I am a former nuclear mechanic supervisor (submarines) turned cordwainer.
That means: I like shoes and I like coffee.
I have an opinion on just about everything. You don’t have to agree with the opinions to enjoy the shoes.

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BAM!



ZOTT!



POW!

(Know what that last pic is? ALL my high heel parts, fabrics, leathers etc...have finally arrived.)

First, on a personal note, let me say that I have been running amok helping my wife prepare for Army basic training. She leaves this Sunday, wish her luck.

Secondly, with just a tad over 250 submissions, coming from as far away as Israel and India, for the Fall Relief Anthology, I had to make some very tough choices. The immediate and easiest decision was an expansion to the normal volume/length of previous anthologies, the delayed decision was to whom to send rejection letters to. It is said that rejection letters are not personal, but when approaching an anthology subject such as “Survivors of Domestic Abuse” with the majority of submissions being personal recollections of living with domestic abuse, or personal poetry based upon experiences of domestic abuse … rejection can and does feel like an invalidation of those experiences. It was not. I have had to detach myself emotionally from this, and evaluate each submitted piece based upon what I perceive would be its literary merit, based solely upon the written content.

Lastly, and without further, I give you the long-awaited list of those to be published in the “Fall” 2009 Relief Anthology:

Jennifer Dawson
Linda Wisniewski
Lauren Shapiro
Kim M. Baker
O. Chandler Crook
Colleen Shaddox
Changming Yuan
Heather Vann
Noelle Dunn
Adetokunbo Abiola
Judith Armbruster
Cinthia Ritchie
Richie Swanson
Glenda Barrett
Basanta kumar kar
Shura Young
Laura Madeline Wiseman
Jenny Root
Eliza Kelley
Jay Mouton
Sharon Bassett
Deanna Perchyshyn
Joya Mannan
Y.Y. Patish
M. Leitch

Congratulations to you all.

I will be contacting the authors above to verify that they are still willing to allow their work to be published for this anthology.

Any authors who have not already sent a brief biographical detail, please do so now.

I have an anticipated publication date of the 27th of November.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

-J.K.Richard
Editor

Today's lastings:



Men's tri-colored derby w/ wingtip, 3/4 brogue. Red, rose and chocolate. Mmmm chocolate.... (Camera angle makes the rear-view of the one shoe look quite bulbous, I assure you that it is not.)



Classic men's oxford with brogued toe cap in black French calf. European size 45...about a men's size 13 with a slight build-up.

This cordwainer is tired.

I refer to these as a "Country Oxford" as the material choice lends them for casual wear despite a formal cut. Blue cowhide, blue suede, brogued.

There are significant build-ups along the ball joints of this particular last... the goal was to hide the not-so streamlined foot.

I spent the day patterning shoes and boots and fighting the top stitch machine (in order to make a new work apron).

Some say Sunday is a day of rest, I say it's not work if you love it.

Men's whole cut oxford, 3 eyelets, square toe. FULL welt:



Here they are IN ACTION!



Very simple and plain cut built for a fellow classmate in exchange for some honest feedback on fit.

Now...

...get ready for this...



The SEAMLESS oxford, in chocolate water buffalo. This exercise in MADNESS was started by non other than Marcell Mrsan on the cordwainer forums. Naturally, I had to try. Of course, I will be making myself a pair of these 'impossible' shoes.

Burnished French calf with chocolate ostritch. 3/4 welt with a low profile concave heel (it's not tall enough to be a Cuban... like a Baby Cuban Heel...but not...)



These will be the last slip-ons for a awhile, I have "some other stuff" that I'll be showing later this week... O.o

Black stingray
on
black kid skin
on
black gator.

It didn't "fall together" quite as I wanted it (but still a good looking and funky clunker)...no worries, I have plenty more to make.

I'm about ready to strip and redo my personal website into a pro "working" website --- this LiveJournal will be moved to a "Friends Only" journal in 24 hours or so --- I need me some Interwebanymoty!

My website will still push shoe related posts to this journal (or should, in theory), so the leathery goodness will remain.

That is all.

:D

…there is no threat of me losing interest in making cowboy/cowgirl boots…

Gold (sparkles!) calf tops with French calf collar. Diamond filigree with blue bullfrog inlays.

Saddled vamp, French calf with diamond filigree for the saddled portion, crackle brown cow for the lower. Soft bison counter cover.

10″ POWER PURPLE tops, 7 (and a half) rows of stitching. Grey bull hide vamp and counter cover.

It’s 4 a.m. I’m a-makin’ boots!

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On Tuesday, the school had a visit from 3rd generation Swedish cordwainer Jan-Erik Melkersson. He brought along with him Carina Eneroth of Skomakeri Framat AB, her company makes footwear for the Swedish royal family, and they also brought along another gentleman by the name of Ronnie who declares northern Sweden as his cordwaining kingdom.

