My home made boots made it through!
See specs
Maker
Schmittworks
Model
Sw919
Leather
Last
US Men's Brannock: 10.5E
Snf55 Last: 9.5E
N/a
Decently snug at heel. Good arch support and plenty of room for toe splay
Sole
Heel
Purchased from
Home Made
Order info
Cost: 250 USD
Availability: Custom
Lead Time: About 1 month
More about this item
I made these boots off of a pattern I pulled from an old worn out pair of redwing 919's. I tried to stay close to the original construction while still making them in my own construction methodSee background
Why did you choose this item?
I love the original style of the 919 and I wanted to emulate it for my own journey learning to make my own boots
How did you determine your size?
Using lisa sorrels advice and last charts i initially settled on a 9.5d and after making two pairs on that last i decided to get a 9.5f for a little more wiggle room. The 55 last works perfectly for my foot shape.
What was the ordering process?
I ordered the leather from maverickleathercompany.com and the boot supplies from panhandleleather.com. The soles and the lasts came from sorrellnotionsandfindings.com
Use & wear
For work I am a "production technical trainer" so I spend half my time in an office and half my time on the factory floor. At work these boots got covered in dust, smeared with molten plastic, scratched up by ground up plastic chunks, and walked across concrete. At home I wore them shoveling, cutting the grass, working on minor home improvement projects, and around the workshop welding grinding and blacksmithing.
Leather
This leather came with a pretty soft temper and didn't take much break in. It took a good amount of abrasion to actually wear through the finish (in the heel area wear my pants end) but showed scratches and cuts. I rinsed these once or twice with a garden hose and brushed them once or twice a week.
Fit
Ive made several pairs for myself on this last. No complaints, this last suits my foot very well. I never used an insole in these and I never had a problem. I ended up doing a leather arch over a steel shank and it is still plenty supportive.
Craftsmanship
So I made these off a pattern I pulled from a worn out pair of redwing 919's. I tried to stick to the original style while still doing it thicker and beefier. The footbed/welt connection is holding strong. I did have a spot where the welt separated from the midsole where I undercut my 360 welt stitch when I was grinding in the heel profile, other than that everything has held together perfectly.
Sole & heel
I am very happy with the supergrip jade sole. It is squishy enough but shows very signs of wear. No signs of chipping or pieces breaking out like the corded sole
I am very happy with the supergrip jade sole. It is squishy enough but shows very signs of wear. No signs of chipping or pieces breaking out like the corded sole
Final thoughts
Im super pleased with my boots, I still have a lot to learn as a maker as far as fit and finish but i'm proud my boots held up so well. Value was obviously good... I didn't pay myself for the labor so I just had to pay for the supplies
