How to Make a Shoe by John Parker Headley (world best books to read .TXT) 📕

The Author of the book in hand, having passed through the various scenes through which he would accompany his readers, was prompted to make this offering to the craft and the public in order to relieve his mind of the thoughts had upon the subject of making shoes, as well as to contribute something of a literary character which, in the broad range of possibilities, may become useful as a text-book, or family-book, for those who may feel interested in making or wearing shoes, and perhaps lead to something better. Realizing the imperfections and shortcomings of the human family, to some extent at least, no claim beyond that which you are disposed to put upon it is held, so that any communication will be gladly received and noted. This opportunity is also taken to express thanks for some valuable suggestions from the U. S. Bureau of Education, and others, concerning the publication of this little volume, and in its present shape you are invited to read and make the best use of it you can.

Author.

[p6]
Measuring the length of the foot

[p7]
The subject, seated on a chair,

One knee the other to rest, Has his measure taken fair,

The foot at ease is best. The Artist views the foot,

And straightway takes the length, By measuring it from heel to toe,

His size brings content. From twelve to eighteen inches long—

This stick has many sizes; Three to the inch is now our song,

Subject to compromises. Some feet have long toes behind—

In the language of the craft; These are not so hard to find,

And oft to us been waft. Our Artist here will best succeed,

If a little head he can measure, For out of that comes very much

To make the feet a treasure.

[p8]
Measuring around the heel

[p9]
Next, around the heel a strap we bring,

To the centre of the curve, A leather or linen strap is used,

And don’t affect the nerve.

The marks on this an inch represents,

Also fractions of inch preserved; When made complete it then presents

An appearance well deserved.

Around the heel, I’ve already said,

But that is not quite so; For around in part and through instead

Will make it more the go.

Now let us here make up our minds,

If this trade we would study, That the craft is subject to many fines

If the subject gets very muddy.

[p10]
Measuring the instep

[p11]
With strap in hand the instep measure—

Be sure you get it right; For at this place some have a treasure,

Which prompts them oft to fight.

A little lump we will it now call,

Not knowing the exact name of it; Nor let our strap the least bit fall,

But measure just above it.

When we’ve done this, and done quite well,

Another move will follow, Which takes us nearly on the ball,

And brings us from the hollow.

[p12]
Measuring the ball of the foot

[p13]
From the hollow now we’ve just come out,

With strap in hand to take The measure neat, near on the ball,

So that our fits won’t shake.

If they should shake the remedy comes,

A false sole we do make, To please our subjects at their homes

The soles we there do take.

Onward now the way we press,

And move along just so, Until we reach the part well known

To be the toe, the toe.

[p14]
Measuring across the toes

[p15]
This is the place of which folks do talk,

If there is any pressure, Because they cannot easy walk,

The shoey missed the measure.

Just below the ball, across the toes,

Is where we next are found; For there is nothing worn like shoes

When used upon the ground.

From here we feel like soaring higher,

And soon get at the ankle, Which must be fit to suit the buyer,

Thus avoiding any wrangle.

[p16]
Measuring the ankle

[p17]
The ankle reached, we then with care

Measure neat and true; If anything is noticed there,

’Twill surely be the shoe.

That notice is just what we want,

From that we get our living; And if we make a miss on that,

It might be past forgiving.

From toe to ankle we have come,

With an uncertain height, And with the measures we’ve put down

Will now add that right.

[p18]
Measuring the height

[p19]
To have the height right is our aim;

Some like shoes high, some low; But to have them fit is all the same,

And this we try to show.

Some in one way, some in another,

These measures have been taken, Until we have them all together,

We should not try to shapen.

To work now by our measure marked

Will be our constant aim; A pattern must be cut—

To start with that is plain.

But plainer still the shoe will be

From the pattern we shall cut, Because we think you’ll all agree

What’s opened should be shut.

[p20]
Patterns

[p21]
Before our eyes the patterns come,

The shapes are clearly seen, A vamp and quarter, with a tongue,

Worked just in between.

A stiffening of sole has found its way,

And asks that it be shown, In order, at some future day,

Its use might be made known.

The parts, you see, stand thus alone,

But have a close relation; Because these parts must all be shown

To keep their proper station.

One part not seen, in shape the same,

Is cut and called the lining, Upon which each quarter must be placed—

We’ll not stop here defining—

[p22]
The lining

[p23]
But show in this cut, if you please,

The lining a little larger, With the quarter pasted on it smooth,

If not there’ll come a charger.

The vamp, also, has been changed,

Only one-half appears, The cause of which can be explained

In less time than number years.

When we the lower corners take,

And match them well in fact, The centre we at once do make,

Which guides the following act—

[p24]
Joining quarter and vamp ready for sewing

[p25]
The act of uniting quarter and vamp,

With paste or cement for sewing, Is done with care, as in this cut,

The fitness of things is showing.

The centre mark on the vamp we’ll use,

To get the quarters placed best, By putting the vamp upon the two,

One-half inch above to rest.

One end is reached, but not the last;

This end from flax or cotton Is made by some men very fast,

If the flax is not too rotten.

[p26]
Rolling the thread

[p27]
The work which we have now passed through

Could all be done by standing, Having a board to cut upon,

And one the paste commanding.

But now we wish the scene to change,

And begin the ending act; Which comes first to him who would arrange

The threads, indeed, intact.

We roll the thread upon our knee,

To untwist and break with ease, And place the cords, one, two, and three,

So that the points are formed, if you please.

[p28]
Forming points with cords

[p29]
By having the points one below the other,

The thread kept free from a knot, We will avoid whate’er there is to bother,

While the past may be forgot.

We will let that be just as it may,

If wrong we’ll try and mend it; For surely there will come a day

When after awl we’ll send it.

[p30]
Twisting the thread

[p31]
With the thread arranged, as we’ve described,

Twisting is quite in order; The figure now shows us a how

To twist it hard and harder.

When one side is twisted hard enough,

We simply take the other, And do the same thing over again,

So that the threads are worked together.

Before the ends are entirely free,

One thing around us lingers, We take the thread, three or two in one,

Around our left-hand fingers.

[p32]
Milling

[p33]
A large round awl is just the thing,

To do what we call milling; Two or three trips are sure to bring

From fingers to foot the filling.

Now our thread is very smooth,

But we try to make it smoother, By using a piece of cloth to rub,

When done, free all together.

Something now is sought that sticks,

Commonly known as wax; And often one gets in a fix

When he finds it with the tacks.

[p34]
Waxing the thread

[p35]
But wax, not tacks, is what we want,

To make our thread quite nice; We catch it in the middle,

And to the end wax thrice.

Each time waxing briskly,

Not stopping on the way, For if we do we’ll miss it,

And perhaps will have to stay.

Our wax should be in season,

Soft wax in winter use— Hard wax in summer—reason,

Holding together our shoes.

[p36]
Making a fine point

[p37]
A fine point now we’re about to make;

This part should be waxed better, So that the bristle we may take,

Shall stick like the stamp of a letter.

We’ll stop here about the thread,

To take a little whistle, Until we find a pair to suit,

Then begin to bristle.

[p38]
Preparing the bristles

[p39]
The bristles with care have been selected,

In keeping with the thread, In this case we feel protected,

Because the hog is dead.

From Russia, we are told, the best bristles come,

But cannot tell you why, The hairs upon our hogs at home

Are not so good to buy.

[p40]
Joining thread and bristle

1 2 3 4

Go to page: 1234

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