| Author | Message | ||
| Christopher M Williamson (Ttex)
New member Username: Ttex Post Number: 95 Registered: 1-2004 |
You asked for this Tex as you know alot of strange substitutes where used during ww II. Here in dk and the surrounding area fish skins were used to make shoes etc. Is there still some places where they can be found? any experiece with it? Doen't you hate it when I have time to ask this stuff CW BTW there is a real reason for this question, I'm asking for someone. | ||
| Tex Robin (Tex_robin)
New member Username: Tex_robin Post Number: 532 Registered: 1-2004 |
Chris, There have been several kinds of fish tanned and used for novelty purposes and some boots even made from it..but I don't know of a current source of fish leather other than shark and stingray. You might search the internet.. You should have more sources available there in Scandinavia for fish hides.. a student of mine from Sweden brought me some skins from there several yrs ago. But any you may find will be only a novelty and not really suitable for footwear....TR | ||
| Mark W. Fletcher (Bronbo)
New member Username: Bronbo Post Number: 254 Registered: 1-2004 |
Chris, I haven't seen any new stuff lately but I recall some of the boot factories in El Paso used "sea bass" skin. From the pictures I have seen, it ain't purty. Mark | ||
| Mark W. Fletcher (Bronbo)
New member Username: Bronbo Post Number: 255 Registered: 1-2004 |
 Here is a picture of sea bass boots. Looks a little like a well worn anteater. | ||
| Tex Robin (Tex_robin)
New member Username: Tex_robin Post Number: 536 Registered: 1-2004 |
Chris, Mark The sea bass looks very fragile. Thanks Mark for posting it. There is not much that hasn't been tried in my shop for making boots..I have tried the Gallapava(turkey)that looks a little like smooth ostrich and rattlesnake and both ripped before I could finish the boots and went in the trash. Also I have made boots from Eel. Eel is very elegant looking and shiney but can and will peel off of the boot leaving a very unhappy customer. I refuse to make boots from these any more. One leather that I don't even buy is shark and I am not in a hurry to build any stingray boots. Anything I can't stand behind I don't use. All of these leathers have hazzards connected to them....TR | ||
| Mark W. Fletcher (Bronbo)
New member Username: Bronbo Post Number: 256 Registered: 1-2004 |
Tex, I agree. As a customer it is hard to beat a good piece of bullhide, calf, kangaroo or ostrich. But I do like seeing some of the wild and exotic skins that you mention. I'd also like to see a pair of armadillo boots, just to see what they look like. One exotic skin that I would love to see and purchase sometime, is a pair of hornback lizard, I think it is such a pretty skin, but I think it is not available anymore. | ||
| Tex Robin (Tex_robin)
New member Username: Tex_robin Post Number: 537 Registered: 1-2004 |
Mark, I think you might be disappointed in the hornback lizzard. Like all lizzard skin it only has a few years life span till it turns to paper and tears all to bits. As for Armadillo boots: Till someone shows me a pair, I will not even believe it can be done..The only part of the animal that would be usable, in my opinion would be the belly and it would resemble a lizzard skin. And it would take about three Large Dillos to make a pair. Stop sometime on the road and look at one of the shells of a road kill Dillo and you will see what I mean. It is doubtfull that they could be turned into leather. If someone knows of such a case, I would be very interested to know about it....TR | ||
| Carrlyn Miller (Carrlyn)
New member Username: Carrlyn Post Number: 275 Registered: 1-2004 |
Quite a few years ago, we were sent samples from a company in Iceland of salmon, and spotted wolf fish. Both were unsuitable for making boots. The salmon even smelled a little fishy. We did make a small credit card holder out of the spotted wolf fish skin though. If I can find what we have left, I'll take a picture of it, and post it. | ||
| Mark W. Fletcher (Bronbo)
New member Username: Bronbo Post Number: 257 Registered: 1-2004 |
Tex, I have heard/read from others (no one on this forum) that the HB lizard is more durable than the regular lizard, which I am not much of a fan of. As you know with me, if something has a few years life span, that means it's good for 20 years as often as I wear a pair <grin>. I have seen photos of what is claimed to be dillo boots and I agree with you if it can/cannot be done. Hope some others have some experience with it. | ||
| Tex Robin (Tex_robin)
New member Username: Tex_robin Post Number: 538 Registered: 1-2004 |
Mark, You can probably forget the Hornback Lizzard boots. It's gone and I wouldn't hold my breath on the Dillo skin. It would be economically impractical because if it were to become popular to use the bellys the State would outlaw it and rightly so....TR | ||
| Christopher M Williamson (Ttex)
New member Username: Ttex Post Number: 96 Registered: 1-2004 |
Thanks for the response everybody! Carrlyn, you hit the nail on the head. The reason I asked is Sandra from work comes from Island and has talked about making some fish skin shoes just for the fun of it. There are always little do’s and don’t(‘s) A good example is silk. There is a shoe maker that still comes by the shop and has his own work bench. He told us how he used shoemakers wax for parts of the construction because glues would bleed straight through. Did you know that the old riding/military boots had bamboo in them? He worked as a shoemaker in the shop for 68 yrs.!!! Any way back to the fish skin. If you fall over the place in Island where you got the skin please write. Sandra will start sticking her nose in the group once she has time. I’m redoing my last when there is time, they were toooo orthopedic, ya’ll rest while you can there will be alot of question coming your way. CW | ||
| Carrlyn Miller (Carrlyn)
