The Tools I Use

Greetings again, fellow shoemakers (both actual and aspiring) of the world. Considering that many of you read this blog on a regular basis, we wanted to say a huge thank you to you all for making it such a success. When we started it in 2008, we had no idea that it would grow and reach so many people in so many countries. We get a lot of correspondence from all round the world and it is a great pleasure for us to find so many readers who are interested in our wonderful craft. We really enjoy sharing our knowledge with you all.


For most of my life as a shoemaker, I worked in one workshop and had all my tools and equipment in one place. I imagine this is the case for the vast majority of shoemakers around the world. But since we opened our workshop at Gieves and Hawkes on Savile Row, we have had to start making shoes in two locations. Now this presents a few problems. If I was a cabinet maker or a jeweller, for example, I could simply have bought a new set of tools and equipped the new workshop with a second set.
But, as with all things shoemaking, it is not that simple. Shoemaking tools were once cheap and easy to find because there was a shoemaker in every town (almost). But as the trade has shrunk to its present niche size, the availability of tools has become ever more scarce.
Most shoemakers starting out now spend a lot of time scouring the world and Ebay for old tools. One, because new ones are often not available and two, because the new tools you can find are often inferior to the old ones.
I spent most of my apprenticeship collecting a decent set of tools, particularly edge irons. John Lobb helped enormously with this because they have a collection of old tools especially for this purpose, but I also went to old shoemakers, car boot sales and flea markets trying to complete the set.

When the two workshop conundrum arose, we decided that the simplest solution was to buy tool rolls and travel between the two with our tools. You might think that we could simply have split our tool kits and used each other's tools but it does not work like that. You get very used to your own tools and your making develops to in line with the tools that you use, so that changing tools is not easy. This might sound very fussy, but it is absolutely true. I even take a simple nail hammer with me because I like the way it sits in my hand and the weight of it. Other hammers just don't feel the same - weird huh?

So below are images of what I take. I think it is illustrative of what you would need as a basic tool kit. There are some tools not here which we had duplicates of and have at both places.

Tool Roll One

Contents of Tool Roll One from left to right

Welting awl
Sleeking bone
Dividers
Stitching awl
Broken awl with sharpened tip for making a groove in the channel
Feathering knife very kindly given to me by Marcell Mrsan
Plough
Fudge wheel
My favourite Japanese rasp
My flat paring knife which is the most important and most often used tool I have.

Tool Roll Two

This tool roll has all my edge irons and two seat wheels. As you can see, they are all antique and very precious. Contents from left to right

2 seat wheels, a big one and a fine one
3/8" edge iron
Full 5/16" edge iron
Light 5/16" edge iron
1/4" edge iron
Single lipped iron
Full 3/16" edge iron
Light 3/16" edge iron


This is enough for most soles that we make, but we have more irons for other sizes too.

Tool Roll Three

Tool roll three has a variety of miscellaneous tools ( all essential and much loved of course). Contents from left to right.

Sharpening stone
Lasting pliers
Welt beater
Small screwdriver
1/8" waist iron
3/16" waist iron
1/4" waist iron
5/16" waist iron

Last, but very much not least, are the tools too big to go in a roll. These travel in a bag with the rolls. And they are from left to right

Leather mitt for welting
Nail hammer
French shape hammer
Heel iron
Deer bone
Nippers
Nail puller

Next week, I will start going through all these with a description of what they are used for and other useful, interesting or amusing information.

We hope you found this interesting and or useful.

Until next week, happy shoemaking!

The Leather We Use 3 - Sole Bends

After a very pleasant Easter break which I spent painting, eating (yes, chocolate too) and generally resting, we are back with a short week. Now this would not normally be a cause for complaint, but, as usual, we have a glut of work all coming at once which needs doing immediately.

The first few months of this year have been a bit quiet and we have taken the opportunity to do all the things which usually get shunted to the back of the queue, which is good in some ways, but now it's gone crazy. I do wish there was a way to regulate the flow of work, but it just doesn't work that way.

This week's post is the third in our irregular series on the leather we use. This time it's sole leather. Again, we use the oak bark tanned cow hides made in traditional tanning pits by Bakers of Colyton, Devon. The part of the cow used for the soles is called a bend and it comes from the back of the animal. The hide is split down the spine and then the two hardest, strongest parts are used. The belly part is cut off and used for toe puffs and stiffeners.

If you remember, the insole shoulder runs across the top of the cow's shoulder from leg to leg, so the grain runs along its length. But because the sole bend runs along the length of the cows back, from head to tail, you have to bear this in mind when cutting the soles. It means the grain runs across the width of the bend, so you have to cut out the soles in this orientation.

Sole Bend. The Grain Runs From Right To Left Across It

The sole bend has to be the hardest, most long lasting part of the shoe, so it is rolled very dense to compress the fibres. It is rock hard and feels like wood when you tap it. Unlike wood, it is flexible when you bend it.

