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shoe construction...behind the veil

MoneyWellSpent

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Beautiful boots!

I was wondering, is the stitching that is securing the uppers to the insole from the waist to the heel going all the way through to the interior of the boot?

If so, how was that done? Seems like the last would have to be taken out?

Also, what is the benefit of this type of stitch compared to simply stitching the upper directly to the holdfast all the way around?
 

DWFII

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Beautiful boots!

I was wondering, is the stitching that is securing the uppers to the insole from the waist to the heel going all the way through to the interior of the boot?

If so, how was that done? Seems like the last would have to be taken out?

Also, what is the benefit of this type of stitch compared to simply stitching the upper directly to the holdfast all the way around?


Thank you.

No, the backpart stitching is simply a whip stitch. The thread pierces the insole horizontally--it's a 'tunnel' stitch. I handle boots that way because that is what I was taught and because it makes 'braiding' the shank easier. (See fourth photo in previous post)

When I make shoes, esp. in these later years, I generally handle the heel seat like this:
20180511_082140 (1024 x 768) (2).jpg


However a modified whip stitch is possible:

heelseat-stitching.jpg


As you can see in the last photo of this post, I can secure the shank with any of the three methods but I've been doing boots like this for nigh onto 50 years...old habits die hard. (and it's what I teach, it being a little easier to master).
 

MoneyWellSpent

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Thank you.

No, the backpart stitching is simply a whip stitch. The thread pierces the insole horizontally--it's a 'tunnel' stitch. I handle boots that way because that is what I was taught and because it makes 'braiding' the shank easier. (See fourth photo in previous post)

When I make shoes, esp. in these later years, I generally handle the heel seat like this:
View attachment 1083952

However a modified whip stitch is possible:

View attachment 1083958

As you can see in the last photo of this post, I can secure the shank with any of the three methods but I've been doing boots like this for nigh onto 50 years...old habits die hard. (and it's what I teach, it being a little easier to master).

Thanks for the details!
 

DWFII

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DWFII

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Welt stitching around the toe. Toe is half inch wider or a little bit less. This technique keeps the welt flat.

20181127_092904 (1024 x 768).jpg
 

DWFII

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More to come in this series...
 

DWFII

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1544130578011 (1024 x 768).jpg


1544130397749 (1024 x 768).jpg
 

DWFII

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@DWFII ... I bet you made that tool by yourself!

:colgate:

Actually I didn't. It's a dedicated peg marker from the late 19th or early 20th century. It is one of my favourite tools, however. That and my boxwood and ivory size stick from the late 1800's.
 

beargonefishing

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:colgate:

Actually I didn't. It's a dedicated peg marker from the late 19th or early 20th century. It is one of my favourite tools, however. That and my boxwood and ivory size stick from the late 1800's.

How do you make the decision on whether to peg a waist? Do you do it only on request?
 

Luigi_M

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my boxwood and ivory size stick from the late 1800's.

Could we get a picture please?
I think that the old times' tools had an elegance in themselves sadly missing at the present.
By refining even the more 'technical' tool, the artisans were showing the respect and dedication for their trade.
 

DWFII

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How do you make the decision on whether to peg a waist? Do you do it only on request?

'Western' (cowboy) boots are Traditionally pegged in the waist. During the early 1800's and right up through the Am. Civil War...well, really as far back as Roman times...pegs were used for the entire outsole as well as stacking the heel. When the 'Full Wellington'...worn by cavalry officers on both sides...came west with soldiers after the war, many were full pegged military surplus. Civilian makers copied this style and the first 'cowboy' boots varied little from the military standard. Eventually, however, variations crept in and ornamentation and the higher heel and so forth. And so began the evolution toward what we today know as the western boot.

That said, it was recognized that, esp, in dry climates, neither pegs nor 'screws' (nails aka rivets) would hold up. Stitching the forepart became the norm. Pegging the waist survived because of the gear and the way in which the cowboy worked/rode--the pegged, fiddleback waist was particularly suited to riding deep in an 'oxbow' stirrup.
 
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DWFII

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Could we get a picture please?
I think that the old times' tools had an elegance in themselves sadly missing at the present.
By refining even the more 'technical' tool, the artisans were showing the respect and dedication for their trade.

The top stick is the ivory and boxwood. The second one is a folding stick made of boxwood, as well--folds to about 9" opens to 14".

20181207_083456 (1)_(1024_x_768).jpg
 

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