Question for Bengal-stripe on Bootmaking Terminology

[Sator]

Can Bengal-stripe or anyone with better knowledge than I of bootmaking please help translate the German word "Walkkante" for me. It is also used as a verb "walken" - to.... It is described in the following manner:

"Before the vamp is stitched, the leather is ......ed on a three dimensional block of wood in order to give it form. In the course of bootmaking this is particularly important when the vamp is not made up of multiple small pieces. Through it there is formed a visible "Walkkante" in the vamp which runs from the middle from the shaft of the boot and the instep..."

p552 Alles ueber Herrenschuhe, Helge Sternke 2006.

The full German original text defines the term as follows:

'Bevor das Schaft genaeht wird, wird das Leder auf einem dreidemensionalen Holzblock gewalkt, um es vorzuformen. Bei Stiefeln ist dies besonders wichtig, wenn der Schaft nicht aus vielen einzelnen Stuecken zussamengesetzt sein soll. Dadurch ensteht eine sichtbare Walkkante im Schaft, die mitten ueber Fussruecken und Spann verlaeuft und die fuer den Formschluss an Fussbeuge und Fussruecken sorgt. Schuhe und Stiefel aus wenigen Schaftteilen werfen ohne ausreichend gewalktes Schaftleder Wellen und koennen druecken. Ausserdem liegen sie nicht ueberall am Fuss an, was eien schlectere Passform zur folgt hat.'

Bengal-stripe - if you are out there please help!

 

[shoefan]

I should think this term is "crimped" -- one-piece boot vamps are often crimped before the upper is sewn, this is really the only way to get the vamp to take the shape of the last. If you want to see what this looks like, go to the Crispin Colloquy (http://www.thehcc.org/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi), do a search for 'Crimping', and see the #5 match, which shows pics of a crimping board and the process. The word might also perhaps be translated as "blocked," as I think some refer to this as blocking, but that could be a different process (?). Note that whole-cut shoes are sometime crimped as well, since they face the same challenge in lasting the uppers -- the single piece of leather needs to be wide enough to cover the instep, but forward of this there is excess leather which renders it difficult to get the upper 'tight to the last' in this section of the foot.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by shoefan

I should think this term is "crimped" -- one-piece boot vamps are often crimped before the upper is sewn, this is really the only way to get the vamp to take the shape of the last. If you want to see what this looks like, go to the Crispin Colloquy (http://www.thehcc.org/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi), do a search for 'Crimping', and see the #5 match, which shows pics of a crimping board and the process. The word might also perhaps be translated as "blocked," as I think some refer to this as blocking, but that could be a different process (?). Note that whole-cut shoes are sometime crimped as well, since they face the same challenge in lasting the uppers -- the single piece of leather needs to be wide enough to cover the instep, but forward of this there is excess leather which renders it difficult to get the upper 'tight to the last' in this section of the foot.

Bengal-stripes PMed me and he was unfamiliar with the German word but thought that the term meant "blocking".

This image apparently comes from LL posted by mpolanthan's (TimelessRider) in an essay on his Melkersson boots (go to the London Lounge>Forum>Shoes).