Wang Xudong drove directly to the supermarket, where he bought a complete set of bedding and simple personal necessities. He also bought a folding bed, and then drove to the shoe store.
Opening the door, Wang Xudong took a broom and a rag and carefully cleaned the entire store inside and out. Finally, he put a folding bed in the corner of the store. This will be his from now on.
Home.
After finishing all this, Wang Xudong went to a food stall next door and spent fifteen yuan on a meal. Then he returned to the store, hung up his leather apron, put on his leather sleeves, and then started his
This is my first time making shoes independently.
Wang Xudong is very familiar with making shoes. The Wang Xudong family has been a full-time leather shoe craftsman since Wang Xudong's grandfather's generation, and it was passed down to Wang Xudong's father. Although Wang Xudong's father never said that he would pass on this craft to Wang Xudong.
, but Wang Xudong has been dealing with leather shoes since he can remember. Every day he saw his father making leather shoes step by step. Gradually, Wang Xudong became very familiar with making leather shoes.
In addition, because Wang Xudong’s mother passed away early, there were only two father and son in the family. Sometimes when the store was too busy, Wang Xudong’s father would call Wang Xudong to help in the store. From the beginning of delivering materials to Wang Xudong’s skill later
After learning, Wang Xudong's father would also give some simple steps to Wang Xudong. In the end, Wang Xudong remembered that when he was twelve or thirteen years old, he could make shoes completely independently, and he could make high-quality shoes.
Leather shoes, Wang Xudong still remembers that his father could not help but sigh that Wang Xudong was a genius in this industry, but in the end he did not ask Wang Xudong to take over his craftsmanship and this store, because he already knew at that time that this industry had reached the end of its rope.
, so I don’t want Wang Xudong to continue his craft.
Therefore, just as Wang Xudong said to Qin Kexin, he is professional in making leather shoes. In total, he has been making leather shoes for more than ten years. Although he has not touched it in the years since he was a soldier, he is familiar with this industry.
He can do it with his eyes closed.
Traditional craftsmanship is much more complicated than today's mechanized production, but the quality of the products is by no means comparable to machinery. As for the leather shoe-making craft taught to Wang Xudong by his father, there are ten sets of processes in total.
Each set is purely handmade, very tedious, and the requirements can be said to be excellence. If it is slightly worse, the pair of shoes will be considered a waste. For Wang Xudong, the handmade leather shoes made by his father are more like a handicraft.
.The measurement of Qin Kexin’s feet yesterday was the first step.
What Wang Xudong wants to do today is to make lasts and shoe lasts. What is a shoe last? Simply put, it is to make a model of the foot and let it complete the complicated process of making shoes instead of the customer's feet. This is very important.
Wang Xudong's family has made wooden shoe lasts passed down from generation to generation.
There are two types of shoe lasts used here. If it is for ordinary leather shoes, the universal shoe last is used. The universal shoe last only needs to be divided into male and female, and then the length of the foot and the size of the shoe. This way
The shoes that come out are on display in the cabinet for customers to come and choose and buy at any time. Just like when we go to a shoe store to buy shoes, we only need to distinguish the men's and women's styles and the shoe size. This kind of shoes is relatively cheap.
, because there is no need to specially make shoe lasts. However, the shoes made in this way will have flaws in terms of comfort and tightness, because everyone's feet are different, even if the feet of the same gender and the same length have different thickness.
Width, height, etc. will vary.
The other type is customized leather shoes. The price of customized leather shoes is much higher than that of ordinary leather shoes because it requires many more processes. For example, measuring feet and making lasts. Lasting is for customized leather shoes. Wang Xu
The rule passed down by the owner is that the foot measurement must be precise, and all the sizes of the entire foot must be measured exactly, and then the shoe last is made based on the data of the foot measurement. The material for making the shoe last is wood, and it must be made of wood.
Using various tools, based on the foot measurement data, the piece of wood is made into a model that is exactly the same as the customer's foot. This model is the customized shoe last. Then the subsequent processes are carried out based on this customized shoe last.
The shoes made in this way are the most suitable and comfortable for the customer's feet. They can be said to be unique, because everyone's feet are unique. It is necessary to make a large piece of wood into two shoe lasts that are exactly the same as the feet.
, this requires a strong foundation of skills, so it is true to say that every shoemaker is a carpenter.
Wang Xudong took a piece of wood and tools, and sat down on the workbench to start the process of making shoe lasts. This process is very strict and must be meticulous. You must do it slowly, one knife at a time. If you accidentally cut it deep, it will be cut deeply.
, the entire shoe last is completely wasted. This is a job that tests not only skills but also patience and perseverance.
However, now foreign custom-made leather shoes can also make shoe lasts, but people use high technology and computer molding. It is estimated that this is the only one that uses traditional hand-made wooden shoe lasts like Wang Xudong's, so Wang Xudong said that his
Shoes are not a commodity, but more of a handicraft.
When Wang Xudong finished the two shoe lasts, it was already dark. Wang Xudong was lamenting that he had not done it for many years and that the speed was too slow. When a car stopped in front of his store, Wang Xudong turned around and looked
Look at the car outside, it's Qin Kexin.
Qin Kexin walked in with her bag. When she saw Wang Xudong's appearance, she couldn't help but smile and said, "Seeing you like this, I really can't help but want to take a photo of you."
"You have to learn to respect the master, you know?"
"Is there any business today?" Qin Kexin looked around and asked.
"Yes, didn't you come to the door?"
Qin Kexin rolled her eyes at Wang Xudong, looked at the two shoe lasts in Wang Xudong's hand, became interested, and asked: "What is this? A model?"
"Yes, the model is professionally called a shoe last. Come on, take off your shoes." Wang Xudong pointed to the stool and said to Qin Kexin.
"Take off your shoes again? Didn't you measure them yesterday?"
"Why are you talking so much? Just take off your shoes when I ask you to do so. Do you still want your shoes?"
"Please pay attention to your tone. Have you ever spoken to a customer like this?" Qin Kexin cursed, sitting on the stool and preparing to take off her shoes, but Wang Xudong had already squatted down, holding Qin Kexin's feet and helping Qin Kexin take off her high heels.
He took it off, revealing his delicate and slender feet.
Qin Kexin's face suddenly turned red, but she did not object. For her, this moment was happiness.
Wang Xudong took Qin Kexin's foot, then took the shoe last, and compared it repeatedly. Finally, after confirming that it was basically the same, he stood up and said to himself: "It's okay, it can be used, let's make do." (To be continued)