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Dacks and other Canadian shoe brands

COLONEL77

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If I ever become a man of absurd means, my rotation would consist entirely of camel, lizard, antelope, bison, prairie oxhide, elephant, and ostrich Florsheim-McHale Kenmores. Granted I own literally none- even in calf- but a man can dream.
YES, BY ALL MEANS ALWAYS DREAM AND KEEP DREAMING TO YOUR LAST AS IT CAUSES NO HARM AND AT TIMES THINGS CAN AND DO HAPPEN -

HAVE FORGOTTEN MOST OF THE TANNERY NAMES AND EVEN VISITED SOME WHEN WHEN WORKING AT CHURCH FACTORY IN NORTHAMPTON BUT DO NOT KNOW NAMES YOU LISTED HERE - MORE THAN LIKELY NO ONE COULD COME UP WITH THESE NOW AS MY FATHER WOULD BE 110 THIS YEAR AND MOST OF THOSE HE KNEW AND DEALT WITH DIED DECADES BEFORE SO ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE WENT WITH THEM -

ALL BEING ONE MORE GOOD REASON TO SIT DOWN WITH GRANDPARENTS / PARENTS / ASSOCIATES TO VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORD THEM AS WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN BRAIN COMPUTER THAT DIES WITH US -

ONE THING I KNOW IS DACK'S / HARTT / CHURCH / ALL THE BETTER OUTFITS USED ONLY THE VERY BEST HIDES TO BE FOUND AND OUR LEATHER MAN IN FREDERICTON USED TO PULL A HIDE TO QUESTION ME AS TO WHAT WAS NOT RIGHT WHERE HE SAW MUCH MORE THAN I SO IT TAKES TIME AND KNOWLEDGE JUST LIKE BEING A JUDGE OF ANYTHING TO KNOW THE BEST FROM VERY GOOD TO GOOD AND SUCH -

AM FEELING SOMEONE IN FREDERICTON ENDED UP WITH OUR VERY LARGE AND VARIED HIDE COLLECTION WHICH INCLUDED JUST ABOUT EVERY POSSIBLE VARIATION YOU COULD THINK OF TO INCLUDE SKINS FROM ANIMALS NEVER USED IN SHOE MANUFACTURING - COLONEL77
 

Jiqea

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I think I have only seen one photo of your father, but it is easy to tell he was an athlete. I saw a pair of S.E. Dack golf shoes on Ebay last year and I kick myself for not buying them.

I was wondering what you remember about the relationship with Church of England and the production of the Bond Street line. As I am sure you are aware the Bond Street line started in the late 1920's and were an entry level shoe made from Canadian calf. I can really find no ads for them after WW2 until they reappear as the English made shoe. Was this a relationship and business plan your father established. I assume that this relationship with Church ultimately led to the sale of the company by your father in 1964. It seems your dad had great timing. That was a good time to retreat from the men's dress shoe industry.
 

Paul902

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@COLONEL77 Thank you so much for the detailed replies. There is so much interesting and fun info in there. I have been to The Toronto Hunt for a wedding. Even if you were not cycling on Hollywood Crescent, I am sure that you and Dad would have covered some of the same ground as he was all over that end of the city, cycling out to St. Michaels almost every day, playing through the Don Valley, and the Beaches right down to the waterfront, etc. As you say, it is worth sitting down with parents and grandparents to hear their stories and experiences. When my dad talks about stuff long past it is a pure treasure.

I think it is amazing that you have shoes that you built yourself over 60 years ago at age 12!! That is remarkable. Also very interesting to learn about the shoe salesmen using smaller sizes, and that there are exotic hide experimental shoes out there. It sounds like you have been very generous with your shoes over the years and there is, of course, a richness in that. Well done!

The mention of 6-day racing piqued my interest as I have also enjoyed cycling since my youth. I had never heard of this. A quick search online brought up this 6DayRacing website, dedicated to that history. They have an incomplete rider list. You should contact them with the info you know about your Dad's participation.

Here is a photo of my Dack's collection so far. They are arranged roughly from oldest to newest, starting with the SE Dack's water bison wholecuts that Jim posted earlier, up to some 150th Anniversary pairs at the right, and the Strathcona boots.

IMG_7673.JPG
 

suitforcourt

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Canadian made rubber boots for yard work. Bought these at Canadian Tire. No brand marked on them.
20200325_165948.jpg
 

nikolau

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Hi folks, I was curious if any of you would be so kind as to help me figure out the age of these shoes. I’m in the process of buying and sprucing up a pair of shoes as a gift, and I am at a bit of a loss as to when these were made- and to what standard.

 

Jiqea

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Hi folks, I was curious if any of you would be so kind as to help me figure out the age of these shoes. I’m in the process of buying and sprucing up a pair of shoes as a gift, and I am at a bit of a loss as to when these were made- and to what standard.

They were built after McHale ceased the long standing tradition of doubling and stitching the edges of the sock-liner. I suspect that this occurred in the 80's. They cant date past 1990 as the factory closed. I feel free to comment on these shoes as it was I who found them. Paul won them in a coin flip. They are fine shoes.
 
