From: firstinitiallastname@texas.net   
      
   Cliff D. Weller wrote:   
      
      
   > One of the largest chain outlets selling "custom made"   
   > boots, and other "western wear" is SHEPLAR's.   
      
   I don't think I've ever seen Shepler's associated with anything that's   
   legitimately custom. Decent prices, though, and good sales. If you get   
   on their list and get the 20% off your purchase mailer, it's a good bet   
   that there's also a lot on sale at the same time.   
      
   > OTOH, not long ago I read an article about a "real"   
   > custom boot maker still doing business somewhere in   
   > Texas. His boots are sought after by the monied folks   
   > who can afford them. I feel sure there are still other   
   > custom makers who look at boot making as an art form.   
      
   There are a number of very fine makers working in Texas. All I know of   
   who are worthy of the name have long waiting lists. My maker's daughter,   
   who does really nice work in California, closed her shop and moved her   
   operation to a fairly remote ranch. More business finds her than she can   
   keep up with. She learned from a master.   
      
   Sadly, it's a dying art. The bread and butter of a new maker is repairs,   
   and they're getting beaten up by cheap and dirty work at places like   
   Shoe Hospital that appear to be local but really ship it all to huge   
   shops with less than skilled and certainly less than caring hourly   
   workers. And the fact that few shoes today are made with any notion that   
   would ever be repaired means it harder to make a living. A lot of the   
   repair work turns out to be things like cheap women's shoes (the shoes   
   and the women) that they paid little for but like a lot. Cheap stuff is   
   just harder to repair than good.   
      
   It doubly sad in that an accomplished maker can do quite well, but few   
   young people are prepared to sweat through the long learning process and   
   the time gaining experience. It's hard work, and the early years won't   
   produce much money, since an apprenticeship with a master or a period of   
   dedicated work with another source of income is pretty much necessary.   
   Everyone I know who's good feels deeply about the art, about perfection.   
     But old-time shops go out of business all the time, as makers retire   
   or die and have no one to carry on.   
      
   The same thing happens with saddles. They're really grueling to rebuild,   
   and the stores are filled with new junk. Heck - it's hard enough to get   
   a good belt made. But some really fine belt and buckle work is available   
   to folks with law enforcement connections through the prisons. Some of   
   those guys are highly skilled and meticulous, and they have some of the   
   best equipment to work with. You can get really good at something, when   
   you have twenty years or more to work at it.   
   --   
                          Gerald Clough   
       "Nothing has any value, unless you know you can give it up."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)