Are JK Boots the Best Handmade Footwear Money Can Buy?

welcome back beloved I have a very exciting video for you today we are going to be doing a factory tour of the JK boot company from the founder himself John we're going to walk through the stations and we're going to learn what makes a good boot let's go inside we're very fortunate to have John here from JK boots John you came from Ukraine you learned boot making the old way yes the proper way yes a proper apprenticeship and also what I'm so excited about is that you have a background in in tanning leather yes I did that too you got a lot of questions there's a lot of mystery and myth about leather and what's the best leather I'm hoping that you can answer some of these but before we do that can you can we start by actually cutting out a JK boot yes the pattern yes show me how to do this okay the best part that should be from that sea that's the neck area here is the butt that is the technical kidneyer this is the best best part this best part we cut them see some veins that's not going to be good for the vmc that's the win so that's a good leather veins will turn into cracks sound yeah okay right yeah and this is a bean right here yeah over there this is hard to see I don't know that I would have spotted that does it take a long time to learn how to read the letter do you know I don't think it's long time but you need to love what you're doing every time you know what thing I want to mention it I love what I'm doing it's the great selection I paid a good money of that and I buy the premium the best leather I can do you see so nice so nice yeah no scarves is there competition between all of the folks that manufacture for the best leather are you guys competing like who gets the very best for their products we're competing vitro always see not the question about the money you're one of the best products I paid good money to have the best product today do you know what and people see that if people buy the boots and after a couple years they crack clicking and complaining but if if you have a good product they don't browser sale itself for a long time the little Ricky not cut how you want it you're supposed to follow the structure of the leather [Music] see that's the VM no wrinkles no over stretching soft comfortable adorable production shops are just stamping they don't care about orientation not so much it's just production you guys are each individual piece matters absolutely they're sizing every every and now see if you cut all the parts from the same height I don't have a VMS from that height uh quarters from another kite I try to keep the same height so every piece of the boot comes from the same height yes that way you get consistency absolutely now we're gonna go to the next station for sewing do some sewing okay so this will be station 205 is the sewing station I'm gonna bring my boot here so I can okay also what's really important here to see in the quarters that's my mission that's our name and you know what I care about this that's very important for me my grandmother was a seamstress I've always wished I would have taken the time to learn they know what my wife is a seamstress and she teach I thought a lot from her I learned a lot from her you need to be really careful to sew to the edge not so deep in sometimes if I saw I go a little bit faster even it's smoking I just saw a little smoke come on slow but they go fast it's really so if you're not careful you can burn it you can burn it yeah you know put it in that business I learned to do everything I can fix the machine I cannot do readjust take apart put together I have a long way hard way to learn how to do that because when you start your business somebody think you're gonna make a lot of money and have a free time but the truth is in the beginning no money no time and you work not by the house you work all the time all the time piece of leather now they sew together let me show what we're gonna do next see it's the shape of the our quarters yeah you just go and do some iron well that's a purpose-built tool isn't it yeah this is the old way yeah and what is this doing other than just okay helping just open it up you can see you cannot feel that CMC oh you can't yeah this is the thick leather see outside the the thread is hiding it's in the back so you're not coming in contact with that abrasive just the leather and this is going to soften and yes and blend into your foot absolutely that's a better way of doing it yeah that's what I like what's our next station uh next station after we sold the apples all right this is the amazing machine it's a very old Italian machine it saves me a lot of time and the Hand braking because before I started I didn't have that machine everything by by the hand so how would the process be you had to do these by hand before usually have a marker do some Mark after I do and punch punching yeah tedious and just when you get done you have to do it one more time yes that's right that's right smiling and move forward oh so you even scratched this up so the glue adheres better absolutely that's a small detail small detail but very important yeah now everything should be also over there see doesn't have a good that means also it's breathable and it slides yes yes that's a nice detail you learn very fast well I've always wanted to do this maybe we can I come on the weekends you showed me yeah we can build a pair of boots these kids they break everything that's a new generation I know they don't fix I know they don't have any fixes I have an 18 year old I know all about it foreign oh boy that's a big saver amazing look at that those aren't coming out I stayed pretty that stayed in there we're gonna head out to the third station what are we going to be doing from the third station see