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Nicks Handmade Boots Official Affiliate Thread

elrabatto

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@Phanes I appreciate the offer, if I'm not certain I will message you.

Luckily a local store had some Red Wing Iron Rangers left.

I tried both a 10.5D (28.5cm) and an 11D (29cm). Both fit but I liked the length of the 10.5D better than the 11D. Width felt maybe a tiny bit better on the 11D than the 10.5D though.

Can someone comment on this who maybe owns some Iron Rangers to compare their Nicks to? :)
 

TyrLI

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@Phanes I appreciate the offer, if I'm not certain I will message you.

Luckily a local store had some Red Wing Iron Rangers left.

I tried both a 10.5D (28.5cm) and an 11D (29cm). Both fit but I liked the length of the 10.5D better than the 11D. Width felt maybe a tiny bit better on the 11D than the 10.5D though.

Can someone comment on this who maybe owns some Iron Rangers to compare their Nicks to? :)
Fit is nearly identical to Iron Rangers. Should probably go 11D. Iron Rangers have a roomier toe box than soft toe Nick's.
 

Phanes

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Can someone comment on this who maybe owns some Iron Rangers to compare their Nicks to? :)
Well, I was i. A redwing store and sized down as well, there are some pics in comparison of my iron rangers a year ago here. I'm not sure why or how it happened but I would point to the difference I. Leather thickness and the roomier toe box, that can lead to a snugger fit. But I'm really happy with how the nicks fit sheet helped here find the right size.
 

Cycling Sasquatch

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2.5 month wear report on the 1964... the patina really popped after the first cleaning/oiling!

This stuff takes oil quite differently than my chocolate pair... the chocolate soaks it in relatively quickly and consistently, with fairly even darkening across the boot. This stuff is pretty resistant to absorbing any oil, almost pooling and running off most surfaces – I'm guessing that's something to do with already being supersaturated with oils and waxes from the hot stuffing process. Only places it readily soaks in are the scuffs and scrapes, and there it sponges it right up and darkens those areas really drastically. Different strokes for different folks, but I really enjoy the resulting distressed look.

Weather's starting to get wet, so I did two moderate coats of Obenauf's oil and hour apart yesterday, and then today after it's had some time to penetrate I'll just give the vamp and counter a coat of Heavy Duty LP.

Screen Shot 2021-10-05 at 11.22.58 AM.png
 

Cycling Sasquatch

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So... I'm admittedly in the honeymoon phase with this burgundy latigo. I mean, seeing as it's tough as nails, looks great, cleans up super easy, remarkably water resistant, what's not to love?

That got me thinking, would there be any caveats to choosing it expressly as a work leather, versus the legacy 8oz chrome tanned selections? Granted it comes with a higher price tag, but is it fair to say you're paying that premium for a proportionally superior product?

I guess in other words: price aside, what might be a practical reason to opt for the regular work stuff over latigo, if any? Curious what you guys with more experience and expertise than myself think about this stuff.
 

Nicks Boots Shuyler

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So... I'm admittedly in the honeymoon phase with this burgundy latigo. I mean, seeing as it's tough as nails, looks great, cleans up super easy, remarkably water resistant, what's not to love?

That got me thinking, would there be any caveats to choosing it expressly as a work leather, versus the legacy 8oz chrome tanned selections? Granted it comes with a higher price tag, but is it fair to say you're paying that premium for a proportionally superior product?

I guess in other words: price aside, what might be a practical reason to opt for the regular work stuff over latigo, if any? Curious what you guys with more experience and expertise than myself think about this stuff.

I will take a stab at this.

First, I don't really see any reason why traditional latigos couldn't be used as a work leather other than the increased cost. My (long-held) understanding of a latigo is that it is simply a term for a leather that is both chrome- and veg-tanned. My understanding from some of the tanneries I've spoken to is that it is usually used to add suppleness to a chrome-tanned leather with the addition of vegetable tannins. So, for these traditional latigos, there shouldn't really be any major functional difference in performance versus a traditional work leather.

Second, where it gets interesting is that Wickett doesn't do chrome tanning, so their leather doesn't fit the traditional definition of a Latigo. My understanding is that they add additional waxes and oils to their normally pretty stiff veg tan to make it more supple and behave like what most people understand to be how a latigo behaves. I should add that leather definitions can be vague and there is no ultimate authority on what the right or wrong definition is so I'm not saying anyone is misrepresenting anything here. I have found that terms that I thought were fairly well-defined mean different things to different tanneries. I say this because you have a veg-tanned-only latigo and conventional wisdom is that chrome-tanning increases the water-resistance of leather in the long-term (like over years) as the leather ages. My only caveat with your boots would be that you may want to over-treat them compared to some other leathers to maintain water-resistance if that's something you're encountering regularly.

Short answer, I think your latigo should hold up fine as a work leather with proper care.
 

Cycling Sasquatch

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I will take a stab at this.

First, I don't really see any reason why traditional latigos couldn't be used as a work leather other than the increased cost. My (long-held) understanding of a latigo is that it is simply a term for a leather that is both chrome- and veg-tanned. My understanding from some of the tanneries I've spoken to is that it is usually used to add suppleness to a chrome-tanned leather with the addition of vegetable tannins. So, for these traditional latigos, there shouldn't really be any major functional difference in performance versus a traditional work leather.

Second, where it gets interesting is that Wickett doesn't do chrome tanning, so their leather doesn't fit the traditional definition of a Latigo. My understanding is that they add additional waxes and oils to their normally pretty stiff veg tan to make it more supple and behave like what most people understand to be how a latigo behaves. I should add that leather definitions can be vague and there is no ultimate authority on what the right or wrong definition is so I'm not saying anyone is misrepresenting anything here. I have found that terms that I thought were fairly well-defined mean different things to different tanneries. I say this because you have a veg-tanned-only latigo and conventional wisdom is that chrome-tanning increases the water-resistance of leather in the long-term (like over years) as the leather ages. My only caveat with your boots would be that you may want to over-treat them compared to some other leathers to maintain water-resistance if that's something you're encountering regularly.

Short answer, I think your latigo should hold up fine as a work leather with proper care.

Wow! Thanks for the detailed response. Above and beyond as always.
 

andy b.

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No, the $120 isn’t accurate. Will get that fixed, thanks for pointing that out.

The tan Teton is currently still a little drier than the 1964. So it’s not going to break in as easily. We are working on that but the latest shipment wasn’t that we wanted and was more like the old style.
I have a pair of Nick's in tan teton from around 2016. It was one of the stiffest leathers I ever had to break in. LOL
Once broken in, I think it's the closest thing to soft chainmail you can find for your feet. ? There are pics in a Nick's thread somewhere on this site.
 

Nicks Boots Shuyler

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I have a pair of Nick's in tan teton from around 2016. It was one of the stiffest leathers I ever had to break in. LOL
Once broken in, I think it's the closest thing to soft chainmail you can find for your feet. ? There are pics in a Nick's thread somewhere on this site.
Yeah. Our latest run is much more supple than it used to be, fwiw.
 

texasbryan

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Question for @Nicks Boots Shuyler and anyone else that can help.

I am interested in the Nick's Americana boots.

I'm a shade under a 10 on the printable Brannock device on the Nick's website. My foot measures 26.6 cm long.

I wear a size 8.5D in Red Wing Iron Rangers and Alden Indy and a size 9D in Wolverine 1000 Mile boots.

What size would you recommend for the Nick's Americana boots?

Thanks!
 

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