View Full Version : Making Moccasins
Well recently I had a go at making a set of Keltoi moccasins, only the mid height ones, this is what I did.
Materials used, approx 9.5 feet of chrome tanned deerskin, 1 set of Lundhags felt insoles, PVA glue and about 18meters of heavy duty thread.
Tools used, a sharp craft knife, a leather awl with Rombic blade, 2 needles and a cork matt.
Firstly I took one set of felt insoles.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/3818/step15xx.jpg
I then cut them to the same size and shape as my foot and used them to make a template a half inch wider all the way around my foot.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7537/step28aq.jpg
I used that template to cut a piece of the Deerskin for the outsole and another piece for the rand.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/1743/step39ib.jpg
I glued the rand to the sole, rough side of the rand to smooth side of the sole working out from the point between the second and third toe on the foot and trimmed the rand at the point that it meets at the heel.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/6964/step46fn.jpg
I then used my template to cut another piece of deerskin for the insole, so I had insole outsole with rand attached and the felt insole.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/2356/step56ac.jpg
so here we are with the begginings of a sole unit. I then glued the rough side of the outsole to the piece of felt and then glued the smooth side of the insole to the piece of felt (the felt becomes a mid sole laminated between two layers of deerskin).
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9838/step69bb.jpg
The next step was to cut the vamp band sides and tongue of the moccasin.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9798/step74cw.jpg
Take the vamp band and the tongue.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/6853/step84xh.jpg
Then glue them in place rough side to rough side.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4004/step94kt.jpg
Then stitch them in place (strictly speaking you use a whip stitch for this, but I used an x stitch), the holes that you are stitching through are set back 6mm from the edge with about 6mm spacing.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/417/step104pn.jpg
The sides are then attached to the tongue and vamp band once again rough side to rough side apart from where the vamp band meets the side. The Vamp band lays on the outside of the sides of the Moccasin. Firstly glue and then stitch them in place.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/2828/step116ky.jpg
Glue and then stitch the back of the sides together with the outside overlapping the inside rough side to smooth. There should be two sets of stitching holes running parallel at about 10mm spacing all the way up the back with a 15mm overlap of the two sides.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7413/step129yl.jpg
Once they have been stitched take the moccasin and turn it inside out take one of the sole units and turn it so the the outsole is facing you. Working from the space between where the second and third toes would lie glue smooth side of the moccasin to the smooth side of the rand back to the heel working on the outside edge of the foot first. Then glue from the same point between the toes back to the heel on the inside.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5097/step135zc.jpg
Now you will have to stitch it in place working from between the second and third toes around the outside edge of the moccasin all the way back to where you started. Stitching should once again be 6mm back from the edge and 6mm spacing. I used saddle stitch as I have a tendency to over engineer things, but you can use running stitch
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7476/step148ms.jpg
This will leave you with a lovely moccasin which is inside out :D . Turn it the right way out and there you have it a moccasin with only the holes left to punch for lacing them up.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/6130/step154xz.jpg
That's pretty much all thier is to it (you could of seen the colour of the air in my house as I was turning them the right way out :D).
very nice leon, well done!
Cheers Stuart, they were actually quite a nice thing to make and I quite enjoyed making them right up untill I had to turn them the right way out :D
bloodline
20-07-2005, 15:16
Very neat job and very good stitching
dont forget to show us a picture when you have the laces done
Thanks bloodline, this was a first attempt so as with anything I learnt a fair amount which will probably get applied to any other set that I make :)
dont forget to show us a picture when you have the laces done
Will do, but I am currently thinking about putting proper eyelets in to reduce wear and tear on the leather. It's just finding the right ones to use :)
if you use round waxed leather laces there shouldnt be much wear
I'll bear that in mind, do you know where I can get any.
Other bits may be a pair of thin rubber outsoles to help protect the sole a bit.
you can get the leather lacing from tandy I think
use McNett freesole on the soles, it gives them a transparant rubber coating, buckshot did it on his and they look great
Cheers Stuart, that's just what I wanted to hear :D
Buckshot
20-07-2005, 15:31
They look really nice Leon :D
One of my projects is to make another pair for myself, ankle ones this time for 'around the camp' wear.
Cheers
Mark
These ones come up about the same height as a hiking boot, about four fingers above the ankle.
I already have plans for another set, but I may well buy a set from the originator of the pattern when I am employed again.
I spoke to them a while ago and they are both very helpfull and are willing to customise thier designs to how you want them (they will do most modifications from height to reinforcing the sole with buffalo hide :D). One thing to bear in mind is that they have a no nag policy, but they also have a good reputation.
