Hot feet

[David E.]

Walkley's are situated in Yorkshire where the people have a tradition of unstinting helpfulness and are known for their sunny dispositions and willingness to go the extra mile, particularly for those from the south, whom they pity.

Yeah right, best laugh for ages Sam, You a Yorkshireman then? :lol:

[Sam Thompson]

No, I'm from Herefordshire. Near (BUT NOT IN) Wales.

[John B]

Hi Sam , I remember seeing that somewhere about Yorkshire folk, then I found the reference

Creation
One day in the Kingdom of Heaven, God went missing for six days.
Eventually, Archangel Michael found him on the seventh day resting. He enquired of God, 'Where have you been?'

God pointed downwards through the clouds.
Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, 'What is it?'

'It's a planet,' replied God, 'and I've put LIFE on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance.'

'Balance?' inquired Michael, still confused.

God explained, pointing down to different parts of the Earth,

'For example, North America will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while South America is going to be poor; the Middle East over there will be a hot spot, and Russia will be a cold spot. Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people.'

God continued, pointing to the different countries.

This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice.'

The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to another area of land and asked, 'What's that?'

'Ah,' said God. That's the North of England , the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful people, seven Premiership football teams in the North West alone, and many impressive cities; it is the home of the world's finest artists, musicians, writers, thinkers, explorers and politicians. The people from the North of England are going to be modest, intelligent and humorous and they're going to be found travelling the world. They'll be extremely sociable, hard-working and high-achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as speakers of truth..'

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed, 'What about balance God, you said there will be BALANCE!'

God replied very wisely, 'Wait till you see the bunch of tossers I'm putting down South !


On another note, I can remember sparking my clogs ont' kerb when I were a sprog and gerrin' a clip round lug 'ole from me father to remind me nails cost brass.
So much for the good old days.

[Mainely,Bob]

Don`t know if I should be posting this or not(passing on bad habits)but one of the tricks the biker crowd I ran with used to discourage tailgaters while out riding was to put tool steel cleats on the heel of at least one boot(some used spurs but they wore out fast).Just drag your heel and the shower of sparks would convince the offending driver to back off. B)

[Sam Thompson]

Some put them on their knees.

[Mainely,Bob]

Those guys had bikes that leaned a little further than a chopper.
I did have a steel toed sandal that I wore on one foot when I used to flat track though.No sparks,dirt track.

[Bentiron1946]

All very interesting on clogs. They look like the special shoes my dearly departed mom wore after her foot surgeries. She walked around like she had a corn cob up her...... Oh, well to each their own as to foot wear. I think at an iron pour they could set one to dancing. I guess that my wife has some but they have no back to them and make this terrible clunking sound as she walks about. :(

[archiphile]

I personally wear my Chippewa's in the shop, best darn work boot ever made. In the house and about town, I wear my Dansco's. I love these things, wear right through them. They are pricey, but worth it. I can even wear them to all but the most formal events. The work boot style colgs interest me though as I would like to try them and see how they work, and hey if the shod type wears out, pop them off and make a new pair.

[Sam Thompson]

Smell the Hovis.

[ThomasPowers]

My eldest daughter got a set of klompen when we visited my parents in the Netherlands when she was small---she loved them and we certainly could tell where she was back home in out wood floored house! Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp.

We celebrated her 25th birthday yesterday and I gave her stuff she could use: a hammer from the USSR (took Russian in school), a large folding knife and a set of channelock fence pliers... She's been volunteering at the local wild horse sanctuary...wants to be a vet!

[myloh67]

My eldest daughter got a set of klompen when we visited my parents in the Netherlands when she was small---she loved them and we certainly could tell where she was back home in out wood floored house! Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp Clomp.

We celebrated her 25th birthday yesterday and I gave her stuff she could use: a hammer from the USSR (took Russian in school), a large folding knife and a set of channelock fence pliers... She's been volunteering at the local wild horse sanctuary...wants to be a vet!

Brilliant Thomas, how is your hearing ? :D

[ThomasPowers]

What? Could you type Louder?

[Sukellos]

I bet George W. Bush is glad that Iraqi journalists don't wear wooden clogs!

I've seen a thing called a "clog maker's knife" before. This one below is shown on a bench but the one's I've seen were hooked to a staple driven into a stump.

[John B]

I bet George W. Bush is glad that Iraqi journalists don't wear wooden clogs!

I've seen a thing called a "clog maker's knife" before. This one below is shown on a bench but the one's I've seen were hooked to a staple driven into a stump.

Also known as a paring knife, and used in many other rustic applications, the attached pictures show one being used to make tent pegs, and a bill hook used for laying hedges or cutting withies, the material for hurdles like willow or hazel. Clog makers had other specific tools to assist them in making the clog, unfortunately I can't find the other pictures.

[Sam Thompson]

There are probably more of them hanging on pub walls than there are in regular use.

[Bentiron1946]

When I lived over on the west side of town our neighbor was from France and turned bowls for a hobby and had a knife like that to trim his green wood blanks before he soaked them in some chemical to stop shrinkage. Works exceedingly fast for trimming things down to size. B)

[pkrankow]

When I lived over on the west side of town our neighbor was from France and turned bowls for a hobby and had a knife like that to trim his green wood blanks before he soaked them in some chemical to stop shrinkage. Works exceedingly fast for trimming things down to size.

