shoes

[DWFII]

Parenthetically...

Since nearly the end of WWI the great Irish linen Mills have been in decline. I read recently that the last of them has closed shop.

Linen is derived from the flax plant. The flax grows quite tall and when ready for harvest it is dumped into large ponds to be "retted." This retting breaks down the fibers and then the flax is beaten or broken up to further separate the fibers. It is all very labour intensive.

Wool yarn is made up of fibers spun together. The length of the fiber is known as the "staple." The longer the staple, the stronger the yarn Similarly, the length of the fiber in linen yarn contributes most critically to its strength.

My wife spins flax into linen yarn. I have seen some of the fibers be 36" long. But commercially produced linen yarn seldom has fibers exceeding 3 (that's right three) inches long. Even from the great old Irish mills.

Combine this with the scarcity of European boar's bristles...or even India blond or Russian black...and the shoemaker who wishes to work in the traditional manner is in something of a bind.

[Boars bristles are used in the paint brush industry although less and less as the years go by. But there is virtually no other demand. I have a lot of prime India and Russian bristles...running seven inches long...but I hoard them]

Boar's bristle has a unique property, beyond being flexible and strong, in that the ends are generally split (as in "split ends" on human hair) and these ends may be split lengthwise even further. This allows the "taw" (or taper) in the waxed end to be sandwiched between the split ends of the bristles and so afford a better purchase as the bristle is mounted.

Because of this shortage, some shoemakers are resorting to dacron yarn and sections of nylon fishing line to create waxed ends...an approach that I was instrumental in developing.

The dacron can be tapered, waxed and twisted up the same as the linen although it does not hold the wax as well as linen. Balancing this, the dacron is not subject to rot the way linen sometimes is if the waxing is not thorough enough.

Nylon monofilament can be split lengthwise in a very similar manner to natural boar's bristle.

And the upshot is a substitution of materials in a technique that is centuries old...maybe the best of both worlds--the old and the new.

Here is a photo of a waxed end made with nylon monofilament and dacron. Even experienced shoemakers would have trouble telling the difference without deconstructing the taw.

[DWFII]

And finally...for today...under the heading of "more-than-you-ever-wanted-to-know-before-breakfast-on-a-Wednesday"...

Why is all of this is important? The foot and shoe combine to create a micro-environment that is essentially a little jungle--heat, moisture, and beasts that relentlessly devour everything in their path.

Leather wicks away moisture from the foot, synthetics hold that moisture in place. Bacteria that naturally exist (in relatively small numbers) on the surface of the foot thrive in such conditions. They will eat any organic material that hasn't been properly preserved or protected, including the foot itself. Unwaxed linen or cotton thread, paper, cardboard or high tech composites of paper and fiber that are not impregnated with chemicals...anything organic that is within reach. Even cotton and wool socks/hose are subject to a faster rate of decay in these hot, steamy environments.

And if the consumer switches to nylon or polyester hose and vinyl footwear, the bacteria just move on the the main course--the skin. Athlete's foot and other foot diseases--lesions and open sores, in some cases--develop and become hard to eradicate as the creatures adapt to their new bill of fare.

A word to the wise...

The next installment may be the last or the next to last but that's all for today.

[piperdbh]

I really appreciate these posts, especially the pictures. Without them, I'd have been lost in the first couple of sentences, with all the jargon and such. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[tyger]

Super, just super!

[DWFII]

I really appreciate these posts, especially the pictures. Without them, I'd have been lost in the first couple of sentences, with all the jargon and such. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

I do apologize...this is just what I was worried about. Shoemaking is such a complex and intense affair...far moreso than it would appear on the surface...and drawing from so many different--eclectic, as one should say--sources and disciplines.

I hope it is more than white noise.

Don't worry though, I am almost out of photos and it will be done soon.

[Bugbear]

No, I'm following it just fine, DWFII, and I can't look at the pictures. guess I have seen some of this done before It's very interesting.

[Bugbear]

Very interesting, DWFII, and thank you for posting this.

Last night I tried to split some fishing line, like you were talking about, it wasn't easy...

[DWFII]

Very interesting, DWFII, and thank you for posting this.

Last night I tried to split some fishing line, like you were talking about, it wasn't easy...

Tell me about it. Not all mono splits well. And as it gets older it gets even worse. I usually use 30 lb. (?) Maxima but I have split 10 lb. It's surely a useful skill to have...no telling when you might want to split some mono.

Or rent a pig...

This is the identical technique that is used for boar's bristle...

[Bugbear]

Guess we really are splitting hairs here.

I was trying to split fifty pound mono, I think.

[Bugbear]

Thank you, DWFII.