If you have followed Parts One and Two, where we advised pattern making, adhesives and tailoring moccasins to this point without throwing up, by now you’ve figured out that we are adding some techniques rather than tutoring making moccasins. We’re somewhere in the twilight zone between authenticity and practicality. As we get older, and our feet get dangerously close to knocking us out of our hobby, we just want something to get us by on the range, at camp and whatever trail walk we are capable of. Sort of like supporting the shooting from the ground up.
We started with an historical sample where some guy tried to repair a pair of footwear ( we think) that has turned into the Ligonier Moccasin ;
It’s a good idea to look into this piece, originally by Arrow Moccasins. Dunno who is making them now
Then , because it is what I have used for years, we jumped on what is referred to as Ojibway Style Moccasin;
BY the time we added a possible heel pad for those of us who are borderline lame, an inner sole, a possible outer sole and/or welt if a body wants to add another sole layer and closed up the front we are about here;
The next step is to adjust the fit by closing up the heel. The adjustment part and ease of working are why we close the heel last. If everything from your pattern fits right, then more power to you. We’ll close based on either of two constants ; your pattern is a little small or tight, or your pattern is a little loose or large.
The trick is to gather the back of the foot by putting on the schmoc. Get your toes comfortable in the stitched up front making sure you wear the socks or stockings you use on site or in the woods. It helps to place your foot on a chair keeping your shin at 90 degrees. You’re gonna eyeball where the sides of the schmoc meet in the back. Now pick one of the next two sections based on what you see.
If your work is just a LITTLE TIGHT START HERE
The idea is to stitch a sort of butt seam. From the outside it will likely look like this;
Two needles again here where your thread runs horizontal across the seam and closes the back of the schmoc from the ground up. On the INSIDE of the seam, though, you might want to avoid that horizontal stitch or and “X” when going to the next pair of holes. The rationale here is that the upward and downward movement of your heel on each stride will catch a horizontal stitch and either rub against the heel or cause your sock to rub. That makes a blister if it goes on long enough. What you should consider is not crossing the thread on the inside of the seam ( horizontal or …”X”…) but rather run it in a vertical advance from hole to hole. Sort of like this…
You gotta pull and finagle a little to get a snug stitch. Once the heel is cleared, glue up that little theeticle square at the bottom of the heel (better yet, just cut it off) and close the rest of the seam as you wish making it something like this…
…OR …
If your work is a LITTLE LOOSE START HERE
Years ago I started making my pattern a little long in the back so I could tack up the heel as described here. I folded the back of the schmoc over itself, marked the overlap up and down the back of my foot, and glued the whole arrangement tightly shut.
It is fitted closely. The seam gets stitched in a plain tack because the adhesive will keep its integrity even when wet. Running a seam vertically keeps the heel seam from rubbing and abrading the foot. In some cases, I’ll make that overlap as much as an inch wide, sewing two seams, because with certain types of leather it sort of acts like a stiffener. That’ll be important when putting laces on this piece.
NOW TO LACING
I am a big fan of deerskin as lacing. Once it is stretched out, sometimes by wetting it, it almost never breaks assuming it is thick enough. Note in the picture that the parts of the lace that is outside the schmoc is long and the part of the lace that is inside the schmoc is short. It runs outside the schmoc behind the tendon of your foot. In the case of this piece, the stitched up back will also keep the schmoc from binding on your tendon.
Many of the Northwest/Canadian/Voyageur Moccasins laced in the front like a shoe. Since I am not killing myself on the authenticity front, I will do that on this piece. This bad boy will only go as far as the range or trail walk anyway.
I’ve never met a leather shoe or moccasin that wasn’t so slippery when dry as to imitate walking on ice when on soft terrain. That’s the real reason behind willingness to use Shoe Goop on the sole and edge of the heel. As cited in the first post, the YouTube Videos under
Sodhopper and
Lure Of The North contain all the instructions on how to goop up the soles. Being careful to avoid making your mixture of rubber dust and contact cement too thick, it it better to watch those than rely on my word salad.
Bye
Greg Geiger
The Capgun KId
