Lasting Pliers

Also Known As: Lasting Pincers, Lasting Plyers, Cobbler's Pliers

pliers combining serrated pliers jaws with hammer faces

During lasting, makers use lasting pliers in one hand to pull upper materials, linings, and stiffeners over the bottom of a last, their other hand to place lasting tacks and hold in place, and then the lasting pliers again to drive the lasting tacks into the insole, or through the insole into the last or into the last’s bottom plate.

Technique

Carréducker video tutorial with Swedish/Berg-style pliers:

  1. Grip the leather.
  2. Tighter by levering off the insole with the bottom of the pliers.
  3. Under tension, pull the pliers toward the center of the insole.
  4. Pivot the beak of the pliers down, pushing the leather to the insole.
  5. Place the tack against the beak.
  6. Lift the pliers and hammer the tack with the milled face of the pliers.
  7. Use the bottom of the beak to bend the top of the tack toward the center of the insole.

Styles

Lasting pliers take two main styles.

Whitcher Style

The first style of pliers have beaks much like slip-joint or needle-nose pliers, protruding either straight out or curved downward. A round or rectangular hammer face, or anvil, is welded onto or formed as a protrusion of the lower jaw, leaving a sharp, angular gap between the lower jaw and the anvil.

Examples:

Swedish Style

The second style, sometimes referred to as “Swedish” or “German”, has anvil-like protrusions formed into both top and lower jaws, with smoothed curves from the tip of the break to each hammer face.

Schein 230

Examples:

Other Makers

Others Listed by shoemakercraft as of February, 2024:

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