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suitforcourt

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COLONEL77

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Here are a few images from a 1968 Hochmans catalog that is currently on eBay. I have never heard of this company before, or for that matter Frontier shoes. They may have been a jobber, distributing products sourced from a variety of manufacturers. The catalog is quite extensive with all types of boots, from rubber to cowboy, as well as sneakers and dress shoes. Perhaps @mariusscott might know something about them as they were located in Winnipeg.

View attachment 1360161 View attachment 1360162 View attachment 1360163

THIS WAS A KNOWN NAME YEARS AGO - REMEMBER SEEING THEIR CATALOGUES AT THAT TIME -

THIS EXAMPLE IS IN FANTASTIC CONDITION AND WOULD BE HIGHLY PRIZED BY ANY COLLECTOR -

JUST LOOK AT HOW MUCH PAINTING / AIRBRUSHING IS ON EACH PAGE -

OUR MAN WAS NAMED DAVID FISHER ON EGLINTON AVENUE EAST OF YONGE STREET WHO WAS THE ONE WHO DID ALL IMAGES IN THE DACK'S / HARTT CATALOGUES FOR YEARS -

LIKE SO MANY OF THE OTHER FORMER / RETIRED / NOW DEPARTED IMPORTANT PEOPLE WHO WORKED IN THE COMPANY BOTH IN TORONTO / FREDERICTON, HAD LOST TOUCH WITH HIM AS THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WITH NAME ' DAVID FISHER ' TO BE FOUND EVEN ON CHECKING GOOGLE SEARCH -

THERE IS A REAL ART TO DOING SHOES WITH ALL THE INTRICATE DETAILING AROUND ANY SHOE. - COLONEL77
 

COLONEL77

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Got these for $10. The bottom says "Benchmade in England." Are they by Cheaney?

View attachment 1361528

View attachment 1361529

View attachment 1361530

UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM THE BUSINESS TOO LONG WITHOUT ACTUALLY HOLDING A PAIR LIKE THIS IN MY HANDS HOWEVER CHEANEY MADE SHOES OF THIS STYLE SO IT MIGHT VERY WELL BE ONE OF THEIRS -

DO ANY OF YOU HAVE AN SHOES OF ' GRENSON ' ( WILLIAM GREEN & SON ) AS THERE ARE LESS OF THOSE OUT THERE NOW AM FEELING - THEY WERE A MAJOR SUPPLIER TO DACK'S OVER TIME AS WELL -

MR. GREEN HAD A RATHER AMUSING NICKNAME, " SPOTTY ", AS BEING A TYPICAL ENGLISHMAN WHO HAS NEVER TAKEN ANYTHING TO THE DRY CLEANERS HIS SUITS / JACKETS HAD HIS BREAKFAST / LUNCH / DINNER ALL OVER -

YOU HAD TO BE THERE AS THEY SAY - COLONEL77
 

COLONEL77

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ODDLY, TALKING ABOUT ' SPATS ' , AGAIN IN LAST TWO DAYS THERE HAVE BEEN TWO REFERENCES ON TELEVISION, ONE BEING ON TURNER MOVIE CLASSICS IN THE FILM " SOME LIKE IT HOT ", WHICH YOU ALL WILL HAVE SEEN AT ONE TIME, WHERE CHARACTER ACTOR GEORGE RAFT PLAYED A GANGSTER NAMED " SPATS COLUMBO " AND AT ONE POINT HE TELLS ONE OF HIS THUGS TO " BUTTON MY SPATS " AND THIS IS SEEN WHILE THE SCENE MOVES ALONG -

ANOTHER MENTION WAS IN A MORNING NEWS PROGRAM IN CANADA WHERE THE WORD WAS REFERENCED BY AN OLDER GENTLEMAN, SO IT HAS NOT BEEN TOTALLY FORGOTTEN - COLONEL77
 

COLONEL77

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On my last thrifting stop early last week I picked up a distressed pair of late 80's early 90's camel Dacks shortwings. I just gave them a 20 minute spa with Lexol, Bicks 4 and NOS laces and they are good to go. Camel and Bison leather is so forgiving.

View attachment 1359877 View attachment 1359878

GREATLY APPEARS YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SMALL " REBUILD /REPAIR " OPERATION GOING BY BACKGROUND IN TOP PHOTO -
ALL OF YOU VIEWERS MAY NOT BE AWARE WHERE BETWEEN DACK'S / HARTT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SHOE BOXES TO LOOK FOR, LIKELY YOU HAVE SOME -
MOST WERE IN SHADES OF MEDIUM TO DARK BROWN WHILE AT LEAST ONE WAS BLACK - LOST COUNT OF THE DIFFERENCE TO LOOK FOR OVER TIME SO THERE WOULD BE A FEW TO SEEK OUT -
OTHERS SOLD THESE, LIKE FLORSHEIM WITH THEIR NAME, AS WELL, SO PEOPLE COULD JUST HAVE A COLLECTION OF SHOE BOXES ALONE - COLONEL77
 

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