Dr. Martens Resole -(MAKING DOCS BETTER)- 4 Big Problems Fixed
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- Опубліковано 13 бер 2020
- Did you know about the Rose Anvil leather shop? Check out some belts, wallets, camera harnesses and more here - bit.ly/44jXLNu
Doc Marten boots have not been my favorite boots so i decided to resole them and make Dr. Martens a better boot (or at least try). I took some cues from Brian the Bootmaker and Trenton & Heath on how to resole a pair of boots. So check those guys out via the links below!
BRIAN THE BOOTMAKER - bit.ly/39Q4n9F
TRENTON & HEATH - bit.ly/3aUTK5q
WEBSITE - roseanvil.com/?aff=17
INSTAGRAM - / rose_anvil
PATREON - / roseanvil
TOOLS & SUPPLIES
Awl - amzn.to/2TOemqj
Needles - amzn.to/3d0lpUk
Thread - amzn.to/39RREDc
Knife - amzn.to/3cRXWF3
Strap Cutter - amzn.to/2TSdmSh
Rougher - amzn.to/2QeeddG
Tokonole - amzn.to/2TPDsoY
Sole - amzn.to/39QHDX4
Cork - districtleathersupply.com/
Glue - districtleathersupply.com/
Glue Jar - www.rmleathersupply.com/ - Навчання та стиль
Did you know about the Rose Anvil leather shop? Check out some belts, wallets, camera harnesses and more here - bit.ly/44jXLNu
Dr. Martens looks like US Military boots that I wore in the military but with a pimped up sole.
Doctored Martens
This is a underrated comment
@@RoseAnvil so close..joke ruined by misspelling
@@RoseAnvil I wish I can send my doc martens and you can resole them.
😂😂😂 Clever
@@RoseAnvil Thank God you didn't ruined your hands
Weston: *DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME
Me: I don't even know what you're doing lol
i'm getting a dog
from the animal shelter
@@voidremoved ooh what breed
He's cutting towards himself while also relying on the leather to have a constant width so that he doesn't slice open his fingers. :P
He cut toward himself in a scary way
As a cobbler myself , that was hell of an improvisation of a split-welt, amazing job on resoling those boots, cheers
Much respect to your craft!
Odd question, but do you have any advice for people looking to work as cobblers?
I've been working at a shoe shine shop, and with a historical society, but I'd love to get In to actual cobbling (not sure if that's the right way to phrase it, but hopefully you'll know what I mean) but I haven't the foggiest idea where to start.
@@greyking3792 Ask a few cobblers/shoe repair stores. Most are small independent stores who find it hard to find good help in store.
I work for Baxter & Black in Sydney Australia. That's how I did it anyways.
So rose and anvil have nothing to do in shoe manufacturing I'm shocked they only cut boots in half :L
Now I know why you guys charge what you do to fix boots. I’ll never complain again the next time I need a resole job
When you revealed the wooden shank and said "what??" I died from laughter
Bcuz that’s a made in England pair
A pair of mine have a shank in them, I know cos I can see it, but they’re not a made in England pair. They are quite old tho so that could be why
I have a pair of cheap lugs with a doc martin style sole, and even they have a steel shank xD A magnet will stick when you pull out the insole. Surprised the hell out of me. If lugs can do it... it really makes you wonder why doc can't.
@@rich1051414 Cheap offshore production costs, and or cost effective,
Remember doc martens aren't just a working boot anymore
They all used to be made in England back in the day
I have been wearing boots daily for 45 years (military and construction) and I have gained more knowledge about the how and why some boots are so much better than others in the last week watching your videos than in all the years before. I appreciate the time and effort that you put into your videos and your efforts to make it possible for all of us that spend so much time on our feet in less than ideal conditions, to make informed decisions. This has changed my attitude towards spending hard earned money on footwear in general. I will be sure to tell everyone around me to check out your videos so that they too can make informed decisions. Thank you so very much and please keep it up.
As a cobbler it was interesting to watch how you overcame the lack in cobbling tools. I would recommend getting an American straight needle with an awl haft. Doing a lock stitch over a saddle stitch would have saved you a lot of time. Also, try southern leather for some of your supplies.
Thank you! I actually did a lock stitch at first but it was fraying the thread so I switched back to saddle stitch. Does southern leather sell welts? Or do you know where to buy them?
