book by Frank L. West
Counters
- first thing
-
as wide as the vamp and about one-fourth inch longer than the heel
- skived
Box
- most shoes have them
- when learning, skip
- trimmed and skived
- shape of the tip, plus ends at sides
- material flexible but hardened by paste
- porous leather
- wide grained leather
- center left full width
- sides skived thin, but not to feather
- tip skived to a feather
- beginner: mold or crimp over toe of last before upper put on
- fasten the tip
- crimp in shape
- let stand until hard
- remove and put aside
- add after lining is lasted
Innersole
- as many nails as needed to fasten, especially in shank
- first put strap on shank and fasten, then ball and heel, toe last
- trim in shape of last
- pay attention to inside shank just after leaving ball
- center of toe as “hub of the last”, tacks pointed in toward it
Lasting
- very delicate operation
- one person should last both shoes of a pair
- inspect the upper first
- check that counter in straight and even across sides
- ruby soap stone, tallow, or similar on heel of last
- shoes often stick at toe and heel
- place over last
- heel of upper and last about even
- ideal: allowance of about ½″ at toe and all around
- first pull over toe
- fasten with one nail
- next pulls at tip lines left and right, ahead of ball
- check that going on straight
- offset lasting: pull down where shank begins on both sides
- pull down shank and heel
- divide distances between tip line and toe, divide, last to avoid bulging
- all pulling toward hub
- avoid wrinkling of lining at heel
- mould counters and tips before trimming
Welting
- moist and flexible for pulling into curves
- holes punched in innersole
- straight
- flat
- bevel the side of the welt laying next to upper
- skive end off ½″
- push awl from inside through upper
- overcast on the welt
- helps lay flat
- avoids pulling through
- most pulling from right hand, on the outside stitch
- guard against round or high seam
- trim and straighter before allowing to dry
Filling
- steel shanks
- holes for tacks
- better not to use tacks
- cut a slant in the innersole
- make cuts in innersole for flexibility under ball up to tip line
- fill space with tar
- skive outsole in shank
- will finish with bevel edge
- heel rand ¼″ thick
Sole Fastening
- inside shank longer than outside shank, and more hollow
- have to mold and stretch to fit
- lay sole on shoe
- hold at shank with strap
- fasten ball first with one nail in center
- then fasten the heel
- tap around with hammer to lay flat to the welt
- nails
- one center of toe
- one one center of ball at shank line
- two or more at heel seat
- rough trim the sole
- bevel the shank
- round up the heel seat
- cut the channel
- about ⅛″ from outer edge
- just as far from bevel edge in shank as from square edge of forepart
Sole Stitching
- clean hands
- sharpen awl
- nothing around to catch thread
- normal shoe: six strands in forepart, seven or eight in shank
- shank with slanting stitches
- better to use square awl than inseaming awl
- stronger stitches
- large awl for shank, small awl for forepart
- awls smaller than both ends of threads when put together
- blade will break if twisted while inserted
- don’t push awl further than necessary
- threads overcasted on welt
- length of stitches to taste
- good:
- sole: 11 to an inch
- shank: 9
- close channel
- dampen whole sole to avoid splotches
- rub turned back part with back of hammer
- then ruby whole bottom with back
- never rub stitches down in channel with anything that will spread the channel
Heel Building
- use interior leather for heels, not edges
- first tab hollowed out in center to suit roundness of outsole
- some skive the sole instead of the first tap
- that weakens the heel seat
- fasten first lift with as many tacks as necessary to hold until rough trimmed
- nails long enough to clinch insole
- proper heel height lets seat at bottom of vamp stand level
- heel lift nails 1 inch from edge of heel
- heel should rest slightly on the breast, not quite touch the floor at the back
- allow walking to be more like rocking
Edge and Bottom Prep
- check that level, free from ridges and bumps
- rub down welt stitches
- trim edges of sole
- rasp in shape with the rough side of the rasp
- trim the heel
- rasp the heel
- use convex edge of iron
- bevel sole on edge to fir the iron
- buff and sandpaper
Heel Prep
- rasp down toward bottom at a diagonal to blend layers of leather
- clean edge of sole
- buff and sandpaper
Buff, Clean, Polish Bottom
- file and rasp nails in bottom
- sandpaper in circles
- velvet texture to better receive ink
- progressively finer sandpaper
Edge Burnishing
- dampen edge
- burnishing iron in right
- stitch divider
Removing Last
- thoroughly dry on last
- make shoe a month before wearing
- can’t be too careful removing
- carefully examine inside bottom for dangers