Purchase your book here.
Payments may be made through PayPal. See below, or by any other means you like. Just me with queries and we can work out any problems.
Cost of each Book is $140.00 AUD plus postage calculated by region. The book measures 29cm x 21cm (11 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches) and weigh 820 grams, or nearly 2 lbs.
All books will be signed by me when bought from this site.
Below are some Quick Pick links for payment. They are the cost of one Bespoke Shoemaking book plus postage to wherever you live. If you have queries about multiple purchases, or wish to include another book of any sort in your purchase, Please me for prices as postage rates will probably differ. I will email you back with the correct amount.
Paypal will automatically calculate the conversion rates between your currency and mine. If you want a rough idea of that cost please use the currency converter www.xe.com/ucc it will open in a new page.
If you wish to purchase multiple copies please me here for postage details.
The Book, and it's reason for being.
This shoemaking manual contains 300 pages of information based on a practical career as a bespoke shoemaker and teacher over 25 years. Included are 700 illustrations taken from video and photographs, so you don't have to interpret anything. All images have been worked to provide the clearest picture of what I am describing without any extraneous background.
I have tried to include as much detail as possible with emphasis on the things most encountered by a shoemaker working on a daily basis.
How to attach buckles, covering heel blocks, and putting in socks are quite often skipped during training. These things are important and used regularly so understanding them is crucial.
Sandals are also often overlooked as a form of footwear for teaching purposes and have specific attributes and problems that require specialised solutions. Similarly, platforms and joggers are often asked for by prospective customers.
This textbook was originally intended for use by my students but it became increasingly obvious that I had too much information and it should be available to anyone and everyone. Bearing that in mind, I have assumed that if someone knows nothing at all about shoemaking and wants to learn, then I had to put in everything I could think of to make the path easier for them.
The most basic step I could think of is that nothing can be done without a sharp knife because it is impossible to proceed without one, and the rest of the book continues from this premise.
I originally set out to only give the patterns for a derby shoe as that is the exercise that I used when teaching, thus the book had to be expanded to allow inclusion of the patterns for this, and how to make them. Afterwards I included patterns for an oxford to give some variety for projects.
There are other pattern cutting books so I don't see a need for me to continue with the pattern side of things, my job now is to provide knowledge for anyone to put the shoe together using practical instructions, because that is the information that is fast disappearing.
I hope that any shoemaker can get enough out of the book to avoid making costly mistakes, and spending time on non-productive jobs.
Feel free to contact me with questions and suggestions. I am not sure if I will be able to reply to all, but it may inspire changes, or new directions in the future.
Tim.
I have added some books by Ron Edwards that may be of interest to leatherworkers in general.
George Koleff's books are now online too. They include the ever-popular Boot and Shoe Designing Manual, and also books on last making, and ugg boot making.