@@RoseAnvil they do sell welts. We get probably 90% of our supplies from southern leather. We have a sales rep that personally takes our orders but he claims you can order everything off their website. You can also try Miami leather too if southern doesn't have it.
Hmm
@@RoseAnvil Panhandle leather is another place to look.
“No shank” opens it up *shank*
"shank"
Then doesn't put a new shank in when he rebuilds it???
@@bgianf I thought I was the only one seeing this
@@bgianf im guessing it’s because the wedge sole provides enough support compared to soles with heels
Its a popsicle stick
What? You've never re-soled boots before? Wow, to say I'm impressed would actually be the understatement of the century! I'm absolutely stunned! You did an amazing job. The moment it was finished I fell immediately in love with your version of this (if you like it or not) undeniable classic... ^^
Awh chucks.. I was about to just casually resole my old martens in the living room, then he said dont do this at home..
Made my day 😂😂
resole them anyway
SHUCKS*
Looking at welding goggles...
I really dislike the sole. Would prefer something with a heel and probably in a different colour, but cannot deny that a good job was done. Top work
Ya i kinda feel the same way, after seeing it resoled i prefer the heel but there is always next time ha ha
@@RoseAnvil Hi , i agree with you both , you made an awesome work , i wear doc martens for more than 30 years and i've never saw someone save a pair as well as you did , even if it's not your job ; but as you i would have preferred a heel , the "flat bottom" look seems little weird .... And yes this was an old pair of UK made boots , at least i never saw a shank in the made in Asia ones ...... Peace from france ; )
My thoughts as well. Excellent job otherwise
@@RoseAnvil everyone has their own take on it anyway! plus it's not like you don't know how to do it later on in the future
I imagine a pretty convincing illusion of a heel could be created by cutting a small wedge out on the outer sides of the sole. Would give the best of both
I think showcasing your abilities is a great video. My own Docs always fail in the sole, when the air cushion pops, so new cushion and a different sole are awesome. You could easily drum up some business making custom docs.
It’s really amazing to see that you are 100% “hand made”.. you don’t even have stitching machine!
Amazing how much can actually be done without specialist shoemaking tools and machinery as long as you know the principles. Nice touch with the storm welt too. Great job all round!!
One mesmerising channel to watch is 'bootfury'. A Russian who'll deconstruct/rebuild/make the uppers from scratch as well.
Though, most shoefixers use a machine for all the sowing.
Thanks! it made me really appreciate what real cobblers do and it made me want to buy all of their equipment
soz but what's a storm welt? as in waterproof?
@@gregj7916 Yes. More weatherproof, but Google it anyway. In short, the welt is wider than a standard Goodyear welt, and is partly flipped up along the side of the upper so there's a moisture barrier.
Greg J Greg J a welt attached to the upper, and a midsole, then the midsole is attached to the outsole. Normally in a storm welt you would see two stitch lines around the soles but here he’s using glue
Did you guys like the non-commentary style of this video or would you rather hear me explain what i'm doing?
Some explanations what you are about to do and then the shot with just music and video would have been awesome
I hope you can add audio commentary on top of the footage next time. Not too much though, only when necessary, e.g. when explaining your train of thought during the process, rationale on why or how you chose this particular material (including other alternatives) or doing something a layperson wouldn't necessarily know of.
Love your channel! Keep it up!
I was okay with the ASMR type video ... I don't really know anything about resoling boots so your commentary wouldn't have meant much to me anyway! :-)
Commentary
Don’t change anything, we like it as it is.
Those look great - probably the best DM resole I’ve seen so far. Actually think the wedge sole looks pretty sharp and suits the boot well.
Wow, even the time lapse looks really smooth. I could never have this much patience to work so cleanly like that.
A lot of people recommended southern leather co for a good place to buy resoling supplies including welting material so you don’t have to make a sketchy one like me.
Also some comments were concerned for my fingers after seeing my fingers wrapped. Don’t worry its not because of cuts, it’s just athletic tape to help protect my fingers when I’m pulling super hard on the thread. It’s a handy trick if you are ever working on a big hand stitched project.
@Rose Anvil could you do an update on how these Doctored Martens are doing?
Me, knowing absolutely nothing about shoes or shoes repairing, seeing one single adhesive that i am familiar with: I AM ON TRACK TO BECOMING AN EXPERT
Recently fascinated with cobbling and wanting to pursue as a hobby. For me, this is an almost, complete tutorial!! Especially good example that one can cobble without specialized shoe machinery. The only specific 'equipment' I got so far, was a cast iron shoe anvil-stand similar to your's.
