Pegged or sewn soles?

[ky_yankee94]

Looking at purchasing a new pair boots. Which kind is better? The pegged or sewn soles? Mainly wanting to know hich is stronger, more period correct or i one represents a certain era of the war more than the other. Thanks!

[Tiger_rifles]

Hey Ky_Yank, This issue has been covered a few times here before. If you do a search for "Brogan" you should be able to get some past advice. Somebody correct me if I am wrong here but if I remember right........ Pegged shoes were more common then sewn as the stitching was done with linen thread that is worn off/out quicker than wood pegs. Modern reproductions often have nylon thread and wear much longer, but with the modern glues and etc.... it is more important who makes them than how they are made. If you are asking for suggestions,
http://www.civilwarboots.com/, these guys made the best pair of brogans I ever owned...... and I have owned a few pairs in my time. I would also suggest to get heel plates on them right away. Hope this helps.

[huntdaw]

To the soldiers of the day, shoes were an expendable part of their every day kit. To us, they are a major investment so we certainly want to get the most for our money. But, I don't think it really matters which kind you get as far as your impressions is concerned since both kinds were made and issued in large numbers. So it's a matter of preference, in my opinion, as to whether you choose pegged or sewn soles. Either style should wear well if taken care of and maintained properly. Personally, I have some shoes that are pegged and some that are sewn and I can't really tell a difference one way or the other to which is better. They are both comfortable and have given me good service.

[harley_davis]

About the only difference that I can note is that the pegs do work out a bit now and then. Simple to tap them back into place. Can be fun if you dont have heel plates and the pegs work out on your heels a bit creating the typical "ice skating" walk!! What I would suggest, as has already been noted, buy quality boots from a reputable maker (there are several) since you will spend a lot of time on your feet.

[Dkjarnagin]

This is just a FYI post to help with the correct terminology.

These are period definitions of bootee and brogan.

Bootee: A boot without a top, or a shoe made like a boot without a leg. I have also seen it defined as a not a tall as a boot but taller than shoe. More or Less it is a shoe that comes above the ankle. The total of both sewn and pegged bootees purchased by the Quartermaster dept. was 8,281,636, and this does not include state contracts. There were more sewn soled shoes purchased than the pegged version. Price of the sewn sole shoe was higher than pegged and the most was paid for hand sewn soled shoes. So clearly the thought was sewing method of sole attachment was better.

Brogans: the word is used in the United States, to distinguish a heavy, coarse shoe, between a boot and a shoe. When you look at the original records brogans are noted differently and the price is much lower. The amount of brogans purchased by the Quartermaster dept. was 155,580. The number was way down from either style of the bootee, showing difference between qualities of the two types of footwear.

The word brogan is not a Galick word but is an American slang. The confusion comes from the Galick word for shoe which is brog which means shoe but has a word that follows that tell the type.

Shoe thread was not black linen but was several colors and was flax. Flax was considered to be stronger and better thread than linen.

[dugel]

This is just a FYI post to help with the correct terminology.


Shoe thread was not black linen but was several colors and was flax. Flax was considered to be stronger and better thread than linen.

Unless I am wrong, flax is a plant that when processed produces long fibers that when spun together create linen thread. Guess I learned wrong at Old Sturbridge Village when I learned to make shoes.

[Dkjarnagin]

I understand that it all comes from the same source but the information I found in England and US sources listed it as flax. There were two categories listed one linen and the second flax. Flax is list as a stronger thread. It is not really thread but it was it is really twine. This is the reason I had so much trouble finding out information about threads for leather.

Have you read the post I made about the different sizes of linen thread? A #3 thread listed in the Ordnance manual is not three cord but describes the thread itself and was really a four cord thread. The truth is much stranger than fiction.

The whole flax thread has caused a flurry of e-mails.

David

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

I may be wrong, but my impression was that is "terminology" for the form of processing.

For example, tow and linen are both from the flax plant- one is just more procesed and refined than the other.

Curt

[dugel]

I came up with an 1896 broadside yesterday for Barbour Flax Thread, standard image on their product line. Words below talk about linen thread not flax on the same broadside. Looks like interchangeable term, Spinster we need some input here.

[dugel]

Before this thread gets hijacked, I will throw my two cents in on the topic. From a repair stand point, peg shoes are on the bottom (more penetrations less likely repair), Mckay shoe (sewn from inside of shoe out to sole) better repair life, true welted shoe was and is still the best for making a shoe last over multiple rebuilds. That is hopefully some help on purchasing for the long run.