Posts tagged: leather
A little late getting done, but I think I can be forgiven for being late with Christmas presents. The belts are dyed with black walnut to give them a little darker color.
Ever since I made my first pair of shoes, I’ve wanted to make a pair of brogues. This pair incorporates a lot of new ideas. It’s my first attempt at making brogues. It is my first attempt to use plantation crepe for the outsole. It is my first attempt at mixing two natural dyes, black walnut and kakishibu. I used a brand new pattern for the leather that reduces the amount of stitching that is needed. I used rice paste to hold the leather together before stitching.
My previous pair of kakishibu shoes taught me that a few coats of the dye helps the shoes maintain their shape, eliminating the need for stiffeners in the toe and heel. It also gives some water resistance. When I walk through wet grass in my green leather shoes, the leather looses shape and begins to transfer water through to my socks. The same wet grass in kakishibu shoes is not a problem for shape or wetness.
My second brogueing attempt. This one is neater.
My first attempt at brogueing. It’s not perfect, but I’ll be happy to wear this on my foot.
This pair of shoes is complete. Something I didn’t expect was that kakishibu on top of black vinegar dye would have bit is a sheen. It’s most noticeable on the toes, since I added a few extra coats there.
Next will be another pair for myself. I have some experiments I want to try, and I’m not as comfortable experimenting on shoes for other people.
Given airline restrictions on liquids, I feel like traditional dopp kits aren’t ideal. An easier idea for me was one container dry goods and one plastic bag for liquids. This roll was my solution for the dry goods. It was my first non-shoe project and I’ve had luck with it on trips for the past few years.
First test with vinegaroon dye, a natural dye made from steel wool dissolved in vinegar.
I got moleskin pants because they were recommended in bushcraft books written before synthetic clothes. The fit was a little off, so I added the leather cinch. It’s vegetable tanned leather dyed with black walnuts. I’m liking the color that the dye and some oil gives to the leather.
I got these moose hide moccasins from Town View Leather a few years ago. My goal was to see how a good pair of moccasins was out together. I found them very comfortable and wore them frequently. The one downside to the shoes was they didn’t have a rubber sole. Leather soles are nice in dry weather, but walking on concrete and asphalt in wet weather wears them out quickly. I decided to add a rubber sole to make them all weather shoes. It was a quick project that gave me a feeling of accomplishment, which I needed after the cloth shoe struggles.
I just finished these sandals, my second attempt to make a pair. I cut the footbed too small on the first pair, but I reused the straps for this pair. This is also my first experiment with non-glued soles. They are attached with Chicago screws.