after we put all the parts together I probably sold all the eyelids and hooks put together they need to go and start the last John before we get started I'm really interested in the Vintage tools that you guys use these are completely unique to your trade it's not something you're going to get at Home Depot absolutely I was looking at some of these earlier you know just from the roll mark on there this is probably over 100 years old it's very old and we know what is a very lovely nice tools beautiful tool you can do nothing without that tools yeah and this is going to be used for the stretching absolutely so do you know the origin of these or where do they come from uh I I believe I'm not sure what I believe came from The Fringe the friend the most of them best hammers it's a French hammer and the size and length of it is just evolved over hundreds of years to be the perfect shape absolutely I remember when I started I bought my first French Hammer it's very very important it was very expensive but same time without him tools you're gonna do nothing it's forged yes see if we start usually this is the last this is the last yeah so this is is what the boots no this is heavy it's scary it lasts a lot of time yes it's armed see this is the steel plate so you can nail it every time the attack hit that plate he turns clinched and that way it won't pull out not gonna it's gonna stay clinching so the length of the nail is critical very important very important yes and so every single size this is a 9e every single size you need a last absolutely now I've had custom I've always worn custom boots I have strange feet uh custom boots where I've had last made for me do you still do that yes we call this custom if somebody you need we can build something for example let's say people have a narrow Hill they use this one or somebody have a little bit wider or some tall or hammer toes and that's this is the star class we can build the parts depending on the customer so if you have someone that has like a a deformity in his foot or a strange thing you'd build this up with like leather this is the leather build it out make an exact copy of his foot and then you would keep that on stock if he needs to order a second pair of boots you would build around the last so only do it one time that's it is there a is it a great expense to build a custom last uh it takes time let's take a Time skill and skill both together even I had a customer I had some infection and for some reason they chopped his food and he couldn't vote and nobody didn't want to build boots for him do you know what I grabbed that class I cut it I take the measurement I cut the last exactly how he was and I build them a book around he came out in another in another pair he was so happy I cannot explain the feeling if you make something you build something for the people for the person who make his life a lot more easier it's about the greatest thing you can do next to saving someone's life I think in that business not just this but in the business do you know what I'm not looking just for the money to be rich but most of them I try to find some problem and solve the problem and you've solved the people's problem people gonna look for you you know I think the great thing today I know how to explain people to understand me this one I love what I'm doing I solve the problem people need really durable boots boost to revive I try to build the best what I can you know if I saw your problems my granddad said that you're if you're not in your boots you're in your bed and you should buy the best boots and the best mattresses absolutely absolutely yeah okay let's go again to the business building boots you see this is it after we do about nine iron insoles see how salad is in sauce in sauce it's Oakton leather and no what type of leather Oakton leather okay Oak tent okay okay that's it that they insults like Foundation you can attach all the parts to the insole and so we're gonna carry most of the weight it's the Cornerstone of the boot absolutely and also it it also is under a lot of stress heat sweat I've had uh poorly made boots where this was a fail point where it started to come apart and delaminate yeah you can see somebody we talk about cheap boots if you buy most of them it's a cartoon yeah it's paper and after a while it's coming apart yeah maybe not rebuildable they lose the shade it's nothing hold them together take a look this is the Bison I love that leather I was I grabbed some of the Bison over the earlier it was super stretchy like that's something I didn't realize I thought bison was I've heard it's very durable but I thought it was going to be uncomfortable but this is very pliable the most comfortable all the customers they really love them it's got to be difficult uh to cut with all of their patterns because this would hide a lot of your effects right yes we call these lasting flares old one lasting players yeah very strong one it's a Sweden Swedish do you feel this one yeah that's where that stiffness comes yes and that's um that's a safety issue you can get hurt right there right now I hear the guys who was working with the chainsaw and they particularly thanked me for that because that's boot save their food okay let's go very important also to put the right way if you can see see the points got a chisel cut on it yes that's supposed to be always in so every detail matters it so matters because after we can do that way start reading see these things pull the leather all together same thing I didn't think you were gonna get that wrinkle out of there now when you put these in your mouth are you with your tongue are you telling orienting the the staple or the nail sometimes you tell what direction it is after a lifetime of this you must have incredibly strong hands you know you