing have long been perfected as a machine operation. Most every shoe repair shop is mechanically capable...not every repairman feels confidant in his skills to attempt it, however. Some simplification has come about because of that mechanization...such as the elimination of the shoulder (or "jigger step")....but I would expect that most well-regarded RTW will exhibit this type of finishing just as a matter of course.