San Antonio, Texas, USA-based shoe company making cowboy boots
Notes
- started by grandfather, a shoe salesman in Marfa
- best worker ever
- fastest and best
- lived alone
- lived next door
- only worker ever paid on piecework
- work from 6 til 6
- can’t push too far without sacrificing quality
- custom houses get bought out or sacrifice quality for larger production
- well known brands now were custom makers originally that got bought out
- has first boot he ever made
- saltwater bottom
- full quill top
- seamed up the back, one piece top
- croc trim
- full quill top and bottom
- “cowboy style”: two seams along the sides, four pieces
- saltwater
- four piece
- laced up the side seams and back
- “very, very fancy boot”
- kangaroo
- bird inlays
- “the bird boot”
- “it took forever to do”
- seam up the back for more surface for inlay
- red braided backseam
- “real flashy”
- important thing: make look dressy and quality
- too tight
- if too loose, can say they could have bought off the shelf
- learn what customers like, stay with it
- “it’s a very difficult trade”
- saltwater skin
- sized 39cm, i.e. across the belly
- buy two of the same size for boots
- show some clicking and closing
- Singer 3115 machine
- uses a straight rule to cut the counter and top flush at bottom
- movable type hot stamp to brand leather with logo and customer’s name
- cutting inlay by perforating with sewing machine
- small “guillotine”
- needle cut down like a blade
- “cut real tight” i.e. short stitch length setting
- lighter to burn frayed edges
- backseam
- one light seam to hold together
- another heavy seam for strength
- trims by hand
- turning
- “box toe”
- hand lasting
- nailed through seat and shank
- wood pegging shank of outsole
- holes pre-pierced
- working moist
- metal plate on heel seat of last
- heel shaping on Naumkeag
- never done wholesale
- strictly word of mouth
- never run an ad
- “best business you can have”
- two workers over thirty years, one with 25
- two working four days a week