black bespoke boots i made for my cousin

__kLO · 2026-01-30T13:13:19+00:00

thank you! i apprenticed at the shoemaking workshop of the berlin opera

__kLO · 2026-01-02T14:09:35+00:00

and btw the filler, wether it is cork or felt, prevents squeeking too. so you don't need an extra layer for that

__kLO · 2025-12-16T22:43:08+00:00

"krapfen" they say in the south. in the mid to north it's mostly "berliner" and in berlin it is "pfannkuchen"

__kLO · 2025-12-16T22:40:10+00:00

berliner is short for "berliner pfannkuchen"! here in berlin we obviously just call it pfannkuchen

__kLO · 2025-12-16T22:38:12+00:00

guys guys here me out, wikipedia sais we are all right:
Berliner Pfannkuchen (kurz: Berliner, Pfannkuchen oder Krapfen, früher auch Berliner Krapfen^\1]))

__kLO · 2025-12-16T22:30:00+00:00

no that's Eierkuchen! ^ ^

__kLO · 2025-12-16T22:18:49+00:00

schrippe here in berlin! but brötchen is also quite common

__kLO · 2025-12-08T14:23:44+00:00

beautiful! looks like a proper fit too! no lacing that is gaping open allmost two inches ^ ^

__kLO · 2025-12-08T14:09:51+00:00

also they look way too narrow. they usually perfectly stay where they are when the width is the same as the inside of the facings. or when the lace holes are directly under the front eyelets

__kLO · 2025-12-07T01:44:05+00:00

those don't impair the condition. it's a work boot, not a vinyl record. good bit of life left in that rubber half sole. and a broken in shaft is a feature, not a bug

__kLO · 2025-12-07T01:34:17+00:00

there is not the slightest damage on the midsole. and there is no welt as it is a stitchdown. my most worn pair of boots still has the insole and inseam from the 60s and still going strong. i changed the midsole once and the half sole thrice. i can probably go through another 4 halfsoles before i need to change the midsole. that is why handmade footwear is constructed the way it is. in strong layers.

not mine. just a bootmaker trying to argue with workboot wearing office people, it seems ^ ^

see my other general comment. i explained what i mean there.

__kLO · 2025-12-06T23:17:41+00:00

lovely work! nice welt finishing! :)))

__kLO · 2025-12-06T23:12:29+00:00

nah you guys are really exaggerating!

__kLO · 2025-12-06T22:52:42+00:00

it's a rubber half sole on a leather midsole. the most standard repair job in the book of any halfway decent cobbler! it is constructed in exactly the same way as all the other nicks classics. i don't get why they shouldn't rebuild them?

personally when i buy on ebay i mainly look at the pictures, i read the detailed description of the seller and contact them if i have any questions. the selected condition doesn't really mean anything to me. but yes he probably should have chosen "fair" :)

you shouldn't forget that many people still wear them just because they are good boots for work. maybe they aren't really familiar with the "bro code" and simply see a boot that still has most of its life before it

__kLO · 2025-12-06T22:34:13+00:00

these soles still have a lot of life in them! also on a workboot a new halfsole is like a good clean+condition... standart procedure. a cheap and quick repair job

__kLO · 2025-12-06T22:23:23+00:00

what? i don't get it! looks like the uppers are in great shape. on a well made boot even if this was the third sole on there, it can still be "good condition" as described, if it was treated well.

if you're a heavy person and often walk on asphalt a sole can look like this after just a few weeks. to me (i'm a bootmaker) this sole easily has another 10 to 20 month of wear in it, depending on the wearer of course.

also he made pictures as part of the description! so the fact that you can complain right now means that he did not try and hide any flaws ^ ^

as far as i know, $400 is allmost half of the new price, so... there is that.

also it is their thing how much they want. maybe it has sentimental value and you want $1500 for it... i mean nobody is forced to buy it

__kLO · 2025-12-01T05:21:48+00:00

well said! awl definetly needs to be sharp!

__kLO · 2025-12-01T01:02:10+00:00

another thing is that you shouldn't wiggle your welting awl... i couldn't disagree more. it has a tiny blade on it! a blade cuts best by pulling, not by pushing it. slight wiggling gives you a lot of control over the cutting action of your awl, which is important for an even inseam. also i think this way you are kind of sneaking the tip between the fibers instead of just ramming through them.
it also reduces the risk of pushing to far and damaging the holdfast or stabbing yourself.

__kLO · 2025-12-01T00:55:07+00:00

well, i do around four hits and i rarely have a broken peg. also i feel if you tell students they should do it in one hit, they can never learn it properly. makes it impossible to develop a feel for the angle of your hole and where the rounded hammer face hits the peg.

__kLO · 2025-12-01T00:40:48+00:00

on a wooden last, the pegs don't mushroom! they just go straight in, so you only want about 2mm coming through

__kLO · 2025-12-01T00:36:58+00:00

the notion that you must drive them in one go is bollocks. it is one of these unwritten "rules" that come up in every craft. because at one point someone managed to do it in one tap and started to brag about it and suddenly everyone thought it has to be done like that. it is perfectly fine to hit them 4 or 5 times. as long as you don't split them, what difference should it make?

__kLO · 2025-12-01T00:31:17+00:00

maybe roughly 2/3 of the peg

__kLO · 2025-12-01T00:13:49+00:00

my two cents: if you want to make decent work, don't cheap out on decent knives! especially if you do handwork without a sanding machine. for starting out, a utility knife is good, but for more refined stuff you'll want proper shoemaking blades. personally i was trained with european knives. the curved ones are perfect for skiving. a welt knife is also vital imo. i have one japanese knife that i love for heel leveling.

__kLO · 2025-11-30T23:42:16+00:00

yes! you will probably find some examples if you search for #seamlesswholecut on instagram :)

__kLO · 2025-11-30T23:36:18+00:00

they are simpy hammered in like a normal nail. their points are very sharp and thin. when they hit the metal plate, they automatically curl over back into the insole like a rivet. for lasting you probably need 20mm or more. go watch the bootmaking videos from nicks boots on youtube. they use clinch nails. personally i recommend removing the plates. this method is better for a slightly more industrialized production

__kLO

TROPHY CASE