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RANCOURT & Co. Shoes - Made in Maine

ccpl14

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Community Alert: Rancourt Spring Sale

Up to 40% off select items plus 20% off site-wide for a limited time.
Take 20% off all full-priced items with coupon code: SPRING21
 

stook1

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Have a few different questions and hoping you gentlemen may be able to offer an assist.

- Can anyone offer some fitment guidance on the 114 last relative to the 800 or 606 lasts from AE (ie. the kenwood & patriot lasts, respectively)? Also helpful would be some comparison relative to the Rancourt 800 last as I have a few pairs already on that last (seems similar to the AE version).

- Also curious about the fit of the 2592, which is the last that the Harrison boot is made on.

- Is there a surcharge for customizations for a shoe that isn't stocked but rather MTO? I'm debating a shell Harrison boot but would want to add another eyelet if they'll allow it. I am also considering a pair of the shell pinch penny loafers but prefer not to get the standard leather sole and would like to get the welt fudged like some of @mdubs pairs.
 

mscb

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Luscombe

How does the essex compare to the bison and CXL?
I assume the bison won't stretch out like the cxl?
Thank for your help on this.
So many choices, like you have said.
 

barutanseijin

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Have a few different questions and hoping you gentlemen may be able to offer an assist.

- Can anyone offer some fitment guidance on the 114 last relative to the 800 or 606 lasts from AE (ie. the kenwood & patriot lasts, respectively)? Also helpful would be some comparison relative to the Rancourt 800 last as I have a few pairs already on that last (seems similar to the AE version).

- Also curious about the fit of the 2592, which is the last that the Harrison boot is made on.

- Is there a surcharge for customizations for a shoe that isn't stocked but rather MTO? I'm debating a shell Harrison boot but would want to add another eyelet if they'll allow it. I am also considering a pair of the shell pinch penny loafers but prefer not to get the standard leather sole and would like to get the welt fudged like some of @mdubs pairs.
My understanding is that Rancourt uses AE lasts, so the Rancourt & AE 114 and 800 lasts are the same.

I can only compare the 114 loafers to the Alden Van loafers, both in 13D. The 114 has more room under the strap compared to the Van, which is both good and bad. It’s good in that it’s more comfortable, but possibly bad in that it may contribute to heel slip. The 114 may also be wider in the heel. All i know is that my heel slips more in the 114 than in the Alden Van.
 

Pedlar

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So far, so good with first wear of these. I don’t think I have had an Essex shoe before.
C04C64F2-5C6B-45E3-BA46-1D2E58FCF943.jpeg

F0DBC585-7C91-43E4-A01F-D24E3996BD6D.jpeg

D5142604-4A2C-477F-890F-A6CC1785C2BE.jpeg
 

Luscombe

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Luscombe

How does the essex compare to the bison and CXL?
I assume the bison won't stretch out like the cxl?
Thank for your help on this.
So many choices, like you have said.
I have Rangers in Essex, Virginia Leather (Downeast Mocs), Bison Clymer boots and CXL Rangers.

Downeast Virginia leather is the thickest and stiffest. I have not experienced any stretching with them. They have molded to my feet but not really stretching. It adds a lot of structure to the shoe like a leather sole. I ordered these a 1/2 size shorter than my Brannock and I had to cut the heel off the RLH crepe sole to make them like a boat moc sole. I can only wear them sockless or my feet hurt.

Essex leather is just a bit thinner than the Virginia and it is stiff with no appreciable stretch. I have these in my Brannock size on RLH Aspen soles and wear with very thin socks or sockless. They are very comfortable with more structure than the CXL mocs. Mine are in black, I wished I would have ordered the natural.

Bison leather seems to be a little thicker than the CXL and bit thinner than the Essex. Is is very soft and pliable and I have not experienced any stretching. It has molded to my foot shape but not really by stretching like CXL. I have Bison in Clymer 2 Boots. I don't think the Bison adds much structure, it is more like a CXL because it is so pliable. It is a really nice soft supple leather and very comfortable.

Everyone knows that CXL leather stretches a lot in width but not so much in length. There seems to be some variation in the thickness of the CXL leathers. The typical thickness seems to be about as thick as Bison although I have one pair in Natural that are maybe 60%-70% of my other CXL's. They are very comfy but provide little structure.

I have a lot of Rancourts because they fit my feet well and I took advantage of the crowd funding events to explore different sizes and leathers.
 

NYCTechNerd

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I have a lot of Rancourts because they fit my feet well and I took advantage of the crowd funding events to explore different sizes and leathers.

I am sorry I did not get more than 1 pair at the last event because it too would have helped me figure out my size for multiple models with different leathers on a few lasts. I am still very tempted by the current sale.
 

stook1

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Anyone have experience with the bison color offerings? Trying to figure out if there is a color available that is similar to the toast bison that was offered recently through huckberry but with a very grainy texture and shinier finish that is more similar to the darker colors.
 

