James Ducker Lasting Series

blog post series by James Ducker on lasting

Overall

• Does just enough drafts on the toe to move to lasting the heel.
• Hoists the heel by about 1cm.
• Tacks the counter point through the backseam.
• Lasts the toe lining separately, then the toe puff separately.
• Allows the toe puff to dry before lasting the toe upper.

Part 1

• lace uppers tight
• separate lining from upper at back
• stiffener
  • paste on skin side
  • insert glue side out
  • once inserted, paste the flesh side
  • pictured: Hirschkleber
• French talk or talcum powder on last
• push upper up at back, above the last by about 1cm
• can put nail through lasting allowance at bottom of heel
• pull toe
  • with pliers

  • If you have a cap measure or a vamp measure, you must pull until it is in the right place. Remember though that once you have the toe puff in place, the measure will increase by 2 or 3mm.

  • nail at center

  • Put the nail in the centre of the holdfast/feather. [???]

• continue around toe
• pulling process
  • pull with pliers, then push down with pliers to hold in place
  • grab nail with other hand and push in the point
  • transfer pressure from pliers to nail
  • bang in the nail
  • if you lose pressure start again
• just want to get forepart in place so can last the heel
• 5 nails total
• next at the side, where a toe cap would end
• pulling too tight makes the upper crooked
• keep checking the other side

• This is the real art of lasting, making sure the upper is in the right place. And then making sure the other one is the same.

• heel
  • remove nail from allowance
  • pull upper down to back height
  • usually 2⅜″ (7cm)
  • nail in backseam between two stitches
  • don’t break the thread
  • middle: pull gently and nail
  • work around the heel
  • nail about 7mm from last
  • first pull lining separately, then pull the upper, then both together
  • have to pull the lining separately first to remove all creases
  • keep the backseam vertical and centered
  • make a fold between each pair of nails
  • measure the height
  • 2-2¼″ on outside, 2¼-2½″ on inside
  • continue nailing to just behind the joint

  • The nails go in the middle of the holdfast at this point, like the front. [Does he mean the feather edge?]

  • go back and last between the nails to remove creases, get a flat feather edge
  • use French hammer
  • do all of this before the glue dries

Part 2

• remove all nails at front
• last over the lining
  • pull upper back to facings
  • can put paste between insole and lining to keep down while welting
  • start from center of toe
  • trim the lining
  • band the nails down

  • By the way, aim to put the nails into the centre of the holdfast/feather. [In the photo that follows, the nails are very clearly on the feather, not into the holdfast.]

• toe puff
  • mellow: soaked in water, then 80% dried
  • mark top lining on top of shoe at 2½″ from feather edge for where the puff will end
  • too long: digs into toes when flexing
  • paste all over the lining
  • place toe puff with straight edge on the line marked
  • 2 nails on either side of the center line, at the end of the puff
  • last the puff like the lining
  • goal: flat as possible
  • take out the lining nails
  • hammer down the nails
  • let the puff dry
  • good place for a break

Part 3

• Interlude: Goodyear welting

  • The Goodyear welt is an industrial process which was developed to replicate the hand welted shoe, which is what we do. So the answer is no, they are not Goodyear welted, they are hand welted.

  • our way is better, stronger and more durable

  • dates from the 16th Century

  • We say 15 to 20 years [of shoe life] if you polish regularly, but it can be longer (just look at some of the royal shoes!).

  • integral feather and holdfast (cut out of the insole)

  • bespoke shoes are hand lasted

• shape the toe puff

  • shape it to the lasts’ toe shape

  • rasp

  • Concentrate on the feather edge.

  • don’t rasp right through
  • thickest part on top of toe box
  • thin out toward the straight edge
  • straight edge must thin down to nothing so don’t see the puff
  • fine rasp to finish edge
  • pictured: four-in-hand rasp
  • make the other puff the same
  • remove nails, trim excess, and flatten the feather
  • finish trimming with the rasp, pushing toward the middle of the shoe
• last the toe upper
  • paste the toe puff
  • paste the feather edge underneath
  • pull the tip of the toe
  • check any toe cap or vamp measure
  • continue nailing from the middle out
  • pleat between each pair of nails
  • continue all the way to the waist
  • each time you nail, turn the shoe over and check it
  • pull too hard, comes out of alignment
  • pull too soft, it doesn’t lie flat on the last
  • trim excess leather
  • return to the toe
  • remove nails and put new ones into pleats
  • aim: flat feather edge
  • use flat end of French hammer
  • trim to about 6mm from nails
  • remove lining nails
  • hammer down all nails
• gently tap the toe puff