RANCOURT & Co. Shoes - Made in Maine

[hamercha]

Big yikes on natural shell Ranger-mocs. View attachment 1742061 View attachment 1742062

The guy must be drunk or Rancourt have trainee to make mistake on two shoes. I guess that this is not handsewn, otherwise the overlap would not be near the corner.

 

[Commisar]

My Dark Brown Longwing Chandlers. Outstanding shoes.

 

[ajd578]

I guess that this is not handsewn, otherwise the overlap would not be near the corner.

I don't understand what you mean.

 

[Commisar]

The guy must be drunk or Rancourt have trainee to make mistake on two shoes. I guess that this is not handsewn, otherwise the overlap would not be near the corner.

Fwiw Rancourt has taken in a good amount of brand new employees recently

 

[Churchill W]

I don't understand what you mean.

I'm also unclear what we were looking at in the picture.

 

[hamercha]

I'm also unclear what we were looking at in the picture.

Top Blue-Green docksides is made in Hondurus, and it does not have any label that indicate whether it is handsewn. As soon as Wolverine bought Sebago, Sebago's Maine plant was closed and all production are moved overseas - Hondurus is one location. I am pretty certain that this is not handsewn.

Bottom one is "handsewn" in Maine when Sebago was an independent company until early 2000.
Notice the followings:

a) On the highlighted box on both shoes, you can see that the bottom leather piece has crease evenly spread throughout.

b) On Blue-Brown Maine "handsewn" shoe crease is much smaller and evenly spread.

c) On the Blue-Green docksides there is a big gap where the bottom piece and top piece are sewn together. That is the sign of the machine sewn! I think (I do not work on factory, but was a salesmen in early 90s and 2000 for Sebago, Timberland, AE, Alden...) when you are machine sewing two pieces (faster sewing), it is harder to control and hence the crease are bigger and the spaces are not uniform and the gap forms.

d) On the Blue-Brown docksides, gap is very small and in few places. Very good handsewn almost always look like this.

e) Now look at the Rancourt. Notice the crease (right red circle) on the bottom leather are not evenly spread. Leather is bulging (black circle) because the two pieces are sewn un-evenly. Bottom and top leather have gap (red circle on the left).

This is purely shoddy workmanship! Whoever is making this shoe should not be left alone to make shoe - let alone Shell leather shoe.

 

[Churchill W]

View attachment 1744845


View attachment 1744849

Top Blue-Green docksides is made in Hondurus, and it does not have any label that indicate whether it is handsewn. As soon as Wolverine bought Sebago, Sebago's Maine plant was closed and all production are moved overseas - Hondurus is one location. I am pretty certain that this is not handsewn.

Bottom one is "handsewn" in Maine when Sebago was an independent company until early 2000.
Notice the followings:

a) On the highlighted box on both shoes, you can see that the bottom leather piece has crease evenly spread throughout.

b) On Blue-Brown Maine "handsewn" shoe crease is much smaller and evenly spread.

c) On the Blue-Green docksides there is a big gap where the bottom piece and top piece are sewn together. That is the sign of the machine sewn! I think (I do not work on factory, but was a salesmen in early 90s and 2000 for Sebago, Timberland, AE, Alden...) when you are machine sewing two pieces (faster sewing), it is harder to control and hence the crease are bigger and the spaces are not uniform and the gap forms.

d) On the Blue-Brown docksides, gap is very small and in few places. Very good handsewn almost always look like this.

e) Now look at the Rancourt. Notice the crease (right red circle) on the bottom leather are not evenly spread. Leather is bulging (black circle) because the two pieces are sewn un-evenly. Bottom and top leather have gap (red circle on the left).

This is purely shoddy workmanship! Whoever is making this shoe should not be left alone to make shoe - let alone Shell leather shoe.

View attachment 1744875

Thanks for clarifying and pointing those out!

 

[ajd578]

View attachment 1744845


View attachment 1744849

Top Blue-Green docksides is made in Hondurus, and it does not have any label that indicate whether it is handsewn. As soon as Wolverine bought Sebago, Sebago's Maine plant was closed and all production are moved overseas - Hondurus is one location. I am pretty certain that this is not handsewn.

Bottom one is "handsewn" in Maine when Sebago was an independent company until early 2000.
Notice the followings:

a) On the highlighted box on both shoes, you can see that the bottom leather piece has crease evenly spread throughout.

b) On Blue-Brown Maine "handsewn" shoe crease is much smaller and evenly spread.

c) On the Blue-Green docksides there is a big gap where the bottom piece and top piece are sewn together. That is the sign of the machine sewn! I think (I do not work on factory, but was a salesmen in early 90s and 2000 for Sebago, Timberland, AE, Alden...) when you are machine sewing two pieces (faster sewing), it is harder to control and hence the crease are bigger and the spaces are not uniform and the gap forms.

d) On the Blue-Brown docksides, gap is very small and in few places. Very good handsewn almost always look like this.

e) Now look at the Rancourt. Notice the crease (right red circle) on the bottom leather are not evenly spread. Leather is bulging (black circle) because the two pieces are sewn un-evenly. Bottom and top leather have gap (red circle on the left).

This is purely shoddy workmanship! Whoever is making this shoe should not be left alone to make shoe - let alone Shell leather shoe.

View attachment 1744875

I have never heard of a machine that can saddle stitch a plug (or anything else). I'd be interested for you to explain more about machine stitched moccasins (share videos/images that show the process and/or equipment).

Either way, it's reckless to accuse Rancourt of lying about how they make their shoes. Shell is hard to last, and hend sewers can have bad days. Not saying that's an excuse for the puckering, but it's a more plausible explanation.

 

[WJosiah]

Thanks for clarifying and pointing those out!

Here are some direct comparisons.

 

[Commisar]

I have never heard of a machine that can saddle stitch a plug (or anything else). I'd be interested for you to explain more about machine stitched moccasins (share videos/images that show the process and/or equipment).

Either way, it's reckless to accuse Rancourt of lying about how they make their shoes. Shell is hard to last, and hend sewers can have bad days. Not saying that's an excuse for the puckering, but it's a more plausible explanation.

Yep the person sewing probably pinched something too hard or the like.

 

[jischwar]

Here are some direct comparisons. View attachment 1745032 View attachment 1745031

What was Rancourt's response?

 

[mdubs]

What was Rancourt's response?

That was what I was wondering, they have always had really good customer support for me.

-Mike

 

[jischwar]

That was what I was wondering, they have always had really good customer support for me.

-Mike

Same. Plus I had similar, but less, puckering on my pair and they reassured me it was just the nature of using thick unglazed cordovan for the shoe. If anything was structural with it they guaranteed they would stand by it. I haven't seen anything in the few wears that would make me think otherwise.

 

[James1051]

Word just in that my Blck Friday Mocs are delayed until mid February or so. ?

 

[WJosiah]

What was Rancourt's response?

I emailed them last week, got a response today:
"Thank you for your response and our apologies for the delay. Unfortunately, we recently discovered that all email responses from our other system were being marked as spam which is a folder we do not monitor."

Then they sent me a return label so they're probably getting remade.