can see my hands they still in the blisters and yeah yeah they're not fruity but very strong most of the time I have to work with my grip string that's right sometimes if I shake with someone say hey be careful be careful I don't do this on purpose because most of the time I work with my hands yeah after that see we have a little bit extra weather what we pulled over there we're gonna go and cut that take a look of it see it's straight the count of the counter is straight yes yeah everything yeah goodness that is beautiful this is nice leather very good leather very nice very thick beautiful in the same time it's a very nice leather I like that maybe you can mention to the folks um why it's more this is more durable uh for for a boot where you might be getting a lot of impact or fire boot some guys prefer this why is it more durable can you explain that you mean uh the rough side outside yeah see the leather is made that way from the inside it's usually sometimes if I have to go in in a fire sometimes they spray the water the weather observed a bit in really safe also I don't have take a look over there do you see the scratching yeah take a look over there now take a look it's like hair absolutely yes it's like not gonna hurt a lot more long-lasting and durable that way you can take a sharp knife within reason and and lay it across the split side and it will not cut sometimes where the smooth leather the whole thing small scratch it's notes and it starts to open it up so this is if you want a durable boot you want to go with a rough out yes can I ask you a question I get a lot guys always say Granddad always said the best way to break in Boots is to go stand in water is that true I heard this one but do you know unfortunately it's not true why because sometimes if you're gonna go in the water the water is gonna first get penched inside all this stuff is going to start rusting you know what's better oiling and bro because the water it's not so good for the leather it leeches out the oils yes I've always thought well when it's on the animal that the fat and the oils being produced are constantly re putting nutrients in the leather once it's removed if you're in the water it's washing out in the sun and all that you have to put something back here and oil is the best one for the leather oil the oven off soil you like that I love it you have a lot of different ones and another one it's good but I think my opinion abonaf is the best another question that comes up all the time is how do I waterproof my leather boots and I always tell guys well you can't I mean because it's a leather because it's leather and just the nature of the material but you can go a long ways with if you're within reason if you're walking with snow I mean you're not waiting through a creek but if you're waiting working with snow or working in the fire where you have water around obanovs will prevent your feet from getting wet yes for most of the time yes one can I ask you one last question you said last one before what I gotta take advantage of this leather laces or synthetic what is best obviously it depends depends on the condition you're gonna work if you're a welder see I work most of them time inside outside I wear my synthetic one they they a lot easier but firefighters or people who work in a really hard hit I probably recommend the leather one okay and welders and welders yes they do not burn okay John where are you going to take us next what are we going to be building see I want to show another one see sometimes you do the Q10 qtone leather see it's black two diesel yep and after boots is a lasted like that see we did the heel front next part we call bottoming bottoming bottoming now we need to attach the bottom of the boots to that part of what we have see remember I trimmed around that area yes I said I can leave some space for the shank the shank yeah and always a leather shank why not why not steel sometimes for different style of boots with slow Arch we can use the steel because low large and still support really good but for this one but for this our super duty see we have a hill we do this one and it's worked like a spring it's what's really important it's gonna absorb your weight your shape and it's gonna help you bring up support support this is one of the what's the benefits that both they have a very great arch support that's very important that's mean distribute your weight evenly on all your food see it's the foundation absolutely the boots who doesn't have this one after a while let's say in the morning your arch kind of the muscles is strong not stretch but after three four five walking putting weight on your muscles they can overstretch and now see all the weight is gonna be pointed over there that's why people after a while they have like a burn on the back and their heels but see what's gonna be our support distribute your weight evenly and Whole Food I would imagine that getting this right is the most difficult part very important is that true true yeah remember talking before the Small Things the Small Things the Small Things is very important let me show you it's really important that part to be if you're gonna go too much forward then you're gonna feel that pressure around your your toes Quebec you're gonna feel the pressure on your heel supposed to be real you need to find that spot do you see you find the glow spot like that just you know it when you feel it right that's right and this is Bridging the Gap here yes after that you put another coat of blue see this is the same thing 12 to 14 ounce octane leather we call this cover shank same for support put in the top and this is durable enough to protect the foot of a Sharp object yes nail now keep in mind we had a 12 nine iron insole plus eight ounce that our support plus 14 ounce