C&J wholecut - medallion - yes or no?

[chobochobo]

I thought that I really liked the C&J Weymouth when I saw it in London a while ago and thought that the medallion added a little something. However, I just noted that the wholecut also comes in a model without the medallion ie the Alex and think I prefer it. What do others think? Medallion or no medallion?

 

[NoVaguy]

Originally Posted by chobochobo

I thought that I really liked the C&J Weymouth when I saw it in London a while ago and thought that the medallion added a little something. However, I just noted that the wholecut also comes in a model without the medallion ie the Alex and think I prefer it. What do others think? Medallion or no medallion?

i own the weymouth, and that's the way i would go.

 

[Roger]

The Weymouth and Alex are not strictly equivalent shoes--in ways other than the presence or absence of the medallion. The Weymouth is part of C&J's Handgrade line and is made on the celebrated 337 last designed by Dimitri Gomez and recognized as a great last. The Alex is part of C&J's regular line (often called "Benchgrade" by forumers) and is made on the new 348 last. C&J Handgrade shoes are slightly higher quality than regular grade shoes. The leather is better, the finishing a little better, the construction is better--more carefully done--and they have closed-channeled soles. They run 25% - 30% higher in price than the regular grades. The jury is still out on the C&J 348 last, although I think it's terrific and similar in many ways to the 337.

So make your choice with these facts in mind. Although the Weymouth appears only occasionally on eBay, the Alex has been there comparatively frequently, from excellent sellers like Sausages234 and Modern-Vintage. You will probably be buying seconds from these eBay sellers, but whatever flaw has relegated the shoes to this status is usually undetectable.

 

[MilanoStyle]

Well .. Weymouth is a great looking and really really well made shoes. You will be happy with them

 

[chobochobo]

I was going to buy from Plal.com. They seem to have the best price for new shoes, and they rarely go on ebay used... anybody with experience with this seller please?

 

[dah328]

There are lots of posts on plal in the archives.

 

[thinman]

To answer the OP, I prefer the Weymouth (with the floating medallion). I own 2 Grenson wholecuts without medallion and IMO they look rather plain.

 

[gdl203]

With medallion for me

 

[Teacher]

But why choose? Get both!

If, however, this isn't an option, then go with your gut reaction. If you like the Alex and it fits you well, then that's the way to go. On the other hand, if you really do like both and can try them on, you may find one fits significantly better; this is the one you should get.

 

[skalogre]

I'd go with the Weymouth (yes, I need a fifth pair of wholecuts

) but Teacher has the best advice. If you feel uneasy about the medallion go with the Alex.

 

[TKDKid]

I prefer no medallion, but that's because my shoe size is small and I don't like how medallions tend to end up swamping the toe. If you're a "reasonable" size, the medallion can look nice, eg:

compared with:

- I think the medallion looks too big in the second pic.

Note that there are other plain wholecut options besides the Alex: the Handgrade semi-wholecuts Balmuir I & II (check posts by von Rothbart and aportnoy), regular line true wholecut Mayfair (zjpj83), Handgrade true wholecut Hanover (sysdoc)... Not sure if you can get these from PLal though.

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by TKDKid

I prefer no medallion, but that's because my shoe size is small and I don't like how medallions tend to end up swamping the toe. If you're a "reasonable" size, the medallion can look nice
- I think the medallion looks too big in the second pic.

This is exactly why I prefer the medallion--my size 12 feet look a little smaller with a medallion distracting from the huge expanse of leather in front of my trouser legs.

 

[Lino]

closed-channeled? How do they close it? What does it look like?

 

[chorse123]

I agree that shoe size should be a factor.

Also, have you tried on shoes in each last? I haven't been able to get the 337 to work for me.

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by chorse123

I agree that shoe size should be a factor.

Also, have you tried on shoes in each last? I haven't been able to get the 337 to work for me.

Good point. I went down 1/2 size in my US sizing on the 337 last (bought US 11.5 instead of my usual US 12). They're a little snug, but not uncomfortable.