Everybody I know who turns green wood wraps the item in several layers of paper and puts it up for 6 months to a year to cure. What chemical was he using?
Phil

[Sukellos]

John B. & Sam: Is hurdle making still a going buisiness at all in your areas or is it just something you'll see at a living museum or reenactment?

For my money, a willow hurdle would be lighter and easier to set up than the portable chain link fencing favored nowadays in the construction business.

My family were cattlemen and we always set up temporary corrals using light T-posts and an electric fence.

[John B]

John B. & Sam: Is hurdle making still a going buisiness at all in your areas or is it just something you'll see at a living museum or reenactment?

For my money, a willow hurdle would be lighter and easier to set up than the portable chain link fencing favored nowadays in the construction business.

My family were cattlemen and we always set up temporary corrals using light T-posts and an electric fence.

There are a few who are still working in the trade, and you can see demonstrations at many of the county and country shows, the guy who was using the tool in the pictures was promoting his hurdle making at last years Royal Cornwall Show, he also made eel traps, trugs, and many other willow based items.

There are still quite a few of the old rural skills around being practiced such as hedge laying and stonewalling, and some newer ones such as the chain saw carving that is becoming quite popular in certain areas.

Like all trades they have to adapt with the times, but the basics remain the same.

The good news is that the heritage awareness movement is kicking in, and this seems to be being used as an opportunity for job creation schemes, reviving some of the old trades. (also apparently as an opportunity to take money to further the ends of a self selected few as is happening at the moment in the UK with the blacksmith's)

Unfortunately there also seems to be a bit of a movement towards "classroom qualifications" being necessary before you can claim to be capable of doing the job, rather than being judged on what you have done and are capable of doing and so many of the best craftsmen who are not in the accepted few, will be precluded from even quoting for the jobs they are better experienced to do than the ones with the "qualifications".

The times they are a'changing, let's hope for the good of the craft, and not just for the "qualified"

[Sam Thompson]

I trust your cynicism isn't the result of the events last week at Hereford!

I agree with what you say about 'smithing; it has always seemed that there was a generation of 'artist' 'smiths who managed to get tooled up for very little money during the industrial recession of the '70s and '80s who are operating pretty much as a closed shop as regards public/large work.
I can't see the point in setting academic standards for work that is entirely decorative; particularly as the courses have recently become shortened and debased (so I hear!). My experience of making work for 'heritage sites' is that any structural work is specified as stainless, made by fabricators and is mostly hidden from public view. Having a bit of paper to say that you can make a nice taper/scroll etc does not make anyone a better or safer designer and maker of decorative fittings.

To return to the subject... Having mentioned to friends that I was going to buy a pair of clogs, I was told of several people who have downsized to the country and set up a workshop to make clogs. They will presumably have read a book about it and will believe that they are doing something 'sustainable' and that there is an intrinsic dignity in 'hand-crafted' goods'. I however want some industrial quality footwear and will be dealing with a company that knows what it's doing.

Not everything handmade is superior. I once worked for a chap who insisted on hand mixed concrete for his yard!

[John B]

I trust your cynicism isn't the result of the events last week at Hereford!

I agree with what you say about 'smithing; it has always seemed that there was a generation of 'artist' 'smiths who managed to get tooled up for very little money during the industrial recession of the '70s and '80s who are operating pretty much as a closed shop as regards public/large work.
I can't see the point in setting academic standards for work that is entirely decorative; particularly as the courses have recently become shortened and debased (so I hear!). My experience of making work for 'heritage sites' is that any structural work is specified as stainless, made by fabricators and is mostly hidden from public view. Having a bit of paper to say that you can make a nice taper/scroll etc does not make anyone a better or safer designer and maker of decorative fittings.

Not everything handmade is superior. I once worked for a chap who insisted on hand mixed concrete for his yard!

Cynicism? Views are just based on my personal experience.

Academic qualifications, usually means a certificate for attending a course of lectures/tuition, and does not indicate competence in the subject

Aristotle had it right when he said "What we learn to do, we learn by doing"

[Sam Thompson]

I meant to agree with a dislike of unnecessary regulation. You're certainly right about paper qualifications, if anything they only show an individual's aptitude, no ability.

[Sam Thompson]

Well, I'm sorry to disturb an old thread but as it's mine I hope I'll be forgiven. The clogs have arrived. The lady at Walkely's (Sue) couldn't have been more helpful and explained how I should draw around my feet. The boots took a bit longer to arrive but were well worth the wait; it's like wearing a bit of the 19th century. With shoes like this we could rule an empire!



I'll revive the thread again when they've had some wear.

[cavala]

Those look great I've never seen clogs with laces. It would be a good idea to swap those out with leather ones.

My sister just got me a pair of clogs while she was in Denmark, I told her of this thread and all the positive comments about them. Have not worn them yet been moving then on vacation but looking forward to them.

[Bentiron1946]

Up in post #42 I was ask what the stuff was my former neighbor soaked his green wood in prior to turning it on his lathe was, well here it is, http://owic.oregonstate.edu/pubs/peg.pdf , polyethylene glycol or PEG, it is supposed to be some wonderful stuff for wood turners to stop their wood from checking and splitting, beats the snot of me if it is though.
I almost forgot, OK looking boots, so let us know how they work out <_<