octane leather keep in mind how thick after that we're gonna go 12 ounce octane leather after that we're gonna go another piece of uh outsole out that material it's mirrored together for support strong very strong very strong you practically stand on the nail with that sometimes people complain after they have a new boots they said they feel like the same in the leather but that's why that be patient I would say every customer if I can where's the camera I can say be patient allowed for a couple weeks your way to work with the boots you're gonna walk and now the the boots the leather is going to absorb everything is going to form like a arch you're gonna have a greater and that's the beauty of the natural materials rather than your foot forming too absolutely yes to you it's going to take some time take some be patient yes you know sometimes I check like that to the money I already feel the heat yeah that's going to be it's always this is hard to automate I don't know the robot can do that that's why it's handmade boots handmade boots that's why I take time so if you go over there now I have a little bit of margin for error with air right but you have to be pretty close setting that because you have a little bit of trip yes so after that I pushed I put in the stand have a strap sometimes I want to take the shape and then the spring and spring call this one yeah after that I grabbed the big camera it's very important to stick all around now remember that shank we need to find where's the shank do you see how thick yeah and show the shape you can see it's starting to to come up through there absolutely you can see the shape of the shank after that's very what's really important now we're gonna start finally bottoming see this is the 6 8 now these have these have a point no no chisel on these they're a little bit different chisels not gonna go because this is very thick material and the spacing looks like every three quarters of it every three quarters five let's say five eighths guys if you're gonna go too many no needs they must start rusting but about let's say five eighths to three quarters is the best now I'm understanding why you shouldn't soak your boots in water for a long time sometimes if people doesn't take care they wet after a while the insoles is rotten rust well that puts an end to that question what about isopropyl alcohol some people spray isopropyl alcohol on boots what do you think about that actually if somebody needs I probably recommend alcohol C alcohol is a very short period it's an emergency yes in the emergency and alcohol doesn't have a water it's alcohol it gets into the cells vary to the cells even doesn't pinchain inside work but after that I would recommend to oil it because it will dry out the oils yeah why do West Coast logging boots have such a strong pronounced heel they know what because that Hill allows the boots to work like a spring like I already showed before until how the arch work our support work because of that heel distribute your weight evenly and the hill actually allowed you to balance your knee your back and not everybody for somebody low heel is a lot better depends of that somebody have a flat foot for the flat food I probably would not recommend no heel for flat yes yeah if I was a boot maker I'd be very interested in taking boots apart to see what's going on they know he had that too we cut the boots we grab the boots from the Shelf we cut it to show what's inside most of the people buy the boots that company that company has gonna name the company that company they look pretty much the same but what's important what's inside the details details take a look see that's all right yeah because this is very thick lever leather it takes a lot to pull it into where it needs to be but see it's absorbed the shape of the lust yeah completely look at that that's the arch support yeah now see the arch support here is gonna work like a spring yes yes yes I didn't realize that after eight ten hours in a booth that's going to make a big difference fatigue yes see here Big Spring over there how would you have done that before in the old days in the old days they use this one if you have like a special tool like I showed this film French cream or milk one side was smoothing around was like uh yes and it just push stretch push and stretch it's really hard or bad that's why the hands of the Shoemaker is really strong so don't arm wrestle a human so that does a nice job doesn't it take a look look at that it's all beautiful see how's the shape is perfect that means we say precise to the last no extra material nothing though or nothing here see how tight is it all around yeah see the customer do not see that after I gonna pull the last you can see obviously different but it's very important see every piece of leather is stretching bidden now if you're gonna wear it not gonna over stretch now I can see why the importance of the orientation of the vamp yes you're pulling you need to have that's why it happens to be done the right way yes all that matters very I would say that the the person cutting the leather is a very important I would say probably one of the most important yeah in stitching in stitching now we need to go in trim and just by eye this eye already trimmed a lot of boots see the stakes go up higher and higher at each station because there's more invested in the boot are you all right this is the scariest machine in the shop that's what this is this is no joke they don't turn loose anyone on this right yeah you're right no Apprentice they know I hear the I can say friend he worked for a long time for a different company and he was a really old guy very nice guy and he showed me and teach me a lot his name was a bob Hammond he teached me a lot of that machine you can see that machine