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Shoe Making: The Last Comes First

One of the biggest challenges of shoe making is that a single last can only create a single shape. This was one of those times where I wanted a chisel toe but did not have the right last on hand. First step is to add some scrap 5mm soling leather on on toe. After skiving the top edge and wetting it to help the hard leather conform to the last, I nailed it in place temporarily while waiting for the leather and glue to set in place. After drying, I shaped the toe using a combination of knife and rasp to get the desired toe profile. I was looking to get a sleek chiseled look so I lowered the toe...

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