A Shoemaker's blog... or something like that

[gnatty8]

Excellent posts and pictures, thank you for sharing these with us.

 

[fritzl]

Marcell, who is the shoemaker, who closed his shop? Was he in Budapest?

 

[MarcellHUN]

Originally Posted by fritzl

Marcell, who is the shoemaker, who closed his shop? Was he in Budapest?

N. Ferenc. He had a shop in the Nagykörút, Budapest. He made very nice shoes.

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by MarcellHUN

This is the method for fixing the upper to the insole, without synthetic (or any) glue. This method is really ancient (I will teach it in my NY course). If someone wants to have something really special - he can have it. Goes to pegged shoes.

Once I have been told, this is the butter on the bread. The "basement" of the shoe.

Originally Posted by MarcellHUN

(There are anyone here who thought about why shoemaker prefers pegged shoes, instead of sewn?
I met many old masters in the last few years, and almost all of them wear pegged shoes.. hmm.

I have asked the old masters, I have met. There was never a real answer to this. Some cryptic words. I also think, it is a regional thing.

For example: Scheer refuses, that the pegged method has used by them at any time. A friend's grandfather has several pegged pairs from them. Hmmmh.

I know my grandfather used the pegs, too. But, I was six, when he passed away.

 

[MarcellHUN]

Nothing wrong with the pegged technology - except that it is very hard to make properly. Realy strong and durable shoes are made with this technology. Riding boots, soldier's boots are traditionally made pegged.

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by MarcellHUN

Nothing wrong with the pegged technology - except that it is very hard to make properly. Realy strong and durable shoes are made with this technology. Riding boots, soldier's boots are traditionally made pegged.

Certainly, there is nothing wrong. I also like the look.

 

[WorkingClassHero]

I really love Budapest. Thanks for the picture of that lovely street! I spent six months there as a student in 1990. Best six months of my life! Great city, great people, great country!

 

[MarcellHUN]

Originally Posted by WorkingClassHero

I really love Budapest. Thanks for the picture of that lovely street! I spent six months there as a student in 1990. Best six months of my life! Great city, great people, great country!

And great students from all around the world!

Thanks - in the name of my city!

 

[debsc23]

Hi Marcell

Good to meet you online - your shoes are beautiful. We share a student in common I think - Jessie from New York - I think that I spotted her in one of your shots from the summer course? We are handsewn shoemakers in London - we came to the trade through a passion for the craft rather than any historic connections so it is lovely to see your pictures. Visit our website to see some of our shoes...carreducker.com

How about creating an international shoemakers network online? Every maker has their own techniques and it is always interesting to learn new techniques.

We too are teaching a shoemaking course in New York - a three week intensive fully handsewn course in April/May next year.

We wish you a great course in November. If you come through London please stop by to see us.

Best wishes

Deborah Carre & James Ducker
carreducker

 

[MarcellHUN]

Thanks! I wish you the same!

I heard about you from Jesse. She mentioned that you named my cutting technique "hungarian way"

I found it funny. Good to hear from a collague!

I will absolutely would like to visit you, I hope I can visit London soon - so it is now in my plans.

About the rest, let's contact by mail: [email protected]

Bests,

Marcell

 

[MarcellHUN]

An English sewn shoe in progress.

It was a long day in the workshop. Beside the many lasting and sewing I intended to make I realised that I didn't do so much for preserving my profession for a while. This is - taking the fact that I have a lot of orders and long waiting list - reasonable, but in 100 years all of those shoes I make will be forgotten (except the few in museums). This cannot happen with the knowledge what shoemakers collected, and practice.

What did I do until now? (definitely not enough)

1. I made some films about shoemaking (English and goiser sewn techniques)
Nice, nice but not enough. I didn't dare to speak with my horrible English, and I could have shown much-much more.

2. I started to teach.
Also nice - hopefully my students are very happy with it, but preserving a craft means more (I love to teach, so I will continue.)

3. I bought a few months ago the craftarchive.org domain. You can check: it is mine.. but I didn't have support, time and reasources to fill it, with with my materials, knowledge etc.. MAybe I should go for some tenders, but I am not so good in their stupid administration. I would fail.

4. Started to write a (actually two) book(s) about shoemaking with videos. I believe that books cannot replace a real master, but on the other hands books live together, masters pass. I already wrote the half of it.

Here are the cover design-plans.

5. Start to make a shoemaker's education center or something like this. I will organise regular courses, I take apprentices, and so on..

 

[william]

Looks great Marcel!

 

[jimmyshoe]

Hey Marcell, my name is James, the other half of carreducker. Really good to see your blog on here. This is all new to me and it's pretty exciting stuff. I didn't realise there is so much interest in our craft. I will follow what you write and look forward to meeting you soon, maybe in London.

Good luck with everything and keep posting

 

[Fabro]

Great blog Marcell. Please do keep posting; the work you are doing is very important. This is a critical time for traditional arts like shoe making. It is very encouraging to see you using technology to educate people about the grand traditions of your craft. The work you are doing now to uncover, document, and promote the skills of the master craftsman of earlier generations is critical to ensure that traditional shoemaking has a future. This is the Internet at it's best: exposing an important local craft to a global audience, and thus helping it's survival. You've certainly inspired me. A year ago I would never had entertained the thought of commissioning a pair of bespoke shoes, and now I proudly wear a handmade pair of Budapests that you made. Now of course I want a pair of pegged shoes...

Originally Posted by MarcellHUN

Finally a nice story about my calf-stingray oxford I posted before: The customer of this shoes didn't take it on yet. Actually he keeps it in the display cabinet (?). Very nice from him, very low efficient advertisement for me...

I completely understand. My pair were so nice they sat for quite some time on my dresser, just being admired! I finally broke down of course--shoes are meant to be worn, after all. Now that the weather is cooler I've been wearing them a lot and find it's much more satisfying to admire them throughout the day than to treat them like a museum piece. As they wear, they become mine.

 

[MarcellHUN]

I will do so! I am just considering if I should do in this thread or start a new one with each entry... Please advise..

Thanks Jimmy! I hope I can organise a meeting with my customers there (I already have some, but not enough to go), and I can take a visit at your place! It is always very nice to meet collagues.

Fabro! I am happy to hear that you still use and like your Koronya Budapest shoes! Since then I also made one for myself (thanks for you Fabro - it is an upper, what I didn't made for you, because I wasn't satisfied with a small detail - but it is OK for myself) - and maybe it is strange - I love it! Not a modern style, no elongated toe, no fancy thin sole, but all together has some magic. Same style, same form, same sewing than 100 years ago - just like my grandpa's shoe. I cannot understand, but I love to take them on. I didn't put any rubber, or metal on the sole - 102 of brass nails in each, doubel leather sole - you have to wear it, because you cannot imagine the nice sound it makes everywhere, but especially on stone or wood floor. Not so noise, not agressive like metal plates, just beautiful. But you know that, I guess..