Cowboy Boots

[Hurricane Jack]

1939 Charles P. Shipley catalog. Saddle maker. Chaps, boots & all leather good. Catalog mercantile. I’ve only ever seen one pair of boots turn up.

 

[Bamaboots]

I’ve only ever seen one pair of boots turn up.

Better luck than I’ve had. Only read about them. Cool catalogue.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Better luck than I’ve had. Only read about them. Cool catalogue.

There was a guy who turned up with a pair on Mark’s original boot board some yrs ago. Shipley had made them for an ancestor of his who was the Governor of the American Royal for a few yrs. He wasn’t a boot collector. I tried to buy them but he wouldn’t sell.

Veach Saddlery made boots before they moved out of state. Never seen a pair of those either.

 

[Bamaboots]

I’ve seen Charlie Dunn’s from his time at Capital Saddlery but those are the only ones I’ve seen from one of the makers working out of a western store.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I’ve seen Charlie Dunn’s from his time at Capital Saddlery but those are the only ones I’ve seen from one of the makers working out of a western store.

When C.P. Shipley closed I want to say it was in the 1950’s & being run by a great-grandson. By that time it was located in a first floor corner of that bldg. A Shipley employee took it over & it became Miles Saddlery. Mr. Miles sold & traded in used saddles & tack, & did leather repairs. He didn’t make saddles, at least for very long. Towards the end he was only open weekends.

 

[Mm25]

I made my first pair of traditional cowboy boots. Hand lasted and hand welted with a steel shank, wooden pegged sole and hand stacked leather heel. I designed the pattern and cut the inlay as well. For those of you with sharp eyes, it was my first time running a sewing machine on leather, so be kind.

I did give in and go with a soft-tex heel and a thin rubber bottom protector. Uppers and heel/toe caps are kangaroo, vamps are goat.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I made my first pair of traditional cowboy boots. Hand lasted and hand welted with a steel shank, wooden pegged sole and hand stacked leather heel. I designed the pattern and cut the inlay as well. For those of you with sharp eyes, it was my first time running a sewing machine on leather, so be kind.

I did give in and go with a soft-tex heel and a thin rubber bottom protector. Uppers and heel/toe caps are kangaroo, vamps are goat.
View attachment 542783 View attachment 542784 View attachment 542788 View attachment 542788

What an endeavor!!
You really nailed that snip toe!
Can’t imagine how many hrs you have in this.
Very impressive.
B

 

[Fifty150]

it was my first time running a sewing machine on leather

What kind of sewing machine was it, that it was strong enough for leather?

Hand lasted and hand welted

Tell us more about the process, and the tools that you used.

 

[dh66]

I made my first pair of traditional cowboy boots. Hand lasted and hand welted with a steel shank, wooden pegged sole and hand stacked leather heel. I designed the pattern and cut the inlay as well. For those of you with sharp eyes, it was my first time running a sewing machine on leather, so be kind.

I did give in and go with a soft-tex heel and a thin rubber bottom protector. Uppers and heel/toe caps are kangaroo, vamps are goat.
View attachment 542783 View attachment 542784 View attachment 542788

Nice work!!!

 

[Mm25]

What kind of sewing machine was it, that it was strong enough for leather?



Tell us more about the process, and the tools that you used.

I contacted a customer boot maker and arranged a two week “boot school”.
I did all the work, under their instruction, using their shop.
Topstitching was done using a singer professional machine, which is an updated version of the 31-15.
Most of the rest was done with hand tools, except the side seam and sole seeing, and the sanding and buffing.

 

[Fifty150]

Now I get it. My head was spinning with the idea of doing it myself in my living room. But you went somewhere with the right equipment and a teacher. Now it all makes sense. I thought that you did it at home.

 

[Edward]

I made my first pair of traditional cowboy boots. Hand lasted and hand welted with a steel shank, wooden pegged sole and hand stacked leather heel. I designed the pattern and cut the inlay as well. For those of you with sharp eyes, it was my first time running a sewing machine on leather, so be kind.

I did give in and go with a soft-tex heel and a thin rubber bottom protector. Uppers and heel/toe caps are kangaroo, vamps are goat.
View attachment 542783 View attachment 542784 View attachment 542788

Very nice indeed. I particularly like the two-tone detail over the foot. That lighter colour on the vamp at first glance in the last shot really looks like a spat - moreso than the echoes of same in a pair of co-respondent shoes, the latter losing that same illusion with the visible lacing.

 

[Mm25]

Now I get it. My head was spinning with the idea of doing it myself in my living room. But you went somewhere with the right equipment and a teacher. Now it all makes sense. I thought that you did it at home.

It was still challenging.
Not the living room, but that’s the plan for the next pair. Trying to get some specialty items like crimping boards and make another pair on my own.

 

[Bfd70]

I contacted a customer boot maker and arranged a two week “boot school”.
I did all the work, under their instruction, using their shop.
Topstitching was done using a singer professional machine, which is an updated version of the 31-15.
Most of the rest was done with hand tools, except the side seam and sole seeing, and the sanding and buffing.

What a great idea

 

[dh66]

Wore the Martinez to climb up on a big rock on the side of US41 near Sewanee and see the view. All the spray paint graffiti made the rock super slick and I was kind of regretting my choice once I got up there, but obviously I survived to post about it.

 

[Monitor]

Could anyone please recommend a good place online to buy metal tips and heel protectors? Thanks.

 

[Bamaboots]

Could anyone please recommend a good place online to buy metal tips and heel protectors? Thanks.

I don't know anything about these, Monitor. Also, check Etsy and Ebay has some.
Etched Silver Cowboy Boot Toe Tips WX-47 | Buffalo Trader Online
Boot Toe Tips - Engraved Silver w/Snip Front - Gass Horse Supply & Western Wear
Boot Tips and Heel Caps to Match.

Of course, depending on your budget, there are western silversmiths that make customs.

 

[dh66]

Could anyone please recommend a good place online to buy metal tips and heel protectors? Thanks.

Champion Attitude, who recently made my black and white eagle boots, offer silver tips and heel plates. Their website is caboots.com

 

[Monitor]

I don't know anything about these, Monitor. Also, check Etsy and Ebay has some.
Etched Silver Cowboy Boot Toe Tips WX-47 | Buffalo Trader Online
Boot Toe Tips - Engraved Silver w/Snip Front - Gass Horse Supply & Western Wear
Boot Tips and Heel Caps to Match.

Of course, depending on your budget, there are western silversmiths that make customs.

There are some really nice ones in the last link. Thanks! I'll get in touch with them.

Champion Attitude, who recently made my black and white eagle boots, offer silver tips and heel plates. Their website is caboots.com

I have a pair of boots already on order with Caboots & I never realized they had silver tips! I appreciate it.

 

[Monitor]

One more thing; Can you guys identify the maker of these boots? I do know they're by Chrome Hearts but I also know those suckers can't make such beautiful boots so perhaps anyone can recognize the shape? They're made in the US, that much I do know.