Cheers Stuart, they were actually quite a nice thing to make and I quite enjoyed making them right up untill I had to turn them the right way out :D
The best way to turn leather shoes inside out is to drive a stick (1" or so thick with a tapered and them rounded end) into some firm ground and use this to push the stiff leather into shape. It sounds brutal but the shoe will survive I promise and it makes the job ten times easier. Us medieval reenactors have been making these types of shoe for years (they are know to us as 'turnshoes') and believe me if there was an easier way we'd do it.
Good work all the same.
Thanks Nick, that is a very good pointer :D
There is something else that can be done as well, if you use a couple of foam insoles glued together instead of Felt life would be a little easier :)
Thanks Nick, that is a very good pointer :D
There is something else that can be done as well, if you use a couple of foam insoles glued together instead of Felt life would be a little easier :)
If you pack in a layer of semi felted merino fleece and walk around in the shoes/boots for a little while the pressure and heat will felt a fitted insole for you too....very comfortable. If you use a grass layer below the felt it will give padding but it also acts like a natural deodourant and helps keep your feet healthy.
Cheers,
Toddy
Thanks Toddy.
This is great, a lot of helpfull points being made thanks Guys and Gal :)
could you tell me where you got your pattern? I've been making a set of turnshoes, will post pics when done :) but I would like to do a set of moccs. Is there a reason you didn't use veg-tan? Wet it and its easier to turn - I used it fro the soles on my turnshoes and it turned impossible into doable :)
Thanks for bringing this thread up because I had missed it before.
Nice work leon-1! :You_Rock_
Buckshot
07-07-2006, 08:26
could you tell me where you got your pattern? I've been making a set of turnshoes, will post pics when done :) but I would like to do a set of moccs. Is there a reason you didn't use veg-tan? Wet it and its easier to turn - I used it fro the soles on my turnshoes and it turned impossible into doable :)
Grim,
What's a pair of turnshoes?
Mark
could you tell me where you got your pattern? I've been making a set of turnshoes, will post pics when done :) but I would like to do a set of moccs. Is there a reason you didn't use veg-tan? Wet it and its easier to turn - I used it fro the soles on my turnshoes and it turned impossible into doable :)
Grimnir,
Leon made the pattern of the moccs himself. Basically by using the circumference of your foot and 8 other measurements (several heights) and adding some extra centimeters for a better fit, etc.
IIRC he used an excisting pattern but changed it to his own liking - and altered something on the the way you come to the pattern by using the several measurements (his one is easier).
But I think Leon can explain it better ;)
Maybe he posts some more info on "How to" ... :confused: :p
Grim,
What's a pair of turnshoes?
Mark
Mark, if you don't mind me answering the question ;)
Turnshoes are a Medieval kind of shoes.
That probably doesn't help much, so here are some pics:
http://images.google.nl/images?hl=nl&q=turnshoe&sa=N&tab=wi
;)
you can get the leather lacing from tandy I think
use McNett freesole on the soles, it gives them a transparant rubber coating, buckshot did it on his and they look great
Cool tip Stuart just the stuff I have been looking for :You_Rock_
Yep, a turnshoe is a generic term for the shoes made during the Dark Ages and Medieval times. The uppers were sewn to the soles inside out then turned right way up, putting the seams on the inside.
Thanks Ahjno :)
I'd not seen this thread before - absolutely brilliant!
Makes me want to have a go myself :)
best
Matt
Buckshot
07-07-2006, 10:43
Thanks guys :You_Rock_
I'm in the process of making a pair of Leon's moccs at the moment.
They've stalled a bit though as I've got loads of other projects to do.
Hopefully they're be ready for the moot ..... but time is ticking away.
Mark
sorry guys, have been away rather a lot recently, I am keeping a bit busy at the moment.
The original set that were made in this picture were Keltoi Moccs, the pattern is available from Yatahai (http://www.yatahai.com) as it is made by Sparrowhawk publishing and Sparrowhawk runs yatahai.
Ahjno is quite correct I have made a fair few changes since then and have made a design based around it (Ahjno saw the latest set up on Dartmoor).
The reason I used the chrome tanned deerskin was that these are woodlands moccs instead of plains moccasins, the plains moccs have soling that is made from rawhide where you can use Veg Tan as a substitute, this is due to the stony and thorny nature of the plains areas. Woodlands moccs tend to have soft soles as they were better for stalking in the woods on twigs sticks and leaves.
The latest set are made from brain tanned moose hide, they are very grubby after a week on Dartmoor and using them near the the camp fire (I can see how the blackfeet allegedly got thier name).
Thier is a tutorial for how to make the pattern that I use. I think that Tone was going to put it in the BCUK mag, but I may have missed the deadline. I am still putting finishing touches to the "this how you put the moccs together", but the one above is very similair so you could probably work it out from that.