I love how he starts with no bandages on fingers and ends up with covered in them...
and that's not because he's an expert.
This reminds me of being a kid and watching my grandfather work in his shop. I could almost smell the horsehide glue.
@Skip Ives
I thought it was rubber cement. I’ve never heard of “horsehide glue.“
Modern shoes use contact cement. The old standard was "Barge Glue" which is in part, made of horse hide.
Ya that glue definitely has a distinct smell ha ha
Elle Sea
So the collagen in our skin is named after “make glue??” I have a hard time accepting that as fact haha.
Rose Anvil
What type of glue did you use then if it wasn’t rubber cement? Just curious.
Not loving the wedge sole, but I’m sure they’re 10x as comfy.
Ya I kind of like the look of the originals better
If you don't have anything to re-use the soles on I'd suggest just wearing them out. See how the upper is then, maybe you'll be up to making a pair of boots - you'll have a pattern. For re-soling Vibram's Stowe Gumlite is my go-to for that style of boots. Montagna if you want them really beefy. Or split the difference by adding 3/8" orthopaedic crepe and Kletterlift soles - they're an overlay style with a mini-montagna pattern. The Cristy is perfect for work boots (especially brown leather uppers with light soles), but looks a bit off on Docs.
I can understand how people miss the profile of the original soles, but I’ll take comfortable soles over the originals every time.
@@petesjk I always found the originals to be comfortable
The sole is Part of the comic look
You should offer this service to patrons who need to resole their vintage docs. Such a great repair without losing a size as others who do this work have predicted. People are just getting more innovative and skilled.
I really really appreciate the amount of effort that you put into your videos, especially this one! Well done!
I've felt a lot of pressure to buy docs, as they're supposed to be so fashionable and high quality, and but I've always found them uncomfortable, so I've always gone for other boots. Now I'm really glad I never forced myself to wear docs, and I don't feel bad for not trying to be cool and aesthetic with docs anymore, so thank you! 🙌
if you like the look but are unsure about the quality, Solovair are supposed to be fantastic. Same silhouette, but the old manufacturer
🥺🥺 I just bought my first doc and while waiting for them to be delivered I decided to watch some UA-cam about their quality and now I feel gutted that they are not that good.They costed 280€ so that is pretty sad.
Wow such craftsmanship. I never realized the amount of time and effort that goes into doing a quality resoling of a boot. How many hours did it take you to do the boots?
I'd like to know how much this would cost. I once had a pair of shoes resoled over 25 years ago and I don't remember it being that expensive I think around £5/10 (but it wasn't a patch on these and would have been way simpler to do on shoes).
@@repletereplete8002 For a Goodyear welt resoling they asked me €200, for a pair of Red Wings. You'll probably pay more for Docs, because they have to basically install a welt, as shown in the video.
Very fascinating
@@luissorsini uh. Was that a quote from redwings themselves? I was expecting less than half that if the welt is good. What was your boot, and what exactly needed to be done?
For the amount of work he put in to resole them. It would be cheaper to buy a more expensive pair of boots that can be resoled later. Unless like him you are doing it for the sport.
You're NOT a Professional Cobbler BUT took up the challenge? MAD RESPECT!
I am NOWHERE near your Skill Level, and I admire your work! Hell Yeah, Brian The Boot Maker; LOVE HIS WORK! Especially if he's working on Red Wing boots! I am currently in my second pair of Heritage 875s and I was really digging the way he modified a pair of 1907's. Undoubtedly, those will be the next pair the Red Wing boots or boots that I get for that matter. 😂
Modification you did to the doc martens, I was not used to seeing a pair finished/restored with the different sole other than the "Bouncing" soles. As your video progressed, actually appreciated the more! I think they look pretty trick, you still retained trademark yellow stitching, added more flavor and you definitely improved the waterproof ability of the boot and that's a plus. Every pair of Doc Martens I've ever owned SUCKED, when it came to the inability to be waterproof boots! 🤣😂
Fantastic work Brother! 👊🏽
My 4th time watching this. I am mesmerized every time. As someone who bought steel toe docs, and have been wearing them all this week. I just keep thinking I so need this done. Amazing craftsmanship. Love it sir.
Easily would buy a pair of Dr. Martens improved by you man, great video
A pair of Solovairs would probably be a lot cheaper, but I also wouldn't mind having a pair of his revamped Docs.
