I bet most handmade shoomakers don't know all the "physics" involved in what they do, they just do it to the best of their (individual) ability; what they learned; what they always have done. That being said, from what I have observed, some companies seem to produce supremely good handmade quality, others not so good. Conversely, some companies do excellent machine shoos, while others can't even get that right. And to find fuckups, you don't have to go downmarket - there are losers among the big name brands.

There are a couple of issues here.  First, the issue of hand-stitching vs. machine stitching of the welt/insole is not simply one of 'tension,' the two stitches are mechanically different.  The hand-sewn stitch uses a shoemakers (or saddler's) stitch, in which two threads weave in and out of the welt, so each thread is on the welt side half of the time and on the insole side half of the time.  The machine stitch is the same as a lockstitch from a sewing machine, in which one thread is always on the welt side and the other on the insole side of the seam.  Further, the type of wax which is put on the threads is different, which therefore also implies a difference in performance.  Now I don't know which approach is inherently superior, since I haven't run or read about any controlled experiments, but logically speaking the two are unlikely to be identical in terms of performance.  Finally, the size of the awl making the holes is unlikely to be identical between the two approaches, which could conceivably also affect relative performance of the two approaches.  Whether the performance difference actually matters is yet another legitimate question.

Comparing the sole stitching of Vass vs EG is not the best comparison.  Vass (and perhaps other Eastern European makers) don't sew on their soles using the same tools as the hand-makers in the UK and France.  Vass use a pair of metal 'bristles' after making the awl holes (see the Vass book for photos).  These bristles are much larger in diameter than the boar's bristles or nylon bristles and 'square' awls used by the UK handmakers.  As a consequence, the sole stitching showing on the welt of the Vass is much less elegant that that of the British bespoke makers.  UK shoes can feature sewing at up to 12 stitches per inch, and 10 is sort of the standard level of work.  Vass looks like it's something like 7 or 8, and it simply doesn't look the same as the UK bespoke work.  A UK handstitched seam looks different from a machine-sewn stitch.   Also, as with the discussion above, the mechanical nature of the hand-stitch differs from that of the machine-stitched shoe.  So, perhaps there is no difference in performance, but mechanically and esthetically they are different.

Fritzl: are you able to tell me more about Otto Bartkiewicz? ls it possible for you to get pics of the inner works of his shoes? How far is he from you?



http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php?p=1037905&postcount=60


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Something unrelated to shoe construction, but more towards styling. Fritzl: what do you think of this post below:
http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php?p=2390728&postcount=341

ls Bengal Stripe right or are his opinions based on too small a sample to conclude that the  ’Austro-Hungarian school’ used to make more sleek shoes before WW2?

Last edited by The_Shooman (2009-08-27 07:37:53)

E.G say that there are only two of those machines in the world. lt looks like it does alot more shoe making steps from the one machine than the usual equipment does. Why are there only two of these machines in the world, why aren't there more of them? And who is making these machines? Does it pay to make these machines if there is only two in the world? Who is the New Zealand firm using it? And why would such a small output firm like E.G be buying such an extravegant machine? Seems crazy....more questions than answers.

Lots of marketing spin for ignorant people too. The say they use pig britles to close the uppers like that is the only thing they do, but that is only a small part on only some of the E.G shoos. MNost of the E.G shoos are closed by a needle in a machine, not a pig bristle by hand. They also say they are made to the highest quality, but that is not true either. They click three patterns per hide and gem the shoos. Stop the marketing BS guys and tell the truth for a change.

G: nice monks mate. Wish E.G were more appropiately priced in Oz and actually fit me. Would mind a pair for dickin' round in in the garden and on the farms. Too much at $2,700 ASD (starting price) for special order.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2011-08-23 23:10:34)

Shooey , what happened to all the old shoemaking equipment from the Collingwood, Fitzroy shoe factories when the closed down?

It wasn't all that long ago they were still working. The 70s?

Last edited by meister (2011-08-25 20:19:46)