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The project as I wrote before is called: Calzoleria pisana, the craftman of shoes. But we have a sales points in Messina, where it is possible to make an appointment. The shoes are produced in Piazza Armerina in Sicily.
Our shoe is very light, we try to lighten the shoe as much as possible. the innersole is thinner than normal.
Inside we don't insert any shank and / or leather reinforcements. For the sole we always try to use a light and flexible leather. But then the choice is always of the customer.
The leather we used to make these shoes is an ILCEA box calf. For any questions I'm happy to answer, thanks for the compliments.
I wish you good luck, it's a difficult way forward but not impossible, there is always a place for work in bespoke shoes.Yes, we are in two partners. I take care of the management part. My other partner in the technical part.
In Sicily, we had a lot of shoemakers. Many have emigrated and made their fortune as Gaetano Messina in Milan, others have worked and work in large laboratories in the Marche and in Tuscany or even abroad. For example, my partner worked for almost 15 years in Tuscany or his teacher who is now 86 has worked for many years in Belgium.
Currently there are still people who know how to make handmade shoes but no longer work. We only have a few industrial shoe factories.
We are trying to preserve the tradition and re-launch it. In time, I'll post more material. We will soon make other pairs of shoes. Thanks for your questions.
But, I'm sure you remember the guilds in the middle ages, they were masters of handicraft trades that were in charge of watching over them, an aspiring to master had to execute in front of a jury a completely finished masterpiece, can you imagine an aspirant to master shoemaker saying "wait a minute , wait a minute", to make the operation of hand-welted, today I bring my best officer "? You can also imagine the face of the jury and what would happen later.
A master does not depend on anyone to do their job, he dominates each and every one of the operations that are related to their work and only when you are a master you can have assistant craftsmen and you can give work to them because you can control each of those jobs , the officers will be faster than you but never better than you.
Currently there are still people who know how to make handmade shoes but no longer work. We only have a few industrial shoe factories.
Yes, we are in two partners. I take care of the management part. My other partner in the technical part.
In Sicily, we had a lot of shoemakers. Many have emigrated and made their fortune as Gaetano Messina in Milan, others have worked and work in large laboratories in the Marche and in Tuscany or even abroad. For example, my partner worked for almost 15 years in Tuscany or his teacher who is now 86 has worked for many years in Belgium.
Currently there are still people who know how to make handmade shoes but no longer work. We only have a few industrial shoe factories.
We are trying to preserve the tradition and re-launch it. In time, I'll post more material. We will soon make other pairs of shoes. Thanks for your questions.
As far as historians know, there never was a system in place, in Western Europe and the Middle Ages...at least among the Shoemaking Guilds...to examine or certify for Master status. Every apprentice made a "master-piece' to present to his 'boss' to show that he had 'mastered' the basic skills required to graduate from apprentice.
After his apprenticeship, he became a 'journeyman'.
And if he got lucky and won the lottery or married the daughter of a local land owner, or perhaps even the daughter of the shoemaker, he would then have inherited or had the money to buy and set up his own shop.
At which point he became 'the master.'
Being a 'master' in the Middle Ages simply meant he was the owner of a shop. No real indication of his skill level or even his level of involvement. Point of fact, chances are very real that he had journeymen working under him that were far more skilled than he was.
Barring ownership, he might remain a journeyman for the rest of his life.
Guilds, such as the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, established in London in 1272, controlled a good part of all commerce. To be admitted you had to be a 'freeman.' If you weren't (foreigners) or weren't a member of the Guild, you could be sanctioned and even punished through ecclesiastic courts and laws/edicts supported by the Crown. . For instance, cobblers, (shoe repairmen) were forbidden to cut or use new leather.
In the strict historical sense of the word, nothing could be further from the truth. In the sense of being the owner proprietor of the shop or a shoemaking enterprise, the 'master' often delegated much of the work to others--apprentices, journeymen, outworkers and even family members, etc..
In the contemporary, aspirational, wishful sense of 'master' I think the real question comes back to who is the shoemaker. If the word 'shoemaker' itself means anything, it is not a collective enterprise, IMO. So I agree with you in that sense. But history is history--verifiable fact--and not wistful utopian fantasy.
Of course, nowadays people twist the meanings of words to suit themselves regardless of the history or the semantic antecedents.
It's no wonder we find ourselves talking past each other so often.
Wow! I'm a little surprised, The guilds were started in Europe in the 10th century, US history begins in 1600.As far as historians know, there never was a system in place, in Western Europe and the Middle Ages...at least among the Shoemaking Guilds...to examine or certify for Master status. Every apprentice made a "master-piece' to present to his 'boss' to show that he had 'mastered' the basic skills required to graduate from apprentice.
After his apprenticeship, he became a 'journeyman'.
And if he got lucky and won the lottery or married the daughter of a local land owner, or perhaps even the daughter of the shoemaker, he would then have inherited or had the money to buy and set up his own shop.
At which point he became 'the master.'
Being a 'master' in the Middle Ages simply meant he was the owner of a shop. No real indication of his skill level or even his level of involvement. Point of fact, chances are very real that he had journeymen working under him that were far more skilled than he was.
Barring ownership, he might remain a journeyman for the rest of his life.
Guilds, such as the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, established in London in 1272, controlled a good part of all commerce. To be admitted you had to be a 'freeman.' If you weren't (foreigners) or weren't a member of the Guild, you could be sanctioned and even punished through ecclesiastic courts and laws/edicts supported by the Crown. . For instance, cobblers, (shoe repairmen) were forbidden to cut or use new leather.
What does that mean?
Regardless, objectives facts mean something for all but the most incurious.
How about a master shoemaker who is also one of the foremost shoe historians in the world?
Are you referring to my post just now? To be clear I was just making a silly joke, not directed at you (or anyone), and with no reference to anything you've been saying.
Are you referring to my post just now? To be clear I was just making a silly joke, not directed at you (or anyone), and with no reference to anything you've been saying.