Lasting Handmade Cowboy Boots

Notes

Swedish-style lasting pliers with bottom jaw drilled and tapped for a bolt, creating a taller anvil
wet lasting

one at each side of heel seat
then lasts the whole heel seat
using 5 ounce Star Findings hand shoe tacks
- not the best in the world
- not as good as the old days, but they work
feel with hands, not just looking with eyes
looking for symmetry in heel, judging by the side seams
tacks about ¼″ apart

tacks just ahead of where welt will start
checks toe bug again
haven’t hard pulled it yet
pulls on the inside to center the toe bug
ends up pulling nails and starting over to position the bug and cone
wants about ¾″ of cone showing inside the shaft
trims extra lining
hard pulls
standing helps him get leverage
can pull really hard supporting bottom of jack with leg
center of toe bug aligned with tip of toe
lasts back to shank
will last again after making toe boxes, but leather will be dry, already formed when wet

string lasts the shank
trims lining and upper
whip stitching with a jerk needle and 1.4mm braided poly cord
equal tension across sides
pulls the upper right together in the center of the insole
quality leather won’t rip out
no risk of cocking the upper to one side
“chin slappers” and “calf slappers”: uppers lasted forward or back, rather than level
don’t want leaning left or right
winds around a lasting tack to finish