Janne’s shoes are beautiful to look at in pictures, but actually being able to hold one up close (carefully, because they’d cost me a couple month’s pay… O.o) was mind-blowing. I expected to be stunned by the level of craftsman ship involved, he has been making shoes for longer than I’ve been around…now, when I say I’ve lost sleep because of his beautiful work, I mean I’ve lost sleep!

Carina brought in a pair of women’s 4″ high heels that she put together right before her trip. They were gorgeous as well. I spent the majority of time talking to her about womens footwear. She told me (in front of my instructor) that it is fabulous that I want to make womens high heels, but in order to understand the shoe, I have to make a pair for myself and wear it.

I have no qualms with wearing womens high heels. Damnit.

Myself and another classmate (likely the only two with any sincere interest in making bespoke shoes, rather than just boots) took our guests out for lunch. I recommended several locations but our Swedish guests were sincerely wanting a last round of “American smoked meats” before they got on their long plane ride home. Capp’s Bar-B-Que (Okmulgee, OK) it was.

As we sat around eating and discussing…shoes of course, it occurred to me—and I’m not entirely too sure why I find it (still) so amusing, that everyone sitting at that table had custom made, handmade footwear on. I’ll let you all know why I think that’s clever once I figure it out.

In their very brief visit their was an enormous amount of information to take in. It also sunk in the level of detail and craftsmanship that I should be aspiring to. Janne is a cordwainer without too many peers… it was a surreal treat to have him at our boot and saddle school.

The inspiration carried home with me prompted the immediate purchase of more hand tools (which have arrived already), lasting pliers and pincers and burnishing irons and more hand-sewing awls and such. I was already heading in the direction of reducing/removing the need for machinery in making shoes and boots — with the exception of running stitches on tops/uppers, I will be doing all the bottom work by hand. I have also purchased two complete runs of shoe lasts— the first being more mens shoe lasts … the second run: women’s 3.5″-4″ high heel lasts. I should be expecting them next week.

I also received an open invitation to stop by Stockholm before/after my 2 week apprenticeship with Marcell Mrsan of Koronya Shoes in Budapest. I suspect their will be more beer drinking than actual shoemaking involved while in Sweden.

World Wide Cordwaining Tour 2010!

Monday, I am visiting with American bootmaker Lisa Sorell of Sorell Custom Boots in Guthrie, OK. Lisa’s website was the reason I found bootmaking and Green Country Boot and Saddle School. Lisa is basically my bootmaking idol, if there is such a thing. I’ll try to get some sleep before then…

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Tops. Shoe tops! As part of exotics week (er, that’s this week (and next,likely))—which is this week where I work with exotic leather, I decided to ply the craft at a couple pair of exotic shoes:

French calf with french calf and chocolate ostrich overlays (front and back seam cover). Creme calf liner.

1 by land…2 if by sea…

Black stingray with black kidskin (goat) with more black stingray and black alligator as the seam/quarter panel backseam cover. Will also get the creme calf liner.

Those should be tasty.

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Honey, lay off of my shoes…

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Open call for submissions for the Survivors of Domestic Abuse anthology. To be published in Fall ‘09

The goal of this relief anthology is to raise dollars in support of women’s shelters, women’s advocacy groups.

The anthology will be published through a print-on-demand (POD) model using Lulu.com .

This is not a paying or a qualifying professional market (i.a.w. SFWA standards for Qualifying Professional Markets.

Authors retain all rights on material. Authors may remove their submission from the anthology at anytime by a written (emailed) request. By submitting to the anthology you are agreeing use of your work(s) for non-pecuniary (no one is making money off your work) purposes outside the donation to the various non-profit women’s shelters/advocacy groups. Submissions should be sent to: jkrichard@reliefanthology.com.

Electronic submissions only.
• Please place SUBMISSION-FALL 2009 in the subject line
• Send as an attachment .doc or .rtf, mac users may contact me directly for conversion resources
• Use standard US letter page size (8.5″ width, 11″ length)
• Cover/Title page with title and author’s name (or pen name)
• Double spaced
• 12 pitch Times New Roman or Courier family fonts (please)
• No other special formatting is required nor desired

Fiction should have strong female leading characters. All genres considered.
Specifically seeking one (1) essay/article on surviving domestic abuse/abusive relationship(s) for the front/intro matter. This essay/article WILL be anonymous. A non-disclosure agreement will be signed between submitter and J.K.Richard (publisher) if accepted for publication.

POETRY IS WELCOMED!

Deadline for submissions is midnight (Pacific Standard Time) September 30th, 2009.

The anthology will be made publicly available mid-October.

All contributors will receive an electronic (.pdf) copy of the anthology.
There is room for approximately 7-9 short stories in each anthology (word count dependent). ***The length and/or volume number of this anthology will be expanded due to the enormous outpouring of support for this issue.

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Have you ever seen the men’s shoe department selection?

