Boot Making and Mending

This hands-on manual turns boot making and mending into a practical craft anyone can learn, framing repair as both economical and empowering. It introduces the "Work" series as a set of everyday trade guides and then leads readers from simple heel and sole fixes to the fuller art of shoemaking, with clear, step-by-step instruction supported by detailed illustrations. Beginning with the importance of early repair, the book explains how to preserve shape, balance, and lifespan by tackling worn heels, split soles, and damaged seams before they worsen. It offers ingenious, thrifty methods for half-heel repairs, riveted reinforcement, reusable paper patterns, homemade tools, and quick fixes using pre-made leather plugs. From there, it moves into workshop basics, including sharpening strops, paste, materials, costs, and even improvised benches, while also showing how to identify different kinds of boot construction. As the lessons deepen, the manual covers re-soling riveted and machine-sewn boots, preparing and drying leather, blocking insoles, skiving, awl-holing, and fitting stiffeners and linings. It closes with lasting the upper, teaching how to draw leather smoothly over the last, avoid wrinkles and "pipes," and achieve a boot that is durable, comfortable, and well made. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.