No sooner had the buzzer gone at 9.30 this morning than holdfasts were being quickly being finished and it was on to lasting. Lasting pliers are one of the more difficult tools to master, akin to learning to drive. Legs, arms, biceps, hands and fingers all come in to play.
Squeezing your last tight between your legs and chest to immobilise it, with one hand you have to flex the pliers to catch the leather, to leverage them using the foot, to pull the leather back and to then use its nose to hold the leather in place. With your other hand you scrabble and fumble for a nail to drive in.
Not satisfied with their lasting success, they are also tackling putting on bristles with equal gusto...
We shall see tomorrow if their efforts are repaid kindly - fingers crossed. Until then happy shoemaking!
