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Posts posted by mrsmiff
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Neil recently took a trip up to the Wesco® factory in Scappoose, Oregon to watch our next batch of the Van Cleef engineer boots go down the line. We’ve been a Wesco dealer for some time now, and wanted to pay them a visit to learn more about how boots get made.
The journey from leather to boot starts out with the clicker — a giant press that cuts out each piece of leather from the hide. Every part of the upper portion of the boot needs a corresponding die; each size of every boot needs a die the right size.
In the upper cutting department. A small number of the many dies Wesco uses.Below, you can see the backstay, the hide it was cut from, and the die laid out. (The backstay is the piece of leather that goes vertically up the back of an engineer boot. Once the leather is cut, the pieces are fitted and sewn.
The backstay cut out of a hide.Wesco® offers nearly infinite combinations of leathers, thread colors, and soles allowing the perfect boot to made for every customer.
Some of the many thread colors available for your Wesco boots. Wesco uses a number of vintage (such as this one) and modern sewing machines on their footwear.We didn’t make it in time to catch the boots being sewn in full, so we’re starting with the final stages of sewing here. The backstays are being glued down to hold them in place for stitching.
Backstays glued on, ready for sewing.For the Van Cleef, it was essential that we have the vintage style V-stitch on the backstay. Here you can see how it’s done with multiple passes, no double-stitch machines here.
Stitching on the backstays Sewing machine for uppers Backstay sewn in place. All ready for heel shaping.Once the sewing is complete, we move on down the line to making these leather socks into boots. The next step is forming the heel.
The heel being formed. Heel shaped, and ready for the next stepAfter the heel is shaped, the last goes into the boot to continue the process. The last is the foot-shaped form that every pair of shoes or boots is built around, and the basis for the fit of your footwear.
Wesco has over 500 lasts in sizes 4AAA — 16EEEE.
Lasts, hanging out.Next, we move onto the toe — these boots have a double vamp, and the inner layer is pulled around the last to shape the toe box by the Vamp Laster.
Vamp machine pulling the inner layer of the vamp around the last.The process started by the machine has to be finished by hand. Lasting pliers are used in order to get the inner vamp layer all the way around the instep, where it’s tacked in place to the insole which you can see below.
Hand-stretching the inner layer of the vamp over the last.Now that the toe is secure, the heel has to be nailed into place, which requires a different set of pliers and a hammer.
The last stages of closing up the upper around the last.Now that the boot is wrapped around the last, the midsole is applied. You can see the inner layer of the vamp wrapped around the last in the image below.
Hammering the midsole down onto the last. The hammer for nailing in brass nails.The outer layer of the vamp is wrapped around the last, and the first pass of the stitchdown process happens, holding the upper to the midsole in the front of the boot.
Stitching the midsole to the upper.Here’s another shot of the Rapid E machine finishing up the initial stitchdown pass. You can see how the boot is wrapped in plastic to keep the natural veg-tan upper clean, as these old machines fling oil everywhere.
Midsole stitching with a vintage Rapid E machine.After the front of the boot is stitched down, the heel is nailed in place, holding the midsole to the insole. Brass nails are used, as they don’t corrode with sweat or water.
Nailing the midsole in place. Midsole completely attached with size written on in Bic pen. A view into the outsole attachment and QA room.Now that the midsole is attached, we move onto the outsole area in the factory.
The shot below is of a pair of boots with logger spikes in place, as the machine had just been oiled and was a bit too messy to do a lighter colored boot on. The operator always wears gloves, and all lighter boots are wrapped in plastic.
Attaching an outsole.Here’s a close-up of the Rapid E doing its work on a Vibram 705 half-sole. As you can imagine, this is a very intense sewing machine, able to punch through multiple layers of leather and rubber.
Close-up view of the Rapid E at work on the outsole.There is an excess of leather around the edges of the boot at this point from the upper vamp layer and the midsole, which needs to be trimmed off using a Sil-Par machine.
Trimming the excess leather from the upper and midsole.Every pair of Wesco boots get the date of manufacture stamped inside, using the machine pictured below.
The date stamping machine.This only covered a few of the over 155 steps involved in the production of a pair of Wesco boots. However, the process isn’t done until the boots are on your feet and broken in as your very own.
As you wear them, your feet will sink into the all leather insoles, and the uppers will shape to you, creating a pair that is yours, and only yours. All of the patina and wear you accrue will only further the process.
A classic Wesco sticker. The completed Van Cleefs, ready to be broken in by you.19 -
Everyone's pairs are looking great! Mine are... well, I own a denim store, so I have denim-ADD and can't focus on a single pair for long enough.
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We've got two new jams coming in hot from 3sixteen. These'll be available on-line at 12am Friday, and in-store when we open at 11am.
The color-blocked workshirt is sewn up from 2 shades of Japanese-woven indigo oxford cloth, and the bandana print short-sleeve features a discharge-print indigo selvedge cotton poplin, also woven in Japan.