This is the back surface or flesh side where you can see vein marks.

The front surface or skin side is much smoother and is the part which touches the ground. It should be smooth and uniform in colour, so that you can get an even finish on the finished shoes.

When we buy our bends, we ask the tannery to pre-cut them. This is because it is much easier to store. They have three standard sizes which fit 90% of the shoes we make. When there is a shoe which does not fit onto one of the pre-cut soles, we have a whole bend which we can cut from.

This is what the pre-cut sole looks like.

As for thickness, we usually buy this thickness below. It is measured in irons which I believe are 1/64 of an inch (could be completely wrong there!). But we talk to the tannery and tell them it is for a 1/4" sole or 5/16" etc. The thickness below (about5.5mm) is great for a 1/4" or 5/16" sole. For a 3/16" we have to buy a thinner bend. Likewise, for a thick sole, 3/8" for example, we buy a thicker bend.

The rolling process really helps to even out the thickness, but you have to be aware that this is an organic product and is not always exactly the same thickness.

Good luck if you are planning to buy some sole bend hide. Look for something dense and hard but also flexible. If it feels brittle when you bend it, it is likely to split or crack. And remember, that it is very hard, but when you work it, you soak it in water, so it is much softer and easier to work.

As for brands, we use Bakers because they are fantastic and local, but the other excellent tannery that most bespoke shoemakers use is Rendenbach in Germany. Both excellent quality and highly recommended.

And that, dear readers, is a wrap. Have a thoroughly excellent week and, until next Friday, happy shoemaking!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone!

We both have some time off. Madame Shoe has gone to her native land and is enjoying her role as the Dame of Sark. For those who don't know, Sark is a tiny island and is one of the last enclaves of our empire (off the coast of France as it happens, hence the name).

I on the other hand am at home, but have spent the whole day painting our stairwell which is why the post is so late. I am speckled with white paint but satisfied with the first coat. More tomorrow unfortunately. But this is all good because it means that all I have to share with you is some images of our second summer shoe, this rather jaunty desert boot in stone nubuck with a natural crepe sole. I like it a lot, but with the crepe, it somehow does not look like one of our boots. But I am growing to love it and we have already taken an order for a pair of shoes with a similar sole, so that is great.

I particularly like the ribbon tug and the mulberry lining.

So all that is left for me to say, shoe fans, is a very happy Easter. May you eat plenty of chocolate and rest your weary bodies, to return rejuvenated next week.

Until then, happy shoemaking!

Gum Tragacanth Results

Here we go again, another week passes in the riveting lives of two shoemakers from London.

Deborah returned from the States and has been processing all the new orders and adjusting the lasts for the fittings she did. We have 3 pairs we can actually make now, which is my favourite part. It's funny, my two favourite parts of the whole process are the beginning, when you meet the customers; listen to what they are looking for and design their uppers, and the last part when we make the shoes. Not that I dislike the bits in the middle, but those are the stages I love most.

I had a revelation this week, if you are running a business, you really have to think about how you want your business to develop, how you see it in 5 years, 10 years, for example. Do you want to grow and grow, make loads of money and (possibly) have a highly stressful, high tempo life? Or do you want to grow it organically, keep control and have everyone in the business poor but happy? This is a bit simplistic and two extreme points on a spectrum, but it's clear to me which end we are opting for.

And so to shoes. We finished a pair of summer slip on shoes this week which I absolutely love. Slashed covered side gussets allow the front to be very plain with no laces. The last shape is very unusual and the grey suede really compliments the shape. The two colours are gorgeous together and the pale natural finish really goes well with the grey - not a combination you would normally imagine, but it works well.

Clean, elegant forepart highlights the last shape

Love the stitched on dog ear on the back seam

Elegant profile with a low top line for the summer

3/16" sole and bevelled waist make a very light shoe

The natural finish compliments the grey suede and we pulled in the waist on both sides  to give  that lovely shape to the waist and heel

Remember a few weeks ago I mixed up some gum tragacanth? Well, here are the results on a natural sole.

Glass and sand the sole as normal, making sure you get rid of all the marks and blemishes.

I wanted to get a very pale finish, and here is a trick to achieve it. Before you use the finest grit sand paper or block, put some talcum powder or French chalk on the sole.

Then sand it in. This has the effect of lightening the colour. The amount of powder determines the shade.

The difference is not huge but it is lighter.

Then comes the gum dragon. Apply it with a cloth in even strokes. Use a soft brush if you prefer.

Allow it to dry completely. This is partially dry, but it goes uniform when it is fully dry.