Thanks! We’ll see if they hold up first ha ha
Same
Absolutely! I had a pair of docs for 12 years or more back as a teen- late 20’s. Of course I wore completely through the sole but that still didn’t stop me.
@@RoseAnvil Well, did they hold up?
Make your own boot company, I'll buy you a pair ❤️, actually the name "Rose anvil wedge boots" sounds dope
Uriel OR, that’s really sweet! I would send my Docs in for a resole by Rose Anvil after watching this process. If he would make me an indestructible pair of mid calf boots, then I would find $675 to $800 US to pay for them.
He can one up Archibald.
Instead of shoes designed by a forum, he can make boots designed by the UA-cam comment section.
I'm glad you used the Vibram 4014 for this resoling. I'm in the middle of my own Docs resole and had my eye on that one. Thank you. Those look great!
I bought a couple pairs back in the early 90's. Wore the leather insoles out under the ball of my big digit. Little bits of wool or felt came out through those holes day by day until I was able to completely slide the leather insoles out and found about a hundred little splinters. I never knew that was a shank until now. I remember thinking, "How'd that mulch get in there?" I squat a lot. Kneeling down - butt on the back of one heel balanced on my toes. All that squatting split the rubber sole linearly on the ridged side of the sole at it's thinnest point. I paid $275 for those, my second pair in '97. Yes. I still wear them. Although, they chew up replacement insoles. The leather is butter.
I am watching this thinking, ‘He’s actually doing it!’ A full, proper resole. You’ve done a great job here, lad. You managed to make a pair of Dr Martens more acceptable.
🙏
Yes, that is a jarritos bottle and yes that sticky note does say "stay hydrated"
Rose Anvil amazing!!!
Hell yeah
#hydrohomies
Absolutely fantabulous upgrade, looks like a lot of work but so worth doing. I could have happily watched you work in real time. I love boots. 😊
Great content! Really appreciate the time and effort that went into making ONE video. Keep it up aye
Wow! Considering how long our journey has been with the Doc’s, I started watching in the fall, this was a very informative and entertaining video!
For real I think I’ve purchased 7 or 8 pairs of docs since September ha ha
What an interesting turn of events, your channel was the one got me to start watching both Trenton and Heath and Brian the bootmaker a while back.
Nailed it!!! Excellent job! I’ve got 4 pairs of worn down Doc that are in need of some resoling TLC and I just might give it a go after your inspirational video. Thank you sir!
My sister bought me my 1460 for my birthday in Feb 2020. I just opened it up recently and tried it on. And ow I cant stop watching your videos. Its just so satisfying to watch experts do their work.
I am not a professional cobbler, but I have resoled all of my leather sole shoes that have a goodyear welt construction. You did a great job in resoling the boots. That is how I would've done it if I had to resole a pair of Dr. Martens. You did great overall!
I am also a hobby shoemaker myself, and wow, this was definitely a nice job. The storm welt part was especially useful. Very cool and informative!
I was mesmerized watching you make dr martens better and what a great end result kudos to you even for your first time I know I would buy those boots you did impressive work my favorite part was the hand-sewn it was unbelievable
this is so soothing to watch! also you make the boots look so comfortable
This was so relaxing to watch I almost fell asleep, looking forwards to the jordans
If Dr. Martens were done like this, I'd buy them. You've done some great work
🙏
Extremely well done DIY project. Great work and they look amazing!
Thanks for sharing. It's really cool to see how this stuff works. I had no idea how much work goes into this and how complex it is.
Loved this style of video as I find seeing someone working with skill in their chosen profession to be so interesting and enjoyable so please do more when you get the time as it's appreciated.
Thanks! I decided not to do commentary over it, would you guys prefer commentary or no commentary?
@@RoseAnvil I personally would prefer commentary over it as you go through the process
I like the no commentary but a little bit would be fine outlining each step in the process.
This is fascinating to me. I had no idea how much work went into re-soling these doc boots. Loved this video! Great job!!!!
Yeah in the mass produce factories doc martens just has machines do it lol. Imagine how much he didn’t record or upload in this video.
Such exquisite craftsmanship. Well done.