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Just a reminder that Andrew will be here from Freenote on Saturday from noon til 6pm.Come on over, hang out, and talk about denim with one of the friendliest guys in the business.1
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11 minutes ago, edmond said:
I need some real mccoy chambray shirt do u guys have some?
Nope - but we can order for you. Shoot us an email. Hello at Standardandstrange.com
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Pssst - we have a sale on - use code "JOETRUDEAU" for 25% everything in our sale collection.
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We just picked up a trio of new Red Wings for warmer weather. The 8106 Moc Toe Oxford Shoe in Black Chrome and the 8099 Copper Worksmith Moc Toe Oxford Shoe are built to the same standards as the classic moc toe boots from Red Wing, but with a bit more room for your ankles to breath.
The 3321 Weekender Chukka in Hawthorne Muleskinner is great after-hours boot, in a lighter weight construction on a new crepe sole, paying homage to Red Wing's history of making casual boots as well as work boots.
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On 4/30/2017 at 8:05 AM, beautiful_FrEaK said:
Well there is one running right now. In cooperation with Standard&Strange
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I'm about to put in our sizes for an order of Barrie-last Indy boots, which we're doing up in the brand-new Pecan Austin leather that Alden just started using. It's a handsome mid-brown with some pull-up, and will make a great boot.
Details:- Pecan Austin leather
- Barrie last
- Brass eyelets, no speedhooks
- 270 reverse storm welt
- Natural edges
- White stitching
- Commando sole
Email me (jeremy @ standard and strange dot com) if you want to reserve a pair, or get a non-D width. After I cut the PO tonight/tomorrow morning, I won't be able to add any sizes or widths.Pecan Austin swatch:
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1 minute ago, oomslokop said:
is the 43 lht or rht?
RHT
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2 hours ago, Ignaurus said:
Man I have been waiting for this exact thing for years but I just can't swing the purchase now. 4301 is exactly what I would have picked, even if there was more to choose from. People shouldn't pass up on this opportunity!
It's going to be some time from deposit to delivery. I don't have a timeline yet, so you might still be able to jump in!
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We got a bunch of cool stuff in from The Real McCoy's
The Junk Force was a coastal joint patrol between the Vietnamese and the US, and their uniform was the local garb - simple black unstructured shirts and pants in black plain-weave. The Real McCoy's has upgraded those shirts and trousers to a cotton-linen blend.
Continuing the Vietnam-era theme, we also received the Tiger Camo Boonie hat with an incredible woven band based on the handmade ones given by the Montagnard allies to US soldiers.
Kicking back to WW2, three colors of the Type A-3 mechanic's cap arrived - denim, khaki herringbone twill, and olive herringbone twill.
We also got their new tubular knit pocket-tees in white, navy, green, and saxony blue.
SHOP THE REAL MCCOY'S NOW 2 -
9 hours ago, bod said:
I had a pair of 4302 a few years ago, shrinks about 2" in the waist and 2.5" in the leg iirc. Nice denim, a bit warehouse-esq and I prefer it over the OA fabric.
@bod how much did it stretch back out?
@mrman Here's your answer.
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I've still got a few slots open for the 4301 - shoot me an email or PM me to get set up.
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16 minutes ago, mrman said:
Could you give an idea how the denim shrinks, especially in the top block? Thanks!
I'm only familiar with the OAXX denim they've been using for us for detailed shrink info.
Anyone else here have some #43 they can comment on?
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We're down to around 7 spots now, then #43 is gone for good.
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On 4/7/2017 at 2:21 AM, mrman said:
Is this (http://www.ooe-yofukuten-shop.com/?pid=94753826) a correct size chart for OA01XX in the intended denim?
Same cut, different denim, so there will be small variances.
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Confirmed that there's enough #43 for 12 pairs, of which we've got 8 pairs left available. We're making these to order, so if you want a size, gimme a shout.
Still waiting to get delivery timing on them.
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2 hours ago, edmond said:
Where to buy rmc in japan online?
RMC Nagoya would be my choice.
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12 hours ago, Max Power said:
I still regret not getting the OAO2XX time machine but would need a 38. The 01 cut is too wide for me unfortunately.
We're going to run more OA02XX later this year, as well.
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2 hours ago, beautiful_FrEaK said:
The world tour jeans were made of the #35 denim. That is if you mean the Travelling Pants which run 2009-10.
I was mistaken, you are correct on that.
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1 hour ago, serotonin flood said:
I usually shoot for 34 inch wasit when it's all said and done, what size would you recommend?
Tag size 34 will stretch to 34 exactly. You could go up to 35 for more vintage fit. I've got both in stock.
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Ooe Yofukuten x S&S: Official Contest Thread 2016
in superdenim
Posted
It's true. I've been doing 6 month rotations lately. It's been tough with the amount of good stuff we're landing lately, and there's another couple of projects coming up that'll burn up some legroom.