Thread: Shoemaking Terms

petal · 07-07-2006, 05:49 PM

"Closing"

In the closing room the uppers are received from the clickers and, in orderly sequence, each pair is handled by about
thirty operatives. The following are just a few of the jobs which the closers, mainly women, do :-

opening, marking, lining, printing, size-stamping and fancy stitching. These are followed by skiving, beading and
perforating. After the uppers have been through these operations, they are ready to be stitched and this involves
quarter-seaming, lining-marking and through to vamps, lacing and passing.

"Finishing"

The finishers trim, smooth and colour the shoes or boots. This is one of the last stages the shoes go through before the
final gloss, which is on the shoe when it is sold, is added.

"Making / Lasting"

The operatives would be responsible for joining the soles and uppers together using a foot-shaped last to which they
then attach a heel.

"Rough Stuff"

In the rough stuff room the heavier leather required for the soles is cut and matched. Rough stuff us thought to be rather
an unworthy name as some of the most important parts of the shoe such as the foundations and understandings are cut in
this department. These include the heel lifts, top pieces, toe and heel stiffener, the welts and also the sole. Many of the
pieces cut in this room are the invisible part of the shoe.

"Clicker"

The clicker cuts out the upper parts of the shoe from the leather. He has always been the elite of the trade. Personal
care and skill is needed for this work in order to gain maximum use of a skin. The ideas of a creative designer are
carried into effect by the clicker.
Martin Skeffington writes, "My father who worked for a firm of slipper manufacturers in Earl Shilton in Leicestershire
was a clicker. He made his own blades for his clicking knife out of old hacksaw blades which were ground at one end
to form an extremely sharp rounded and pointed blade which he used to cut out the uppers for the slippers. He always
told me that the term clicker was derived simply from the fact that as they drew the blade around the pattern the blade made
a clicking sound. Later on in his working life the clicking knife became obsolete in the factory where he worked except for
samples. The main cutting of the uppers were then done on a press known as a clicking press which cut through several
layers of the materials using a metal pattern beneath the press. My father passed away in 1969 and it was only in the 1960's
that the change took place. I would guess the same probably applied in the shoeing industry in Northants."

"Cordwainer"

Another term for shoemaker
"He was what they called a cordwainer. Everything they did with the boots and shoes was made by hand, no machinery
at all, only the machine that stitched the uppers of the boots or shoes, you see."
(Mr Joseph Marlow)

"Outwork"
Outwork is the making of part of a shoe outside the factory. The work carried on this way included closing, lining,
hand stitching and hand finishing. Pieces would be collected from the factories and would then be made up by the
shoemaker. From the time of the introduction of sewing-machines in 1857, groups of workers, particulary women, set up
small closing shops in their homes or in purpose-built closing rooms, the machinery often rented from manufacturers.

"Shoemakers Monday"
"Most of them they never used to work on a Monday... they used to have their white apron on, and they would stand on
their doorsteps talking and one thing and another. They they would go up to the pub dinner-time and have a drink and
evening-time as well and the rest of the week they would settle in and work then right up till ten o'clock at night..."

"They used to work all hours bar Monday, they used to go the booze Mondays... the pawnshop used to be open Mondays
to take the shirts and everything, suits; there used to be a pawnbroker's nearly on to of every street."

20-08-2006, 09:27 PM

Thanks for that I have been wondering what a clicker was!

Mardi · 18-10-2006, 07:59 AM

A very interesting read, thanks Petal

I have a Cordwainer in my tree, so now I know exactly what he did.

Mardi.

petal · 19-10-2006, 02:25 PM

http://www.northants1841.fsnet.co.uk/shoe.html

This site gives a whole list of shoemaking terms and I have a glossary of terms used in shoe manufacture if anyone needs to know.

19-10-2006, 03:49 PM

Sadly it doesn't come up for me, but thanks anyway as your previous info was helpful.
Kate

petal · 19-10-2006, 05:15 PM

I just tried it and got 'page cannot be displayed', Weird.

http://www.martinsworld.f9.co.uk/Erdiburn/words.htm

This is the other site I was talking about. Trouble is I've just tried the link and for page cannot be displayed again ! It's really odd as it's in my Favourites. I even tried clicking onto the site name on that and then went to Northants section at the side with no joy. Oh well, if you need to know anything I've got it printed off.

Well, bless me...............just tried it again and it worked !!