look at that it's a great one great one a lot of parts moving all together see from the from the bottom it's go out it's curved make a hole after the mail hold is made and the top came the needle grab that thread and pull together and he can stitch the thickness almost a inch 7 8 an inch of leather okay let's go I'm ready let's see like this take a look it's also important I always Stitch to the park when Hill's gonna cover this one and the end of the stitching always going to be under the heel under the heel yeah further protecting it for the protecting yeah look at that I can't even imagine punching into an inch of leather see how how tight is that yeah it's really really tight it's holding very well yeah after that it's not ended I can do another one another row two rows we'll just continue now it's saved secured and good to go two rows two rows of stitching that's not going anywhere no way and fun fact when you see the red on the bottom that would be a heat yes approved for firefighters yes after the stitching what is our next step we've got to be the heat of the staging is the heel one of my subscribers asked me to ask you what do you think of the Fake Plastic heel stacks they know you can be honest I want to be honest they're terrible the plastic is a terrible yes you know what's important after let's say after years or two years people gonna need a new Hill because most of all now the kill cab and the plastic you cannot do this one this is the level you can do with everyone if you want a week you can raise you can resend you can flatten it but not with the plastic throw it away throw it most of the time throw the shoes away imagine to go in a fire with the plastic so this will be the final stage of the boot of doing and sanding the heel yeah I think just come to that point there we got this one and stop I can see with all of these processes if you got the wrong type of person that was too detail-oriented they could the point where they would never be good enough right do you ever run into that yes yes you get to a point where it's like you gotta stop absolutely you got to stop business you got to stop is the leather endless it makes lots of stuff you're right there it is five steps so easy so easy but they know what if you love that stuff it's enjoyable oh beautiful thank you so much uh this was uh one of the most interesting things I've ever seen maybe if I have after my retire I'll come and learn to make boots with you they know that's gonna be fun that's enjoyable that is beautiful thank you very much John uh just one of the most interesting things I've ever seen the best part now is I'm going to go over with the guys and you guys are going to measure me for my first pair of JK boots can you help me pick out the boot they know uh what's what's the best move for me it's really hard for me to help you because you make your decision first one depends what you're gonna do I'm gonna build a pair of boots for you for what for firefighting hard working farming or just going out for support depends you need to make your own decision I would like to have a boots that was a good all-around boot that could uh be worn with jeans to go out to eat or maybe put on to go do firewood but not I don't want to think too heavy I have fire boots I don't wear them because they're just too stiff and too heavy I want something that's flexible athletic and comfortable more like a tennis shoe but looks cool like a fire boot they know I probably recommend to do a bison let's see like this one not 10 inches six six eight not ten that's it take a very nice looking boots nice leather so soft and you know what you're just gonna love it the Bison upper and lower yes and what color a bison all the same color bison came in the same color brown but if you wanna you can do different low if you want a two-ton boots but personally I would recommend to do around it's good for any type of pins here similarly have a black one but Brown it's good for jeans dress pants casual depends pretty much fit any needs all right well I'm going to go over with the guys no no make your own decision I will I'm considering I'm considering a push you but I do like this I imagine that flexibility would be really comfortable yes very comfortable all right well thank you so much John thank you for your time and opening up your business and sharing your family this was um a great blessing to be here and I'm very uh excited to see you guys are maintaining this tradition there's very few things that are still handmade and uh yeah it's important to to keep that alive because if you were to take that to the Grave it would be lost no I don't they know I have a Sons they work with me it's a big blessing I pretty much passed everything on them yeah now most of the time I do just do some inspection see how this is working this working maybe give some advice some adjustments that's pretty much well you've earned it thank you very much thank you very much we asked John to bring us back here into the the dark corner of the shop these are the reserve stitching machines that are no longer made that you guys keep on hand for if and when you need them for somebody that's maybe some old machine for me that works both worth gold more than that machine yeah I love them they work really good and see they have kind of like a resort yeah [Music] so do you know how to take it apart and put it back together and everything yes no problem no problem amazing so if I see one of those at a garage sale I'll bring it I'll pick it up bring it over please let me know let you know okay thanks John my pleasure foreign

Channel: Wranglerstar

Views: 143,198

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Id: cvLZ6oB3ZW4

Length: 32min 34sec (1954 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 01 2023