WOW! Very impressive. I think you should get a job at Dr.Martins Factory and teach them how to build a Real Boot. I would definitely buy a pair of Docs that you just re-soled. Awesome job👍🏽
I was given a pair of these boots when my cheap work boots fell apart, but honestly, the sole and insole are uncomfortable, and discomfort was the reason why the previous owner just gave them away. So this video is interesting for me, to see that they could be worth taking better care of. I’ve noticed some comments aren’t fond of the sole shape or color on this boot. My boots spend most of their time at work or on trails, so I’ll take comfort and durability over looks.
Whoah! It's gorgeous. I never figured those Vibram soles would match well with the Docs. Great work! 👍😊👍
Thank you! I was surprised they turned out so well too ha ha
¡ Amazing job ! The end result is spectacular and looks so much better than the initial product.
Thank you. You did a great job on restyling the iconic Dr. Marten boot. I would wear yours. I like the custom made gear.
I love this guy and the content he makes! He throws shade at things that deserve but then shine a light in order to improve the same thing. Good stuff.
i loved watching this video man great job! i have like 5 pairs of boots iv been obsessed with them for ages, you have just taught me a new passion. I want to learn how to do the things you do!
Thanks! It’s super fun doing these videos
Love the new version! You did good job on it!
Wow! They look better than expected...better than the original version. I think you solved the problems. Great job!
Dunno dude, sometimes you just watch video and think 'hell fecking yeah, I'll subscribe coz he did awesome job'. Keep it up.
Anybody can tear apart a pair of boots and criticize them, only a true Craftsman will improve and put them back together! Way to go dude
My friend was once asked at his job if he knew what he was doing.
He replied: 'would you know it if I didnt?'
For not being a 'profeesional cobbler', you sure looked the part!
Man I wish I could try your boot and marvel at the difference from one to the other. It was an amazing watch thank you for the video 👏
The work looks great, but mine is a philosophical question: Since Dr. Marten's big thing is the Air Wear Soles, is it still a Doctor Marten if the sole is no longer?
As well as the tire rubber welt.... I was wondering the same thing.
the reason why they are big on those soles is because that's one of the few parts on that boot that is actually copyrightable. The shoe came out of a dr. Martin factory, it's a dr. Martin shoe
No. It's a far superior creation. This is what a Dr. Marten aspires to be.
@@wellsmitchell49 "Superior"? While I agree the craftsmanship is superior now, is it really a "Doc"? Leather soles offer a completely different experience than the AirWear Soles.
Love the channel, and really enjoyed this video. Can see you put loads of effort into it, and looks like it was worth it. Will be interesting to see how that boot holds up in 6 months.
Thank you! I hope they hold up ha ha I don’t wNt to resole them again
Good for you, stranger. You obviously work hard at your craft. You care. I appreciate you letting me observe what you do.
Love how you changed them!
Wait, what? all of my dr martens have been waterproof, I alwayse treat them with dubbin as recommended
Doc martens have never done me wrong always been waterproof and personally think he ruined them
Yeah the only pair I have that are t waterproof are the canvas ones. The leather ones are always waterproof and have thicker leather than the ones he cut in half.
You don't know what u are talking about 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Good job!!
@@jayhowell7553 thanks i think the same.
I have literally WADED through water with my docs and my feet are dry. they might as well me wellies
Should do more of these re-soles, especially improving them over the originals.
not bad! you did a good job all by hand, I am impressed. Keep up the good work.
some people work with passion . you do this work with heart
That brings back memories when my parents were very picky about me caring about my shoes as a kid. Warm winter boots in particular. It's nice to get so much in depth knowledge about shoes when so many other people pretend to be individuals with sneakers that don't last long.
Wow-“lost-art”. Very cool- impressive dude!
That looks awesome!! Amazing work
Great video and great job. Thanks for posting and taking the time
Ok, this is amazing! I could mostly figure out what you were doing, but I'd love it if you could fill in the details, like not just the whats, but the whys.
ETA: clarification
legend has it, any man who dared to cross him, he turned into a boot.
Wow dude! I love the final product.
Awesome sauce 👏, the boot 🥾 looks brand new !!! Amazing transformation 🤩.
I can appreciate what you do bc it's literally artwork and I wish I had the skill to work with leather. That being said, as someone who's been wearing Docs since 1986, I will always love the original design. As uncomfortable as they can be at times, I would want the replacement sole to have the same/ similar heel as the OG. You did great work and I'm going to subscribe now, so I can see your future videos and the old. :)
Do you know which good quality dm i can buy?
