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DWFII

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I pretty sure about the stamp, though I couldn't find any photos about them. Btw, what do you think about this? https://www.zackwhite.com/9-oz-Genuine-Horse-Hide-Butts
The heaviest horse hide I've seen. Is this suitable for work boots?

No, I don't doubt you. Used to be horse (or mule) was used extensively for cowboy boots. And I know strops are often made of horse...shell, even. But I talked to Nick and Skip Horeween quite a bit when they were dealing direct with the small maker. And I was surprised that most of their production is cowhide rather than horse...well, I don't know about volume but their selection of offerings is mostly cow.

Nine ounce is pretty heavy for footwear esp if it is gonna be lined. IMO. Looks vegetable tanned ...might be better for belts. FWIW, 9 oz. is, IIRC, the weight of the welting I use.
 

tallyho

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No, I don't doubt you. Used to be horse (or mule) was used extensively for cowboy boots. And I know strops are often made of horse...shell, even. But I talked to Nick and Skip Horeween quite a bit when they were dealing direct with the small maker. And I was surprised that most of their production is cowhide rather than horse...well, I don't know about volume but their selection of offerings is mostly cow.

Nine ounce is pretty heavy for footwear esp if it is gonna be lined. IMO. Looks vegetable tanned ...might be better for belts. FWIW, 9 oz. is, IIRC, the weight of the welting I use.
Thanks a lot! Whites/Nicks/ Frank's boots currently offer up to 7-8oz for their boots. So, I just curious about the limit.
 

DWFII

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If I'm not mistaken it is...was...not unheard of to use 10-11 oz. on unlined boots. I've used 6oz, often enough but I line everything. Lining adds roughly 3 oz. Six plus three equals nine, and nine ounce is a little over 1/8" thick. The boots start to get a little stiff...and uncomfortable?...at anything more than 10 oz. altogether. Again...IMO.

For dress shoes or boots a 3-4 ounce upper with a 2-3 oz. lining is more appropriate. IMO....
 
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tallyho

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The boots start to get a little stiff...and uncomfortable?...at anything more than 10 oz. altogether.
...and become bulky like a tank, LOL. Btw, what is your impression of these strips (durability, texture, weather resistant,...)? I found that almost them were marked with veg-tan.
 

DWFII

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Btw, what is your impression of these strips (durability, texture, weather resistant,...)? I found that almost them were marked with veg-tan.

"these strips?" What strips are you referring to?
 

tallyho

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DWFII

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Sorry, I mean,


Well, they are pretty much what was illustrated in the above link. As such they appear much like any other vegetable tanned leather.

Shoemakers Traditionally cut leather strips for welting from the belly or sometimes from the shoulder of a hide they would ordinarily use for outsole or even insole. And then they would split it to the appropriate substance. Welting doesn't need to be prime but at the same time it doesn't want to be loose and 'raggy'. Welting taken from the belly of a bovine hide can sometimes be very good but sometimes too weak and even unsightly--the grain surface will 'ruck-up' a bit.

The way I buy soling leather, I don't get the true belly--that's been trimmed off. And the outsole leather is almost invariably been rolled or compressed to make it firmer.

I've used (and still do) Baker pre-cut welting and find it very good. It's cow but more than acceptable. That said, most of the time I use the Horween strips.

I think the Horween is a slightly denser, tighter fibered leather than the Baker or any other bovine leather I've used for welting. It holds the stitches very well and it looks good. It may last marginally longer in wear as a welt but so much of that is dependent on the owner of the shoes. As for weather resistance, I don't think it is significantly more weather resistant than any other vegetable tanned leather.
 
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tallyho

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Well, they are pretty much what was illustrated in the above link. As such they appear much like any other vegetable tanned leather.

Shoemakers Traditionally cut leather strips for welting from the belly or sometimes from the shoulder of a hide they would ordinarily use for outsole or even insole. And then they would split it to the appropriate substance. Welting doesn't need to be prime but at the same time it doesn't want to be loose and 'raggy'. Welting taken from the belly of a bovine hide can sometimes be very good but sometimes too weak and even unsightly--the grain surface will 'ruck-up' a bit.

The way I buy soling leather, I don't get the true belly--that's been trimmed off. And the outsole leather is almost invariably been rooled or compressed to make it firmer.

I've used (and still do) Baker pre-cut welting and find it very good. It's cow but more than acceptable. That said, most of the time I use the Horween strips.

I think the Horween is a slightly denser, tighter fibered leather than the Baker or any other bovine leather I've used for welting. It holds the stitches very well and it looks good. It may last marginally longer in wear as a welt but so much of that is dependent on the owner of the shoes. As for weather resistance, I don't think it is significantly more weather resistant than any other vegetable tanned leather.
I don’t know what to say. Thank you for a very datailed experience! There's always something that I can learn from your posts.
 

DWFII

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I don’t know what to say. Thank you for a very datailed experience! There's always something that I can learn from your posts.

Yr. Hmb. Svt.

xmastoast.gif
 
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Encore

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Hi, got a question regarding a pair of new shoes.

I just tried this on for a day but the inner side of the vamp area goes a bit crazy, I am not sure if this is an issue of the fitting (I do feel a tiny bit big, maybe the instep is a bit high but I don't think it's that bad) or an issue of the leather, would anyone know more details about this?

SB.jpg
 

ntempleman

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There’s just too much volume basically. You could try sticking a few through socks or those off the peg insoles from Dr Scholl to fill them up a bit
 

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