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Construction Process VIII (Final part)

 Stitching the parts together This is the final part of the construction process series.  This is where all the parts are stitched together.  The lower leather part with the upper parts.  The vamp and the back leather part. For this task start by threading the needle.  This needle is a different kind.  They are called Osborne Braiding Needles at DICTUM ( https://www.dictum.com/en/sewing-tools-materials-bbc/osborne-braiding-needles-708419 ) and threading them is easier than using the saddle-maker's needles.  They hold two "teeth" that I suppose they hold the thread in there.  I am not sure if I did it right but for the whole project it did hold the thread pretty nicely without disengaging the thread at any time. I first passed the thread in the V shape lamina passing both teeth and then the short part of the thread again in the V shape lamina passing only the first tooth and that's it.  This needle does not hold a sharp/pointy edge and is perf...
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General Information

The native Americans footwear

Craft Manual of North American Indian Footwear


This is a project for creating specific type of Native American non decorative yet practical shoes.  It is a combination between the CRAFT MANUAL Northern American Indian Footwear and Ken Diamond’s shoes.

The Blog

This Blog is about making leather moccasins describing most of the process and tools used.  Some videos will also be provided on the way to create them.
This is a kind of tutorial based on my experience on shoe making and information from the book described and the internet.  References found round the web will be linked in this blog site to keep track of all the information as we go along. 
Most of the tools are bought from DICTUM.com Germany.  Leathers are also bought from DICTUM.com.  There are cheaper stores specially in Athens Psiri where lots of leathers and types can be found.  Personally I do not have direct access to Athens stores (since I live and work in Crete) so I tried Dictum's leathers for start.
Kangaroo leather is the best for this project and I will try as soon as I can another version with Kangaroo leather for my moccasins.
Share your thoughts and personal experience with me in this Blog so I can gain experience and apply it on my projects as you can as well through this site.

I respect those people that lived as natives in the North American fields and valleys.  I hope that they manage some day to come again alive as a civilisation not based on whatever funds for doing so but solely on their love for nature and respect to the environment.

Ken Diamond’s moccasins


Ken Diamond moccasin


There are almost no media for the construction process of those shoes.  I had to scrap catch whatever possible from parts of video for a couple on YouTube and one on Vimeo.  The rest I had to improvise based on the book and a small experience on constructing once more the same shoes on an earlier project. Here is Ken on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BQN40DEF4sz/

My version

The result came to be quite satisfying overall as can be seen on the next pictures.  

markman8 moccasin

The design by itself refers to a zero drop sole.  It incorporates a bit the look and feel of a Vevobarefoot (https://www.vivobarefoot.com/eu/) shoe.  Of coarse this is a better design since it is custom and is made just on my foot measurements exactly. 
Note that the laces are for testing purposes only to be discarded later on on the design and place the normal ones (have not bought them yet).  Also note that the eyelets are not fixed yet since the tool for fixing them has not arrived at the time this article is written.

markman8 moccasin

markman8 moccasin


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Location: Crete, Greece

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Construction Process VIII (Final part)

 Stitching the parts together This is the final part of the construction process series.  This is where all the parts are stitched together.  The lower leather part with the upper parts.  The vamp and the back leather part. For this task start by threading the needle.  This needle is a different kind.  They are called Osborne Braiding Needles at DICTUM ( https://www.dictum.com/en/sewing-tools-materials-bbc/osborne-braiding-needles-708419 ) and threading them is easier than using the saddle-maker's needles.  They hold two "teeth" that I suppose they hold the thread in there.  I am not sure if I did it right but for the whole project it did hold the thread pretty nicely without disengaging the thread at any time. I first passed the thread in the V shape lamina passing both teeth and then the short part of the thread again in the V shape lamina passing only the first tooth and that's it.  This needle does not hold a sharp/pointy edge and is perf...
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Initial design and testing

  There is no need to spend your expensive leather for testing designs each and every time.  Use some fake leather or otherwise.  It is much cheaper from original leather and does pretty nicely the job. On the next picture one can see from left to right, first the paper used for all the blueprints.  In the middle the fake leather used to test and construct the first testing shoe, and on the right a roll of industrial floor cover used to make a more permanent type of blueprints (just copied the paper ones to those plastic ones form this roll) Tests will be frequent and wasting lots of paper for start and fake leather material is a fact.  I thought myself that by just having this experience of my previous construction of moccasins that this one would be a straightforward case.  Which was not.  I guess that is for every project done from now on, on moccasins and true enough for every different foot trace.  Thus if someone asks me what to do with thos...
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The Tools

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