• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Zee's Leatherware & Shoe Co.

benjamin831

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
2,861
Reaction score
895
The soles are exactly the same as my previous wingtips.

zee_wing1.jpg


It's impossible to find dainite in Hong Kong.

I took the laces of a pair of Lobbs that I never wore. A pair of 2006 Vintages in gray. Might go on sale :p
 

Journeyman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2005
Messages
7,963
Reaction score
3,435
Originally Posted by benjamin831
Got a quick question regarding buying shoelaces in Hong Kong. Does anybody know where I can find flat waxed laces? I've tried looking for it in a couple of places around the island, including the alley behind Shanghai Tang but failed to find any.

I haven't actually purchased from this place, but here is an online store that sells flat waxed laces (in addition to Saphir polish):

http://www.valmour.com/cleaning-prod...ces-saphir,497

Also, as Fishball said, flat waxed laces are quite commonly available in Japan (well, at least in Tokyo), so if you happen to find yourself there you should make sure that you stock up!
 

DWFII

Bespoke Boot and Shoemaker
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
Messages
10,132
Reaction score
5,714
Originally Posted by Fishball
Hmmm.. how to said... folded edge is easy, the edge of the upper is "folded" over, as in this shoe:
zeebrownwholecutey2.jpg

Sorry, I don't think so. From what I can see in the photo, this is a bound edge. A folded edge on a whole cut would be difficult...not impossible...but extremely difficult and perhaps even hard to justify.
 

bengal-stripe

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 23, 2002
Messages
4,621
Reaction score
1,280
Originally Posted by Fishball
Also go for beading instead of common folded edge, IMHO.

Originally Posted by benjamin831
What do you mean by beading/common folded edge? I've never heard of those terms before.

That is a folded edge:

foldededge.jpg



Here are other ways to treat the edge:

edgetreatment.jpg


The folded edge might be a b****, if done by hand, but it is incredibly easy with the right machine.

Folding can be efficiently and quickly done by machine: the BUSMC models "˜H' and "˜J' are in general use and a skilled operative will produce excellent results. The edge is lifted, turned over and tapped down as the section is fed through the machine. The feed is controlled to facilitate curves and allow pleating in a uniform manner, and a knife attachment can be brought into work to cut the concave curves. The machine is treadle-controlled, leaving the operator with free hands to control and guide the work.

The BUSMC No. 2 Rapid Taping and Folding machine........has an attachment to feed a 3/16 in. tape to the leather while folding, the turn of the edge lapping the tape, which has previously run through a quick drying cement. This gives a firm top line when applied to the quarters......Model "˜B' eliminates the need for previous cementing as a separate operation. A coil of thermoplastic adhesive is attached to the machine, and is activated and fed to the point of work.


J.H. Thornton "˜Textbook of Footwear Manufacture'
When I did a course (some twelve years ago) at London's Cordwainer's College, that skiving, folding and gluing the tape machine was my absolute favourite of all the machinery there.
 

Carbonless

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
From those of you with experience, would I be better off picking up a pair of shoes from Zee's next month when I'm in Hong Kong or should I just go for a pair of OTR Allen Edmonds (etc.). I have a relatively difficult foot to match in dress shoes...wide feet all the way from arch to toes. I wear a 10E in AE, but they are a little loose at the heel. I play soccer 2-3 times per week and am on my feet in court sometimes hours on end which can be uncomfortable with a poorly fitting shoe. Any recs based on quality/comfort would be helpful.
 

DWFII

Bespoke Boot and Shoemaker
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
Messages
10,132
Reaction score
5,714
Originally Posted by bengal-stripe
That is a folded edge:
foldededge.jpg
Here are other ways to treat the edge:
edgetreatment.jpg
The folded edge might be a b****, if done by hand, but it is incredibly easy with the right machine. When I did a course (some twelve years ago) at London's Cordwainer's College, that skiving, folding and gluing the tape machine was my absolute favourite of all the machinery there.

The more I look at it the more I am convinced that the edge in the photo above is a bound edge...a and b in Thornton's figure 73 illustration above. It's hard to tell from the photo but I've done folded edges--quite a lot of them (I have a unique method of doing them by hand which is quite easy and extremely accurate)---and they are flat edges..as seen in a of figure 72. The edge in the photo protrudes significantly from the surface of the quarter and that simply will not happen with a properly done folded edge. The reason it is so difficult with a whole cut is that there is no way to create enough excess to fold all the way down into the bottom/"v" of the facings...leastwise not any way I know of. Truth to tell, without a special blocking board...one that runs the risk of marring the finish...you can't even get close.
 

rickimky

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
209
Reaction score
4
Very tempting indeed.

Planning a trip down to HK in Sept and wasn't looking forward to anything other than the food until I read this thread.

Should I head down to both Zee's and Lily's Shoes or just to Zee's straight?
 

fritzl

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
12,266
Reaction score
268

rickimky

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
209
Reaction score
4
Will be in hk next week for a week or so and I've made up my mind that Zees will be the very first place I go. What time do they open? (don't wanna end up dragging the gf there too early and find out it's closed)

Thinking of making a belt and maybe check out their briefcases while I'm there making shoes. How much should I budget myself?

Really like how all the shoes posted turned out btw. First time making MTO shoes so what do you guys think I should make as my trial shoe? A wholecut or a captoe medallion? Is it even possible to customize my medallion too?

Thanks in advance guys. I've much to learn.
 

Fishball

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2007
Messages
1,878
Reaction score
217
Originally Posted by rickimky
Is it even possible to customize my medallion too?

Yes, but better to give them the real size pattern rather than just a photo.
 

rickimky

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
209
Reaction score
4
Originally Posted by Fishball
Yes, but better to give them the real size pattern rather than just a photo.

Thanks Fishball. I'm all too new to this. Where can I browse and get a real size patterns? I don't think I'm artistic enough to draw my own...
 

luk-cha

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
4,530
Reaction score
83
Zee's opens at 9:30 - 7pm

but best time to got is mid morning or mid afternoon to make sure you get the younger of the Zee bro's
 

Fishball

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2007
Messages
1,878
Reaction score
217
Originally Posted by rickimky
Thanks Fishball. I'm all too new to this. Where can I browse and get a real size patterns? I don't think I'm artistic enough to draw my own...

I don't know, but one thought come to my mind.
Go to take some pics of the captoe medallion patterns (top view) that you like, and then print them out to actual size. I think it should work
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 38.8%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.2%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,158
Messages
10,578,878
Members
223,880
Latest member
nor77man
Top