Author Archives: customboots

The Counter (also called Heel Stiffener in Europe) is the firm piece of leather or synthetic that supports the heel area of a shoe or boot. Cowboy boot counters are made from the same heavy, 1/4″ thick leather as soles. … Continue reading →

Karner Blue Butterfly and Wild Lupine boot tops are stitched!

I copied this wingtip design from a vintage boot (maker unknown) and it’s always been one of my favorite wingtip shapes. It was fun to reimagine it as a top band also for this pair of boots.

Several years ago a potential customer brought in a pair of boots made for him by a Texas boot maker named Don Atkinson. The boots were beautiful; I particularly noticed how smoothly they joined at the sole and I realized … Continue reading →

No more lessons, only… aren’t these beautiful?

Here’s another little lesson. It’s tough to accurately cut and lay in a narrow border; it’s easier to add a big piece of leather and then cut the border.

There’s a whole lesson in patterning complex inlay in this image.

A few days ago I decided to at least try to improve my diet; Depression and its sly sibling Apathy make it easy to just not care. Today I lasted these boots and my hands are only gently whispering to … Continue reading →

The side seams on cowboy boots are sewn with the right sides of the boots together so they’re inside-out. They’re turned (or wrestled) the right way out and then they’re ready to be put on the last, or boot form.

Seven hundred and four tiny little holes, punched one at a time along the edges. I used to have a gimping and brogueing machine — gimping is cutting a scalloped, shaped edge and brogueing is punching holes along the edge, … Continue reading →