William Lennon boots

[rabiesinfrance]

Anyone got a pair? What's the leather quality like?

http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/footwear/107f-field-boot.html

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=692



Aero Leather/William Lennon boot

 

[rabiesinfrance]

Pretty sure they use Horween leather, the same stuff as Tricker's use.

 

[marvin100]

I'm looking seriously at the 268T Tug of War boot and 268D Hill boot--I like the sprung toe and the workmanlike styling. Has no SFer bought William Lennons? I'm really curious about any actual reviews and real-life experiences with their boots.

 

[nh10222]

William Lennon Replica B5 British Army standard issue boot
Brown oiled rough-out kip leather, unlined
Double leather sole with hobnails and horseshoe heel ring

These boots have been in storage for nearly 3 years. So far, I've only worn them on carpet.





Note traditional British Army boot lacing method. Simple knot tied in the bottom of the lace, behind the bottom eyelet, then the loose end is fed through and run straight across in front and diagonally behind the eyelets to the top, then wrapped around the leg twice and the remainder coiled around the wrap with the loose end tucked under. There were slight variations but no bows or other conventional tight knots employed at the top. This method of lacing was also used by the Australian, New Zealand and no doubt other militaries for many years, on low and high cut army boots, although it now appears to have been abandoned, with the uglier criss-cross and bows becoming a common sight. The Australians are now wearing R.M. Williams Chelsea boots with their ceremonial dress!



First treatment with Obenauf's Leather Oil. The rough-out leather absorbed it very quickly, and they now look about as close to black as brown can be.
The laces will also be oiled, and the uppers will get a dose of Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP. A small amount of green corrosion rubbed off the eyelets and rivets.

I'm looking to expand my collection of William Lennon products, but they are not quick to respond to emails (this seems to be a common experience).

 

[nh10222]

William Lennon Style 78NLD


The leather was soft to the touch but in need of some moisturising. Filson Boot Oil Finish has now been applied. Prior to oiling, a brief brushing brought out a decent shine. A waxy residue on the tongue wiped off with paper towel.


They are slightly taller than some of my Balmoral Boots.


Note different style of hobnails to those of the replica British Army B5 boots.


Unlike my last order, this pair was delivered in a single box. I recall with amusement the horror of another William Lennon customer who received only one boot in the mail, not knowing that the other was sent separately and would arrive soon afterwards. It seems we may no longer need to worry about that.

William Lennon's boxes are weak and flimsy, but their contents certainly are not. While I consider weak boxes a problem with the likes of Enzo Bonafe, in this case it's fine due to the different style and much lower price point. They are work boots, after all, and work boots typically do not live in their boxes; boot bags and trees are virtually unknown to them. In the modern era, it seems most work boots are subjected to abuse for which they were not designed, never polished, and simply discarded after a year or so. Indeed, it is said that the very similar B5 boots (above) were only expected to last a few months on the battlefield.

Delivery time was approximately 8 weeks from placement of order to receipt, which is about as fast as can be for made to order products.

The quality of workmanship on this pair seems pretty much flawless for what is essentially a rough and ready product; I'm impressed.

As usual, the fit is generous. However, this seems less of a problem with Derby boots than with Oxfords. Whereas generous-fitting Balmoral boots tend to put me in a world of pain, most of the slack on a Derby can be offset by tighter lacing, which in this case leaves only the slightest of movement in the heels.

Are they things of beauty? Well, perhaps in the sense of a bulldog. Either way, they're not your average work boot.

Next stop: style 77 Officer Boots

 

[nh10222]

William Lennon B5 sockliner detachment

My three year old B5s saw wear for the first time yesterday. It was a pleasant hour-long experience for me (mixed with a few moments of sheer terror due to hobnail-induced slippage), but after their removal my socks felt sticky around the heel. At the time I paid little attention to it but inspection of the boots this morning revealed why. It appears that the sockliners became detached during yesterday's excursion. Their dislodgement facilitated a better view of Lennon's brass-screw construction.







It is suspected that excessive movement of my feet within the boots due to the generous last may have contributed to this incident. However, heel slippage was not an obvious problem while I had them on, and the boots were very comfortable; it was a pleasant surprise. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it was the most comfortable first wear experience of any pair of boots I have ever owned. The thick rough out leather uppers gently hugged my feet. After an hour of walking, there was no chafing or soreness at all.

Walking on hobnails
The hobnails added a very interesting twist to the experience. Their noisy contact with the ground attracted the attention of many people. Grip on various dry surfaces is summarised below.

Concrete footpaths, asphalt roads, carpet: good - felt no different to ordinary leather soles (noise excepted)
Pavements, linoleum: some slippage but manageable
Wooden floorboards, duckboards: direct relationship between smoothness of surface and slipperiness; rough floorboards less slippery than polished
Tiles, polished smooth hard surfaces: very slippery - proceed with extreme caution; I nearly fell several times.

