I am keeping this fellow top secret until l get him to make my first pair. After that l will reveal who he is. He is a true dinki di aussie bloke who learned off Australia's last master bespoke shoemaker called George Keoff (the 1980's signalled the end of an era....no more master bespoke makers doing handmade bespoke after that).
Mr J.H is going to send me pictures of his work and is going to try and send me pictures of George's work also. Mr J.H prefers making cowboy boots, but he'll also make shoes.
Mr J.H makes hand welted footwear and will do hand stitched soles on request at an amazing 10 spi. WOW.
Not sure what l want to get yet. It might be just an oxford, but l might even get a bespoke alligator hornback roper made next year. I'll get my Cleverley finished first, and then i'll get Mr J.H to make me a pair. He also makes his own thread from single barber's linen because he says no thread is really good enough these days.
l'm excited fellas, and i'm feeling good. He makes for very few people. This is a real goer...this is gonna be a fairdinkum little rippa mate, can't wait, pumped up.
It would be nice to also get Karl Schott to make me a pair of hand welted bespoke with wood pegged soles (considered to be the most skilled maker in Australia. He also used to do hand welted with machine stitched soles), but that'll be big bucks and will take much convincing to make happen. It would be nice to do the hatrick of the best makers - John (my local maker), Mr J.H, and Karl Schott...those fellas are proper makers. Shoes from these guys will be the ultimate trophies, and l want shoes from each of them.
Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-10-24 23:03:17)
Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-10-24 21:52:05)
isshi has hornback lizard shoes FWIW
http://wootten.com.au/process/
Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-10-28 17:25:37)
Couyld you find out if he does Veterans' Affairs mate. I need some decent shoes.
Those are nice boots. However, I don't believe those are stitched anywhere close to 10 spi. To my eye, it looks more like 7 to 8 spi.
Also, the guy's name was Koleff, with an 'L' in it, not Koeff.
Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-10-31 14:29:47)
Do a lot of people wear cowboy boots in Oz, Shooey?
They're pretty popular here in the states, especially down south and out west, but I never really think of people wearing them in other countries (with the exception of Mexico).
Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-10-31 17:14:41)
Hey mate, l nearly bought boot spurs once from R.M.W. I've got the R.M.W bone pants, the light blue shirt, a cowboy hat and boots. The heel spurs would look silly on a bloke in the city, but it would be good for a hoot and to turn heads.
I'll never forget the time l was on the West Ring road and this bloke from the country was behind me in a ute with a BIG set of bull horns on his bonnet, large arial, R.M.Williams stickers on his car, and a BIG cowboy hat. l loved that guy. He was a real laid back aussie with this huge smile on his face.
Sometimes l wear a coyboy hat in the car when l am driving, great for a laugh and a bit of fun. Could you imagine bvlokes in cars behind me...they would be thinking `who the heck is this dude with the cowboy hat in front of us'???...what a crazy old bugger.
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=boot+spurs&client=opera&hs=ZTi&channel=suggest&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=KeZyUrDDDZDvkAWSnICAAw&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=828
True, it is strange that overseas igents go crazy over a work boot like R.M.W. Many aussie politicians wear them with their suits too.
Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-10-31 17:33:06)
ha I always wanted a pair of the cream slim moleskins with those flap front pockets and studs on the flaps. But they look a bit too much like a squatter/private school look.
Big Bobby would fit right in down in Texas, right down to the rifles on the wall.
Funny thing about those boys down there, they come off as real hicks but there's places in Texas where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a millionaire.
Last edited by TheExpandingMan (2013-11-01 14:46:00)
Is that critter alive or stuffed?
If it's alive, I'd like to introduce it to a couple of our current politicians...
Gotta love Big Bobby. That picture is completely perfect. Love it! No shoos either.
It would not be stuffed. We don't mess around over here.
Making fun of Bob's cowboy hat wearing in parliament
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=bob+katter+pictures&client=opera&hs=vy6&channel=suggest&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=IFZ0UrXUOczGkwWvpYF4&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=828#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=TwuagUoHaqL0LM%3A%3BjLRc2OuDbztV1M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fresources2.news.com.au%252Fimages%252F2011%252F06%252F22%252F1226080%252F220558-bob-katter.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%252Fnews%252Fnsw%252Fthe-mad-hatters-flatter-bob-katters-pressing-matter%252Fstory-e6freuzi-1226080219864%3B650%3B366
Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-11-01 19:37:22)
Its stuffed alright - hes holding its jaw open with a bit of string.