BAK

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Anyone have experience with the bison color offerings? Trying to figure out if there is a color available that is similar to the toast bison that was offered recently through huckberry but with a very grainy texture and shinier finish that is more similar to the darker colors.
If they still have the leathers there should be both a Peanut and a Cognac color that are in that family. My recollection is the Toast Bison is technically Rushmore Bison which is a bit more oily. The other bison was originally Tucson Bison (I say originally because I think they may have changed it's source at one point - not positive about that - but the characteristics remain the same regardless), which is a drier leather with the shinier finish you mentioned. You can see Peanut and Cognac here, however I'm wondering if they mixed up the designations on those two leathers, because according to the belts the Peanut is darker than the Cognac. But my memory is that Cognac is darker than Peanut, as seen in this photo:
Screen Shot 2021-04-09 at 11.38.00 AM.png
For what it's worth, I was never a fan of the Peanut - it was kind of an odd brown, whereas the Cognac had a real richness to it and beautiful shine. Hope that helps.

Edited - here's a photo of a 2019 Cognac Bison moc:
IMG_DFF62805D9B9-1.jpeg
 
Last edited:

stook1

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If they still have the leathers there should be both a Peanut and a Cognac color that are in that family. My recollection is the Toast Bison is technically Rushmore Bison which is a bit more oily. The other bison was originally Tucson Bison (I say originally because I think they may have changed it's source at one point - not positive about that - but the characteristics remain the same regardless), which is a drier leather with the shinier finish you mentioned. You can see Peanut and Cognac here, however I'm wondering if they mixed up the designations on those two leathers, because according to the belts the Peanut is darker than the Cognac. But my memory is that Cognac is darker than Peanut, as seen in this photo:
For what it's worth, I was never a fan of the Peanut - it was kind of an odd brown, whereas the Cognac had a real richness to it and beautiful shine. Hope that helps.

Edited - here's a photo of a 2019 Cognac Bison moc:

Thanks for replying with all this detail! I nearly missed it with all the notifications today. Incidentally, I inquired with Rancourt about the "tucson" color since I'd noticed a pair from a few years ago while browsing images last night. It seems to be distinct from cognac, which is also quite nice and probably the other color that I most prefer. The other contender is olive, which also seems interesting but perhaps slightly less versatile than the other two colors and I am not sure it's available either. Actually, the cognac is probably the safest color given the wide color variation in tucson, assuming it's even available.

This is tucson...
1618000324277.png


This is the olive
OliveBison.jpg
 

KPDarb

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Thanks for replying with all this detail! I nearly missed it with all the notifications today. Incidentally, I inquired with Rancourt about the "tucson" color since I'd noticed a pair from a few years ago while browsing images last night. It seems to be distinct from cognac, which is also quite nice and probably the other color that I most prefer. The other contender is olive, which also seems interesting but perhaps slightly less versatile than the other two colors and I am not sure it's available either. Actually, the cognac is probably the safest color given the wide color variation in tucson, assuming it's even available.

This is tucson...
View attachment 1590361

This is the olive
View attachment 1590362

That olive is gorgeous
 

BAK

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Thanks for replying with all this detail! I nearly missed it with all the notifications today. Incidentally, I inquired with Rancourt about the "tucson" color since I'd noticed a pair from a few years ago while browsing images last night. It seems to be distinct from cognac, which is also quite nice and probably the other color that I most prefer. The other contender is olive, which also seems interesting but perhaps slightly less versatile than the other two colors and I am not sure it's available either. Actually, the cognac is probably the safest color given the wide color variation in tucson, assuming it's even available.

This is tucson...
View attachment 1590361

This is the olive
View attachment 1590362
Totally forgot about the Olive - that's really nice too.

FYI, Tucson is the type of bison, not the color. So for example the Toast Bison is more specifically a Rushmore Bison in Toast color. Tucson Bison is bison from a different tannery and it comes in a variety of colors (Chocolate, Cognac, Peanut, Black, Olive). So the Tucson bison you mention is one of those colors.
 

stook1

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Totally forgot about the Olive - that's really nice too.

FYI, Tucson is the type of bison, not the color. So for example the Toast Bison is more specifically a Rushmore Bison in Toast color. Tucson Bison is bison from a different tannery and it comes in a variety of colors (Chocolate, Cognac, Peanut, Black, Olive). So the Tucson bison you mention is one of those colors.

I did not know that! Many thanks, kind sir, for sharing your knowledge in this realm.
 

Luscombe

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I think that you can have Rancourt put whatever Bison they have on whatever shoe they make. In some cases it would be a custom order but they will do it. I currently have a pair of Acadias in Toast Rushmore Bison on order. It was a custom.
My understanding is Kyle will pretty much make whatever shoes you what in whatever leather they can get.
 

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