Making Full-Grain Leather Oxford Shoes

pretty long
hand skived, bevel down
pulls all tacks from pre-lasting
marks back height on last in marker
pre-lasts the heel counters
1. back height
2. heel point
3. sidewalls/cuboids
4. midway between existing tacks
5. heel point below featherline
6. front tip below featherline
7. pleats between
bends tacks in to hammer down on feather; removes once dried
==cuts away pleats with shears==
leaves just a bit below featherline, up to where tack holes were
==yellow glue==
spray inside of upper (not the lining) with micro mister
paints yellow glue in
similar draft order lasting, but with wire nails with brad heads instead of nails
bends them all in
lots of hammering the backpart
lasts vamp lining with nails again
[Theme: nails when will be removed, brads otherwise]
lays toe puff on, traces line on lining
wets, brushes white glue
order
1. top
2. ends, in feather
3. toe on feather
4. pleats
pulls lining tacks as needed while lasting toe puff
trims puff with knife while on last, right up to nails
rubs with burnishing iron
lets dry
57:48 ==pares/thins from top with knife in long strips, all over==
sanding block/stick, especially on sidewalls, for sharpness and chisel toe
burnishes with stick (concave face)
heats burnishing iron and glazes
1:00:46 ==paints on some liquid — hardener?==
lets dry, sands again
removes tacks
1:01:44 ==pares puff below the featherline again==
sands puff below featherline
contour gauge to compare toe shapes
more yellow glue for top
==sprays inside of vamp for lasting==
bends all tacks
burnishes top of vamp with hammer

Shoe Covers

1:05:38 heat gun for shoe cover on floor, pointing up
tacks cover to plantar surface

Welting

premade welt strips
marks groove with compass and pen
incises and opens/spreads
bevels one side on the bench before starting
welting board with last pin
starts at inside heel breast
==stitches away from self on inside==
chasing the awl
thick thread gimp in toe
==pull threat outside in before running needle inside out==
pulls tight barehanded with tape on fingers
wide, flat awl blade
==uses card to cut end of welt square, then skives as separaste step==
saddle stitches the heel seat
pierces outside-in in seat
casts inside
trims to outside face of the holdfast
welt beater as anvil for hammer
stick to burnish welt flat

Bottom Filling

1:16:28
runs line of basting tape down insole to hold plastic sheet for tracing
glues holdfast channel strip back in
wraps steel shank in cloth tape to cement
==pricks cavity pattern to copy to thin cardboard, then uses cardboard pattern to click==
leather fill piece covers heel and shank
cements first layer of leather fill flesh to flesh
==adds an additional layer of leather fill==
cements this one grain to grain
bevels edges with knife
cork sheet to fill forepart
copies the ball lines onto the pattern
==additional cork layer over leather in seat and shank==
pares off a lot with knife, then rasps
lays three lines of basting tape to hold plastic sheet to pattern the outsole

Soling

cuts outsole from bend
sticks pattern to bend with double-sided tape
transfers by pricking points
also transfers waist midline and outline
incises lines, opens, channels to aid bending through waist
skives down waist parts of the outsole
noticeable notch/step between heel seat and waist part of outsole
applies cement over newspaper
marked toe point on edge of welt and edge of outsole for alignment
sprays plantar surface and burnishes with rolling pin
whittles to welt
sanding block
adds tape to shoe cover above featherline

Fudging

heating
- alcohol lamp
- sprays water on face of fudge
- heats until boils rapidly
fudges in a single pass, not rolling back and forth

Outseaming

pre-pricks from the top, looking down on the shoe, with square awl inverted
dyes welt now
waterstones an angled knife and strops it
closed channel
- cuts bevel up
- flap looks pretty thin
- slow, continuous cut
- tilts toe up toward eyes
wets flap again, then lifts with bone folder
hammers the flap open
marks channel with compass and pen, incises, opens, stitch groover moving back and forth
==brushes out with a brass wire brush==

Thread Making

1:40:19
burnishes by wrapping around the large cove of an edge slicker
keeps coad in plastic food container
==pierces first hole up through the channel toward the welt==
==uses bone folder to hold welt down as pulls thread through==
==flat awl, broad stitches through waist== [blind welt]
at welt, switches to square awl, finer stitches, pierces from top down
tightens by hand, tape on fingers
lots of thread left over at the end
rubs wetted flap down with face of hammer
lets dry, lifts with bone folder dry
paints cement inside with a thin brush
sprays and burnishes the outsole again

Pegging

scratches line from edge around seat with compass
pricks heel point and furthest points forward to breast
uses a shoe awl haft with a band of leather around the pommel as a pegging awl haft
dips tips of pegs into Titebond
bends paper over edge to make pattern of bottom of seat
clicks split lifts right to pattern line
clicks the split lifts longer, projecting further forward, than stacking lifts
very concave seat
pares down the split lifts in the middle after drying
grain side up
rasps
drives nails partway, clips them off, drives them home
first full heel lift very concave
pares center
whittles each lift’s edge flush, but leaves breast rough
pares center of second lift, too
third lift oversized
pares center of third lift, too
third lift makes flat
rasps
sinks whole nails flush
combination top lift
heel press: marble block, c-clamps
presses before whittling top lifts
whittles bevel down
toe on knee; heel up
flat sanding stick
at some point he added white tape to the shoe cover over the featherline around the heel seat
brushes soapy water before peening, then hammers with face, too
sands edges, wets, peens
lets dry
sands again

Heel Breasting

marks breast line on edges by standing shoe on marble block, holding steel ruler flat to marble, and marking point at ground plane in pen
uses a paper template for the breast curve
incises each layer
hammers edges

Edges

sands waist with sandpaper patch
bevels outsole
- back and forth motion
- number 5 edge beveler
sandpaper patch over beveled waist
brushes soapy water on edges again
cold burnish with burnishing iron, just the bevel with lip of tool
burnishes heel and waist
sandpaper patch on whole outsole plantar surface, swirling in circles
sprays and rolling pin burnish
sandpaper patch on heel edges, in circles, then edges
soap again
heats glazing iron and burnishes
brass escutcheon pins
sandpapers heel again
Fiebing’s dye with wrapped-rag dauber for edges
dyes whole outsole in long stripes
melts way over flame, then crayons on
heated bevel iron
hot edge iron
hot burnishing iron on heel stack
dips heated fudge into wax before going over stitches
buffs with cloth in hand
removes sacrificial shoe cover with heated blade
brushes edges
gooseneck trimmer to trim lining

Sock Liners

full length
hot stamp with logo
cork sheet under heel and arch

Polishing

big folding kit of Saphir products