Brown Oxford. Black Oxford. Brown Oxford with 3/4 brogue. Black Oxford with 3/4 brogue. Brown Oxford gimped and brogued… etc…etc…

It just doesn’t have to be that way…

…ever.

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I can’t decide if it’s the sheriff,

or the outlaw.

Since there’s two boots, maybe one is the sheriff, and the other shadowy figure is the outlaw.

10″ stovepipes with a 3/4 bottom welt. Oil tan tops with dyed silhouette. Bullhide vamps and counters. Matching heel stain and finish. I’ll be breaking these in ’round Branson, MO tomorrow, Friday, and Sat.

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Authors will understand the feeling of getting midway through a b#@k and absolutely loving, or absolutely hating it. B#@ks that authors absolutely loathe become a marathon struggle. Each day faced with Mr. Blinky Cursor, struggling to make sense of the plot, struggling to tie the loose ends, and sure that it’s your worst work ever.

Then there’s the b#@k that an author loves. The b#@k where the words flow and the plot gels and the author is absolutely sure their agent is going to say…” OH HELL NO,” because it’s the kind of work that doesn’t feel like work…

Bootmaking, in this regard, is like authoring.

This pair of boots, is more like the latter example of a b#@k. Everything on this boot from tops to sole fell into place. Each stage of the construction was beautiful … not necessarily flawless, but beautiful. This is why I like them.

These boots are also deceptively simple…and that’s why I love them. Every bit of this boot was constructed by hand save for the stitching on the tops. The soles were handstitched using a twisting or Goiser stitch — most folks use a curve needle machine. The heels are a Cuban (or sometimes called military heel), which is something, from what I’m understanding, that not a whole lot of bootmakers care to do. The finish on the bottom of the boot is also not something you see a whole lot on boots, boots are typically finished with an edge coat along the archway and buffed, not given a complete inking and burnished.

There’s a whole lot of work that’s gone into these deceptively simple boots…and I’m going to miss them. They’ll get a spit ‘n polish tomorrow and then boxed and shipped to their new owner before the weekend.

B#@ts man, gotta love ‘em.

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Today I loaded Max, our Tennessee Walking Horse gelding into the trailer…for the last time. Liz and I decided it was best to sell our two remaining horses after she enlisted in the Army. Given the unknown location of her ultimate duty station, and therefore no guarantee of a riding stable, it was a decision made best for the horses.

We bought Max and Jynx in late 2007. Because of the emaciated condition of these two animals, I paid next to nothing for them.

I remember bringing them both back to the boarding facility where we were living at the time and quite really spending the entire week parked out in the barn. Wondering, really wondering, if the mare would pull through.

We discovered very quickly that Max was a well trained animal. Very well trained. It was a different experience from the ‘problem horses’ that I was used to taking on. He came when called, put his head down for the halter, had the next hoof waiting for you when went to pick it… Max was also very lazy, and very crafty when it came to getting out of work. That horse had enough experience to know when he had a rider’s number, you could see his attitude and posture change the second a green rider got on his back. If he could figure out a way to get a green rider off his back (cantering, crow-hopping, rearing up…), he’d do it.

I took to riding Max earlier this year as Liz focused more on saddle training Jynx. I spent a long time in thought on how I could get his number first. The thought occurred to me to treat him like a young stud, meaning: when it was time for business, it was business and business only. No games, no treats, no ear scritches of cuddling. Max immediately caught on to what business was all about, but yet, he still came when called.

Max and I never really developed a horse and rider bond—that bond that horsemen and horsewomen often talk about… that just wasn’t Max’s style. But we developed a mutual respect for one another and I am still one of the few riders that Max never tried to spook off of his back.

(Max, March 2008)

(Jynx, just the other day. Check out that fat belly!)

I’ve been through tough times since I left the military in early 2006. Dark and depressive times. I am fortunate that I met my wife, Elizabeth, and through her had my crash course into the world of horse ownership. I can remember times when faced against the wall of depression, that I would turn to my horses for their confidence and compassion. While I would like to humanize these animals (as many of us are guilty of doing) and tell you about a mystical and magical bond… really, I think we learn more about ourselves from owning and training an animal, than the animal learns from us. Our animals are a reflexive component of our true selves and true identity. I guess it’s really only something that a fellow horseperson would understand… there is a horse-sized hole in my heart today.

But as I left the barn today, I took one last look in the indoor riding arena. A mother had brought her daughter back to the horseworld in hopes that horseback riding, and the companionship that horses offer might help her child battle an addiction to pain killers. I have hope that whatever magic is assigned to this unnatural relationship between a predator and an animal of prey continues the cycle. I hope that perhaps her daughter can catch a glimpse of herself in her animal companion and find the love and compassion and belonging that I have found.

I am horseless today, but I am not without heart.

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Because I make women’s footwear…

…alll daaayy loooong.

With some thinner leathers I’ll have a winning pattern. Waiting on my test subject to get home to try them on (it’s a shame she’s not a “shoe girl.”)

Just kidding about the ‘F.’

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