I have yet to test them in the wet.

 

[nh10222]

William Lennon 78NLD - first wear These boots had a slightly different feel to their B5 cousins, largely due to the different style and positioning of hobnails, but the overall experience was similar. Note well Avoid wearing hobnail boots if you expect to encounter and fraternize with attractive women. Within the space of an hour I slipped twice while being eyed-off by good-looking girls, which was slightly humiliating to say the least. Moreover, slowing to a cautious crawl of about 65 paces per minute on slippery polished surfaces of the kind typical of shopping centres - a favourite haunt of attractive women - does little to aid the projection of confident masculinity. So far, I've always managed to recover from near-disaster, but once that slipping starts, you've made a dick of yourself whether you fall or not. When a powerful car momentarily loses traction, it looks cool. When you slip and nearly fall on your arse, you look ridiculous. Hobnailed boots: not only lethal to those kicked in the head with them, but also to those who wear them. Stick to dry concrete surfaces like this and you'll be fine. A steady march of 120 paces per minute is noisy but otherwise not a problem. While far from sleek, they look better than expected with jeans - not too chunky. You might not slip on carpet but be careful or you'll rip it up like metal tank tracks on hot asphalt. Grip on other dry surfaces sampled Chequer plate, rough tiles, tactiles, metal plate on steps and landings of escalators: acceptable but proceed with caution Mahogany waxy full grain calf The leather uppers feel strong yet beautifully soft, comfortable and responded very well to a dose of Filson Boot Oil Finish, which began to soak-in very quickly but still took four days to dry completely. A decent shine was possible before and after oiling without the use of polish. Five days post oiling, the uppers were wiped and brush-buffed. No other products have been applied. Triple leather sole Saphir Sole Guard was applied to the sole (including heel stack) approximately one hour before first wear. Is Sole Guard worth it? I don't know, but while I have it, I shall use it. In the past I have also applied Filson Boot OIl Finish and Obenauf's Leather Oil to soles. Sockliners Unlike those of the B5s, the sockliners remained in place after wear.

 

[nh10222]

My latest order from William Lennon comprised of five pairs in a similar pattern with various uppers and three sole variations. Shipping was a headache. Missteps on the part of the sender resulted in unnecessary charges at Customs, which left a bitter taste in my mouth. However, it could have been worse. Anyway, the boots themselves are awesome and appear to be very well made. NOT how I wanted it, but they got here safe and sound. Style 77 in Waltham dark tan leather with leather sole. These are a little on the light side for my taste but they do look somewhat darker in the flesh. Oiling may darken them to a more palatable shade. Aside from the brutal horseshoe, the plain leather sole almost makes the boots look naked and vulnerable. Brown oiled rough-out kip leather. I'd forgotten how brown and furry that leather is prior to the application of Obenauf's leather oil and HDLP, which darkens and flattens. I might leave these as is for now. A brown Vibram Commando sole probably would have looked better, but black will do. Style 77 in dark brown Latigo leather with leather sole, rubber heel and forepart attachments. This is quite a nice brown. Style 77 in burgundy Zug grain with Vibram Commando rubber sole. I've never been a fan of the Zug, Scotch or pebble grain look but at least I can say I have one pair in my collection. Let's see if they really are good in the wet. Style AS78PTC in mahogany waxy calf with Vibram Commando rubber sole I can't get enough of that leather. Every pair except that in Waltham dark tan had a leather lining added for £15. Still, they were good value for money.

 

[nh10222]

William Lennon style 77

Horween Chromexcel colour no. 8. Glossy, soft, supple and comfortable. Leather lining added.

This is as close to a work of art as William Lennon can get. Brutal Victorian/Edwardian industrial art. I wish the same could be said of the carpet in my mancave.

 

[mrjamescost]

I will be ordering a pair of custom made steel toe work boots from William Lennon very soon. I’m excited.

 

[mrjamescost]

After 12 weeks of waiting my William Lennon ‘Rufflander’ steel toecap work boots arrived in good order. First impression: solid construction, decent quality leather (appears to be full grain), nice colour, comfortable fit - an all-round good quality, no frills English work boot. Made in England.

 

[nh10222]

Has anyone ordered from them recently?
I was hoping to fulfil an order placed nearly 5 years ago that somehow got lost in the mix.
The website indicates a 20 week wait on orders, which actually would have suited me, but it seems I can't even get a response to emails now (they were known for being slow, but I don't recall it being this slow). For now, my business has gone to Cheaney instead.

 

[tijelu]

Has anyone ordered from them recently?
I was hoping to fulfil an order placed nearly 5 years ago that somehow got lost in the mix.
The website indicates a 20 week wait on orders, which actually would have suited me, but it seems I can't even get a response to emails now (they were known for being slow, but I don't recall it being this slow). For now, my business has gone to Cheaney instead.

Have you managed to get a response yet? I was thinking of getting a pair.