Leather Quality and Properties

[patrickBOOTH]

Right, I was just getting at that it isn't a flat piece of bark (cork) it is crumbled and mixed with an adhesive.

 

[DWFII]

Right, I was just getting at that it isn't a flat piece of bark (cork) it is crumbled and mixed with an adhesive.

Exactly right. And a good point.

?

 

[ntempleman]

The flat sheets used ubiquitously are also a slurry of cork bits and glue, just formed into a sheet like a soft MDF

 

[ntempleman]

Do you even call it MDF in the US? Probably got some fruity name for it, like spackle or similar nonsense

 

[DWFII]

The flat sheets used ubiquitously are also a slurry of cork bits and glue, just formed into a sheets like a soft MDF

Well, I kind of figured that from the term "cork plate". But no, cork does come in sheet that are solid--layers carefully peeled from the tree. I've never seen that used in shoemaking but the rings of cork in the handle of a , esp., vintage, flyrod are made from solid sheets.

 

[DWFII]

MDF? --medium density fiberboard? Not sure what defines "medium density" but the big companies over here call the soft density stuff "insole".

 

[bjhofkin]

An Englishman calling someone ELSE fruity?

Do you even call it MDF in the US? Probably got some fruity name for it, like spackle or similar nonsense

 

[ntempleman]

Well, I kind of figured that from the term "cork plate". But no, cork does come in sheet that are solid--layers carefully peeled from the tree. I've never seen that used in shoemaking but the rings of cork in the handle of a , esp., vintage, flyrod are made from solid sheets.

I just wanted to clarify for anyone not familiar with the differences, or lack thereof, between the cork paste that gets painted on in factories and the cork sheets that bespoke makers often use. It occurred to me that readers might think the sheets were “natural” cork sheets or something

 

[ntempleman]

An Englishman calling someone ELSE fruity?

I feel justifiably qualified to make such a judgment

 

[DWFII]

I just wanted to clarify for anyone not familiar with the differences, or lack thereof, between the cork paste that gets painted on in factories and the cork sheets that bespoke makers often use. It occurred to me that readers might think the sheets were “natural” cork sheets or something

I understand...same impulse I had in my responses to @patrickBOOTH a little while ago.

 

[Jean-H]

My new pair of JL Philip II. Is the difference in the fineness of creases caused by the position where the leathers were cut from? Wondering whether this is what I should expect from brands like JL. Thanks.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

My new pair of JL Philip II. Is the difference in the fineness of creases caused by the position where the leathers were cut from? Wondering whether this is what I should expect from brands like JL. Thanks.

crease patterns will always vary based on the natural geometry of your foot, your gait pattern as well as the leather. I don’t see anything unusual in the pic you provided. Just care for them properly.

beautiful shoes! Wear them and enjoy them.

 

[Sartorium]

How often would you condition a pair of shoes that's treed, bagged, and boxed but not in regular rotation? I don't really wear dress shoes except for special occasions, have one pair of stingray wholecuts in the closet that I want to take good care of for whenever weddings are a thing again. Usually I would just clean and condition them once a season when I take them out, but since that won't be a thing for a while...

 

[BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes]

This is a question more for the shoemakers on the thread but, of course, anyone with information can answer.

I was reading up on several makers. I noticed several state the usual SPIs they can produce. A higher SPI is usually mentioned as a badge of pride. I haven't seen many, if any, go above 14. Along those same lines and for curiousity sakes, I read a few pages worth of the Pdf version of the "Bridlework by Steinke" which is a different trade yet still related to leather crafting.

Anyways, the query would be can most shoemakers work at the higher SPIs (12-14)? If they can, why aren't they? Is it a deficiency in skill, although I do not forsee this being the case? Is it a lack of accessibility with regards to obtaining the proper pricking irons, awls and thread? Can it be related to leather quality (lack thereof or access to higher quality).

 

[ntempleman]

14 is already a lot of stitches. Too many for most shoes tbh. Some makers will only ever need an 11 fudge wheel for most of their career. How many stitches per inch is decided as a function of how thick the sole leather is, what the shoe is used for etc. More isn’t better, it’s weaker if anything. Closer stitches require thinner threads, so you eventually pass the “optimum” thickness and density for maximum strength. If you want to showcase how much patience you have as a maker, that you’ll spend the time to stitch 50% more stitches around the sole, that you’ll grind a few awls to the right thickness and all that, then get that 20 fudge out from the eBay box and stitch away