Cobbler’s and Cordwainer’s tools

Cobbler’s and Cordwainer’s tools

Work in the shoe working trade was done to order, which meant that this was rarely a year-long profession, and did not have a fixed working hour schedule. Mondays were traditionally a holiday in the trade, and were known as ‘Tsaggarodeuteres’ (‘Cobbler’s Monday’).

  • Bench: This is where all the tools needed for working the shoe were placed. Around the bench would sit the helpers and students of the Master cordwainer (the ‘kalfas’, ‘mesokalfas’, and the ‘tsirakki’), who worked to produce the shoes.
  • ‘Tsaera’ (chair): An older type of chair used at the working bench.
  • Oil lamp: Used for illumination during the night hours in which the workers would usually work.
  • ‘Farsetta’ (Skiving blade): A type of skiving knife used to cut and work the leather and the sole.
  • Thread and needle or pig’s hair: The thread was spun with an ‘aglostri’ and covered with bee wax. It was then passed through the needle head, or the pig’s hair, and used to tie the soles of the shoes.
  • ‘Aglostri’ (spindle): A spindle like tool used for the spinning of the thread.
  • ‘Sierossi’: Used to protect the hands from the string when the shoes were being worked.
  • Three types of ‘Souvlia’ (Awls): The hooked awl, used to join the leather with the welt. The ‘edged’ awl used to tie the welt with the shoe sole. The straight awl, used to tie together the other parts of the shoe at a time when no machines were available.
  • ‘Massatis’: Tool used to sharpen the skiving blades.
  • ‘Martello’: A type of mallet used for beating the sole leather over an iron to make it thinner and harder.
  • ‘Katsamprokkos’: Α small awl like tool used for making holes in the soles and heels of the shoes for subsequent nailing in of wooden pegs.
  • ‘Raspa’: Used to clean the wooden pegs on the inside part of the shoes.
  • ‘Tripitiri’ (Hole maker): Used to make holes on the front part of the shoe leather.
  • ‘Zoummpas’: Used to place the ‘poullia’ (grommets) in the eyelets from which the shoelaces would pass.
  • ‘Tripodi’: A tool passed through the shoe, to help the hammering of the sole into shape, and the nailing of the ‘spondilia‘ (tacks).
  • ‘Stekka xefoumarismatos’ (Burnishing tool): Used for the polishing of the soles and shoes.
  • ‘Lihnos’ (Lamp): Lighted up with alcohol and used to heat up the iron and the ‘makineta’ used to polish the soles and heels of the shoes.
  • ‘Kalapodi’ (Last): Used for the lasting of the leather, so that the shoe could take the required shape needed to place and secure the sole and heels.
  • Pair of boots: This pair belonged to Myrianthi Stylianou Ieridi from Kannavia, and were worn exclusively on her wedding day in 1916. They were the creation of master Ttofaris from the village of Kakopetria.