I'm curious how Trenton and Heath would rank your work. It looked pretty good but then again, I'm no cobbler either 😄
Ya I’d be interested to see what I got wrong ha ha
Since you made the storm welts from scratch you should have punched the holes before sewing it on; the stitches should be uniformally spaced after all. You did a really great job. I was surprised they were your first resole. Have you asked Dirk at Jack's in Ogden who he uses? While everyone else is recommending So. Leather, my vote is for Ruby Leather, rubyortho.com
Bloody awful. You took a design classic, butchered it and added what looks like an orthopedic sole. No class.
@@timb9720 How is this helpful? This was literally his first attempt. I'm not completely sure on his decision process for using that sole. But, if you had read these comments you'd know he wishes he had used a different sole. What new, useful thing have you tried recently? And did you share it with the world?
@@timb9720 Doc Martens have nothing to do with "class." They are a low-budget, conformist way of declaring rebellion and individuality. Literally anything would be an improvement.
you've done a great job. i couldn't decide on the wedge sole but it's growing on me.
Great job on the resole. Definitely not an easy task. The christy sole looks better, will last way longer and is definitely more comfortable
"I ain't no bootlicker. No, sir, I Isn't."
**watches end of this video**
"How can I lick that boot?!"
remember kids its ok to be a boot licker as long as its your boot and not some piggy or army man and especially not your boss cuz remember you have no boss you are your own master
@@themoon5898 make the cops lick your shiny doc martens
Great job.and I watch both of those guys
Towards the end "...I'm not a professional cobbler and this is your first time of attempting to resole a shoe" !!!
My gosh, you definitely fooled me...Awesome and subscribed!
You have inspired me to attempt upgrading an old pair of hiking boots that have proven hard to resole at local shoe repair stores. The storm welt solves the biggest issue.
The only question is what adhesive is advised? I have tried many options none seem to be durable enough to do the job well.
It's been a year so hopefully you've gotten an answer somewhere by now, but if not, look into Barge contact cement; I don't make shoes but he's definitely using some sort of contact cement, and Barge is a good strong one.
That def earned a huge "thumbs up" 👍. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, taking "products" and investing time & energy to make something better than what's available "off the shelf". It's equivalent to car guys that "sup up" their cars for more HP; or gamers that "overclock" and modify their computers for more FPS. You took a boot with deficiencies and added time & premium materials and ended up with a much better boot that no one else has. You basically "supped up" & "overclocked" your boots... Awesome job. I would love to hear how they hold up.
Very nice, you made an excellent job and I think they look great. Well done.
Docs are my go-to shoes looking back the last 22 years and you have my thumbs up.
geez i was going to suggest cutting some saint laurent wyatts in half, figured it was too expensive. but here you planning to cut up some shattered backboards.
Giorgi lazarevic ooof those poor Wyatt that’s gonna get cut in half tho ;(
It’s definitely an investment in the channel ha ha let’s hope that video does well
@@RoseAnvil there are much cheaper Jordan one color ways. U didn't have to break the bank for this one
@@RoseAnvil maybe an alternative to the slp like story etfall or fromthefirst?
It's like a red wing x dr. Marten the sole now look more like red wing... Its like two of my favorite brands in one pair
I am a shoe/ boot maker in the uk and I have to say it was nice to see your successful attempt of of resoling these dr martens.
This was awesome to see. I may be inspired to try cobbling myself. A follow up would be awesome, like how they break in or look/hold up worn. I liked the commentary style of the video as this wasn't an instructional but rather exemplary.
I know he's a professional and stuff, but the mum friend inside me screams when he cuts towards his hand.
same and im still a minor
Look how he's cutting tho. Hes not cutting using the strength in his arm, he's bracing himself and cutting by squeezing his fist. If he slips he's just going to have a tighter grip on the knife
2 things I learned about Doc Martens years ago. 1, buy AT LEAST half size larger and use memory foam insoles with good arch support. 2, Before you first wear them use a neutral dubbin in all the stitching and use a hair dryer to melt it into the thread to waterproof them. Hopefully this will make your use of them less hellish and less damaging to your pocket. Lack of a shank can be a problem, but if you dubbin it once a month and use boot oil in the creases they shouldn't crack and split for a long time, mine have had 20 years of casual use and due for a resole soon, was thinking of getting them converted into clogs.
Im so glad you recommended Trenton and Heath. I discovered you from them.
Great work!! I'm going to buy a used pair and resole with a flat 4mm vibram sheet. This gives me good ideas to go off of.