07-07-2006, 05:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
petal Super Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Horncastle, Lincolnshire Posts: 8,293 Total Awards: 3	Shoemaking Terms *"Closing"* In the closing room the uppers are received from the clickers and, in orderly sequence, each pair is handled by about thirty operatives. The following are just a few of the jobs which the closers, mainly women, do :- opening, marking, lining, printing, size-stamping and fancy stitching. These are followed by skiving, beading and perforating. After the uppers have been through these operations, they are ready to be stitched and this involves quarter-seaming, lining-marking and through to vamps, lacing and passing. "Finishing" The finishers trim, smooth and colour the shoes or boots. This is one of the last stages the shoes go through before the final gloss, which is on the shoe when it is sold, is added. "Making / Lasting" The operatives would be responsible for joining the soles and uppers together using a foot-shaped last to which they then attach a heel. "Rough Stuff" In the rough stuff room the heavier leather required for the soles is cut and matched. Rough stuff us thought to be rather an unworthy name as some of the most important parts of the shoe such as the foundations and understandings are cut in this department. These include the heel lifts, top pieces, toe and heel stiffener, the welts and also the sole. Many of the pieces cut in this room are the invisible part of the shoe. "Clicker" The clicker cuts out the upper parts of the shoe from the leather. He has always been the elite of the trade. Personal care and skill is needed for this work in order to gain maximum use of a skin. The ideas of a creative designer are carried into effect by the clicker. Martin Skeffington writes, "My father who worked for a firm of slipper manufacturers in Earl Shilton in Leicestershire was a clicker. He made his own blades for his clicking knife out of old hacksaw blades which were ground at one end to form an extremely sharp rounded and pointed blade which he used to cut out the uppers for the slippers. He always told me that the term clicker was derived simply from the fact that as they drew the blade around the pattern the blade made a clicking sound. Later on in his working life the clicking knife became obsolete in the factory where he worked except for samples. The main cutting of the uppers were then done on a press known as a clicking press which cut through several layers of the materials using a metal pattern beneath the press. My father passed away in 1969 and it was only in the 1960's that the change took place. I would guess the same probably applied in the shoeing industry in Northants." "Cordwainer" Another term for shoemaker "He was what they called a cordwainer. Everything they did with the boots and shoes was made by hand, no machinery at all, only the machine that stitched the uppers of the boots or shoes, you see." (Mr Joseph Marlow) *"Outwork"* Outwork is the making of part of a shoe outside the factory. The work carried on this way included closing, lining, hand stitching and hand finishing. Pieces would be collected from the factories and would then be made up by the shoemaker. From the time of the introduction of sewing-machines in 1857, groups of workers, particulary women, set up small closing shops in their homes or in purpose-built closing rooms, the machinery often rented from manufacturers. "Shoemakers Monday" "Most of them they never used to work on a Monday... they used to have their white apron on, and they would stand on their doorsteps talking and one thing and another. They they would go up to the pub dinner-time and have a drink and evening-time as well and the rest of the week they would settle in and work then right up till ten o'clock at night..." "They used to work all hours bar Monday, they used to go the booze Mondays... the pawnshop used to be open Mondays to take the shirts and everything, suits; there used to be a pawnbroker's nearly on to of every street."
	(AKA Mary) How beautiful it is to do nothing and rest afterwards...

20-08-2006, 09:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
Peanuts Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Shoemaking Terms Thanks for that I have been wondering what a clicker was!
Peanuts Guest Posts: n/a

18-10-2006, 07:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
Mardi Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 43	Re: Shoemaking Terms A very interesting read, thanks Petal I have a Cordwainer in my tree, so now I know exactly what he did. Mardi.
	Researching PARKER, GUEST, SHARP, NORWOOD, Staffordshire. TAYLOR, SWAIN, WAGSTAFF, DALTON, GAGAN, MARRIOTT Coventry/Foleshill DALEY, CRAMPIN , Woolwich, Essex, Tynemouth. PERRY Gloucestershire. PARR Sussex, Devon. RUSSELL, KELLAWAY, Dorset.

19-10-2006, 02:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
petal Super Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Horncastle, Lincolnshire Posts: 8,293 Total Awards: 3	Re: Shoemaking Terms http://www.northants1841.fsnet.co.uk/shoe.html This site gives a whole list of shoemaking terms and I have a glossary of terms used in shoe manufacture if anyone needs to know. Last edited by petal; 19-10-2006 at 05:23 PM.
	(AKA Mary) How beautiful it is to do nothing and rest afterwards...

19-10-2006, 03:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
Peanuts Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Shoemaking Terms Sadly it doesn't come up for me, but thanks anyway as your previous info was helpful. Kate
Peanuts Guest Posts: n/a

19-10-2006, 05:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
petal Super Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Horncastle, Lincolnshire Posts: 8,293 Total Awards: 3	Re: Shoemaking Terms I just tried it and got 'page cannot be displayed', Weird. http://www.martinsworld.f9.co.uk/Erdiburn/words.htm This is the other site I was talking about. Trouble is I've just tried the link and for page cannot be displayed again ! It's really odd as it's in my Favourites. I even tried clicking onto the site name on that and then went to Northants section at the side with no joy. Oh well, if you need to know anything I've got it printed off. Well, bless me...............just tried it again and it worked !! Last edited by petal; 19-10-2006 at 05:20 PM.
	(AKA Mary) How beautiful it is to do nothing and rest afterwards...