New member Username: Carrlyn Post Number: 276 Registered: 1-2004 |
Chris, I take a look around tonight, and see if I can find the information for you. It was quite a while ago so I may have thrown it out. If I find it, I'll let you know. | ||
| Carrlyn Miller (Carrlyn)
New member Username: Carrlyn Post Number: 278 Registered: 1-2004 |
Hey Chris, I can't believe it, but I found the information! Sjavarledur HF. Atlantic Leather LTD. Fridrik Jonsson, Managing Director Borgarmyri 5.15-550 Saudarkrokur Iceland Tel: 354-453-5910 FAX: 354-453-5105 Mobil: 354-895-9830 E-Mail: atleather@simnet.is Like I said before, this was ages ago, so I don't know how current the information is. | ||
| Christopher M Williamson (Ttex)
New member Username: Ttex Post Number: 97 Registered: 1-2004 |
Carrlyn Thank you very much! I know Sandra will be happy to hear it. She is starting to get the itch more and more. I have had a chance to work on my last twice now in the last two wks. When she sees whats going on she thinks just a little more about it. Once again, thank you very much. CW | ||
| Carrlyn Miller (Carrlyn)
New member Username: Carrlyn Post Number: 282 Registered: 1-2004 |
Chris, Let me know how everythning works out. I hope that Sandra will post. We need more women on here  | ||
| Tim Bishop (Libertymesa)
New member Username: Libertymesa Post Number: 9 Registered: 7-2004 |
Tex and Mark I have a freind who has a pair of them armadillo boots i will see if we can get some pics posted working on posting some of mine too. | ||
| Ben_nobody (Ben_nobody)
New member Username: Ben_nobody Post Number: 150 Registered: 4-2004 |
I am currently relasting a pair of Hornback Lizard boots built in 1975 from a round toe to a box toe and will post pictures when finished. They are honey colored and have been resoled about a dozen times and were worn 2 to 3 days per week since 1975.I build boots from any kind of skin that clients request as this makes me learn how to use a wide variety of materials and thus stay covered up with plenty of work. Plus you have to bear in mind that when someone says "Nobody can do That!" I am required to try and build them in a fashion that will provide many years of service. CAN'T NEVER DID NOTHIN By His Grace Ben Nobody | ||
| Tex Robin (Tex_robin)
New member Username: Tex_robin Post Number: 549 Registered: 1-2004 |
Tim, Yes I am most interested in those Armadillo boots and who made them and most of all who went to the trouble to tan it. I have skinned them before..Pretty good fried chicken when you are on a fishing trip and catch no fish...I have seen so-called Armadillo boots on e-bay but the question is how do you prove the belly is not a lizzard?...TR | ||
| Ben_nobody (Ben_nobody)
New member Username: Ben_nobody Post Number: 152 Registered: 4-2004 |
Cause lizards don't have nipples. Ben Nobody | ||
| Tex Robin (Tex_robin)
New member Username: Tex_robin Post Number: 551 Registered: 1-2004 |
Ben, Have you actually seen some Armadillo boots?...TR | ||
| Lisa Sorrell (Sorrell)
New member Username: Sorrell Post Number: 69 Registered: 1-2004 |
I've just accepted an order for a boot with a hornback crocodile foot. I work with crocodile often but never hornback. How much trouble am I in? Lisa | ||
| Ben_nobody (Ben_nobody)
New member Username: Ben_nobody Post Number: 170 Registered: 4-2004 |
Hey Lisa, I would impart to you Philipians 4:13 and for you to take a little piece of hornback that you are sure you can't sew across because it would surely break the needle. Wet it several times with your alcohol and water solution let set for 10 to 15 minutes and you will find that the horns themselves are not only sewable but soft and pliable. On tails and some more rigid pieces I dampen them and put them in a plastic bag over night and assemble them the next day with no difficulty at all. I recently had Bo try this and you should see what that fertile mind has done with it. I will post some new pictures soon. This little trick works with Nile Crock ,Caiman Stingray and any skin that is normally difficult to sew. It doesn't need to be wet but what my Grandfather would call mulled. It is also how I do all of my soles before applying them to the boot as the lay right in the shank and sew wonderfully with no difficulty. Hope everyone is doing well. By His Grace Ben Nobody | ||
| Ben_nobody (Ben_nobody)
New member Username: Ben_nobody Post Number: 295 Registered: 4-2004 |
Lisa, I use it on every pair and I mix it 3to1. Gregg Carmack Made some Hornback Croc. belts and called to see if there was some way to soften the horns and I told him to wet the belts using above mix and adding some white vinegar to the spray bottle and it made the horns soft enough to easily stitch through. White vinegar is also used to set Fiebings dye so it won't bleed onto lighter colors when lasting. For what it's wurth!! Ben Lisa thanks for the source on additional UNUSUAL skins I will call them Monday and drop your name. | ||
| Lonnie Clippard (Ccboots)
New member Username: Ccboots Post Number: 36 Registered: 10-2008 |
We made some armadillo boots several years ago when it was available through Rare Skins, Inc. Lots of piecing to make a vamp, but we did it a few times. Glad it`s gone, though!! Regarding the rattlesnake, when Rare Skins was doing it, we made several pair and never had a moment`s problem with working the skins nor in their eventual wear. We always educated our customers of these and other exotics as to their delicate nature. | ||
| Colin Double (Double)
New member Username: Double Post Number: 64 Registered: 5-2008 |
One of the guys in class bought some "Cow Stomach" vamps from the teacher. They look really cool almost like anteater. I am sure originally it was not a large piece because the vamps have been patched. Has any one ever used it? Is it tough at all? Anyone know where to get it? (the teacher does not remember) It is just something that I like the look of and would love to add it to a pair of boots. Colin |