Once it is dry, use neutral polish to get a gloss finish. Put it on in tiny amounts with a cloth in quick strokes in one direction. This avoids getting smears. Allow the polish to dry for 5 minutes and then buff it off. Apply another coat and do the same.

The finish is very even and much better than when you just use water to prime the sole before adding the polish.

Very pleased to have rediscovered the old gum dragon.

And that, as they say, is that for this week. We hope you have enjoyed the post and that you have a great week.

Until next Friday, happy shoemaking.

London - Chicago - New York - London

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This week we're blogging from the US which, in the world of the www should make no difference, but it does when it means sitting in blazing sunshine in an unseasonal 74 degrees!

When I landed in Chicago on Sunday it was warm and sunny and the weather all week has remained the same...luckily, thanks to a little weather googling I had packed with light layers in mind (Kelly training)! We're showing at the Waldorf Hotel - highly recommended - fantastic service, rooms and views as I hope the pictures show...

It's my first visit to Chicago and I love it - like a well-thought combination of NY and Boston so villagey and high rise all at once. It's a first time for me, meeting some of the customers out here and it has been a pleasure...they are the definitive carreducker client - an interesting mix of age, occupation and personality from a couple of guys in their early 20s to more mature, self-made businessmen.

Customer fittings were a mix of first and seconds which went well and we now have the green light on a couple of the first and all of the second fittings so it's make, make, make when I get back to London.

Blog followers, you'll be interested to hear that the fittings included the pink and cream derby shoes, which James blogged about recently. I have nick-named them the Battenburgs (a popular English cake from the 70s). And as James says, "they are growing on us". I was a little nervous to be honest, because sometimes when a client orders something out of the ordinary it's hard to know if they really have a picture of what they will look like. I was thrilled - he loves them - although we did agree one tiny refinement, which is claret red beading on the top edge and seams, to help to define them more. They will also have a natural finish on the heel and sole so will look very Great Gatsby. Lovely!

We're now in New York where we have fewer fittings scheduled, but we hope to meet new customers through Gieves and Hawkes bespoke appointments. We shall see how the days go in the mean time. Back to normal next week with more shoemaking news, so until then happy shoemaking!

An Unusual Upper

Greetings again from London. We hope the week has proved to be fruitful. We have been getting ready for our trunk shows next week in Chicago and New York. The boxes have been collected for shipping and Deborah is ready to fly out on Sunday. We are very excited and looking forward to seeing current customers for fittings and meeting new ones. More of this next week.

We recently finished an interesting pair of shoes. They were based on the antiqued pigskin Derby shoes we made last year.

But this time, they are a wholecut, the simplest of styles. We have used the same antiqued effect on the leather as before, but have added a whole load of features which really make the shoe stand out. Things which mark them out as handmade and bespoke - spade welt, fiddle waist, jockey heel, and bevelled waist.

Detail Of The Antiqued Finish And Spade Welt

Notice The Spade Welt Here

Fiddle Waist And Jockey Heel

The jockey heel is the straight cut across the heel breast. It was originally made to help the heel sit easily in the stirrups on riding boots, but they are perfectly acceptable on any shoe. The fiddle waist on this pair, because they are for a customer and to be worn, we have used leather to build it. With the spade welt, we had the pointed toe shape, but it was not quite pointed enough to make the welt elongated at the toe, so we threw the welts out at the joint only - slightly unconventional but I think it looks great.

I like the juxtaposition of the simple upper style combined with the array of added bespoke features, making these an exceptional pair of shoes.

And so to the unusual uppers of the title. Well, judge for yourself. Powder pink nubuck and cream calf. Quite a combination. I was doubtful when the customer ordered them, but now they are on the last, well...

We got them ready for a fitting next week in Chicago. Prepared the stiffeners and toe puffs and let them dry out more than normal so they didn't mark the linings.

We also put side linings in them because nubuck has a tendency to balloon out over time along the toes.

We blocked some light weight insole leather and let it dry. Then trimmed it close to the feather edge on the last.

Because this is just a temporary stage, we only use a tiny bit of paste to hole the stiffeners and puffs in place.

By the way, with such a delicate leather, you must be very careful when lasting and using glues. One thing to bear in mind is the nails you use. The steel nails we use have a tendency to make your finger tips black. It is the reaction with the moisture on your skin. This can mark the upper very easily, so I wear latex gloves when lasting delicate leathers like this one.
I remember having to make a pair of white doe skin Wellington boots when I worked for John Lobb. They were an absolute nightmare and I had to keep washing my hands every few minutes to avoid marking the leather. It took forever.

All lasted up.

Braced and ready to pull the lasts. We let them rest on the lasts for a few days and then pull them.

And that is them ready for a fitting. No sock. We add a fake sole with a heel and that is it. We always tell customers that it is the internal dimensions we are interested in at this stage.

Wish us luck in the States and more next week.

Until then, happy shoemaking!