Handmade Boots and the American Dream | JK Boots Factory Tour
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- Many thanks to everyone at JK Boots for allowing us to document their craft.
These are the exact boot Tim is making in this video 👇
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This was a lot of fun Nate! Thanks so much for coming out, it was a pleasure. Thanks for watching guys!
Great stuff you guys are doing there.
Keep up the good work!!
@@andydsimmons Thanks!
Make me a 3" safety toe boot that fits me properly and pulls out all of the stops on durability and comfort I will pay $1000 for a pair. I don't need the ankle support of taller boots in what I do, I need the flexibility for squatting and kneeling and crawling around, but I also need the durability and features and rebuildability of a high end leather boot. I am sick of a pair of work shoes lasting a couple months and I am sick of 3" boots being built like cheap steel toe tennis shoes.
@@SuperAWaC so what you want is a steel toe dress shoe...? A boot is not going to have 3” uppers
Nate says your father came from Ukraine. You mention something about Moldova. Let me guess you were in that area called Transnistria? (which is now an enclave between Moldova and Ukraine).
Hey! I'm the Fella in the green shirt! Been a big fan of this channel for 4-5 years. To see y'all come through the shop was a celebrity moment for sure! Ha! Ha! And to get a shout-out as a fellow craftsman on the channel was really a very cool thing for me, my friend! Almost like an achievement! Gon bless you and the whole family and crew! My only regret was that I wasn't able to meet Scott! -Zachariah(the fella in the green shirt) 🤣🤣
Zachariah! Thanks for chiming in and thanks for your loyal support! Keep up the good work!
Tight work, Green shirt! 💪💪💪😂
Zach, I’m a huge fan of JK boots as I have many pairs. Not sure if you’ve personally helped build a pair of mine or not, but just wanted to let you know I have a lot of respect for you and what your fellow coworkers do. Thanks for your talent and hard work, sir!!!
Zachariah, you do wonderful work! I was surprised that they didn't sew the turnout welt to the mid-sole separately before putting the sole on. Not a criticism, just wondered if you know the reason. These boots are absolutely stunning looking pieces of craft!!
@@InGrindWeCrust2010 the McKay stitcher attaches the middle to the insole. The lug sole goes on and than is stitched through the welt,midsole, and through the outsole Than is fastened down with screws.
Edit: timestamp for McKay stitching at 13:54 and rapid E stitching at 16:11
When I ordered my JK Boots I actually got to speak with Tim, as HE answered the phone!
I had to have my boots custom made due to having lymphedema in my lower legs and makes for a permanently swollen foot. Because of this, I was not able to find ANY boots for over twenty years that would FIT!
After several conversations and filling out their "fit" template, and a short wait, I received my boots and COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAPPIER!!!
It actually brought me to tears when I put them on.
They were worth every penny, and I wear them every time I am at my farm doing any kind of timber work.
Thank you Tim, and JK Boots!
Very cool story. What a great endorsement for time time and care that JK puts into their products.
So glad to hear that you found something that works! I also have a wider foot than the other and find it difficult to wear any two shoes the same. I might check them out!
@@wehrwulf4299 You won't be sorry! They can custom fit to almost anything! Bunions, deformities, swollen ankles, etc. Their "fit sheet" is very detailed as to all of the measurements, yet it is very easy to fill out.
These are the BEST boots I have owned in my 66 years!
I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate the way you do your videos, you use the same skill and attention to detail in your videos as the crafts you show in them...A mindset that transfers to all aspects of life...If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well. Well done sir!
I agree with this. Very interesting and always makes me happy.
Bravo
Thanks so much Chris!
I appreciate these videos showing other Craftsmen on the Essential Craftsman channel. I’d like to see more videos like these.
Great to hear, thanks Bradley!
I hope JK boots continues to thrive and it warms my heart to know people can still make a living working with their hands.
Did you even look up Jk boots on RUclips...lmao
@@KimballPrecision d'oh!
And they have 149k subs too... I'll have to edit my post.
Wow! As a leather worker myself, I have profound respect for this company and the workers. Great video!
always a pleasant shock to have YOU featured in an Essential Craftsman video Nate. It's good to see how the channel will eventually segue from father to son, years down the line. It's a family thing. Family First. Keep up the Good Work. well done, Sir Darrell
Thanks for the support!
*_Awesome inside look at JK Boots, thank you!_*
I do sharpening and custom knives by hand. This by no means looks easy. Getting that kind of aesthetic perfection by muscle memory and visual measurement is the highest level of skill. Hats off!
Love JK Boots story of the American Dream here. These boots are worth every penny - made by true craftsman. WE GOT IT MADE IN AMERICA!!!!!
Yes! Thank you!
That’s right, Love my JK’s best boots ever
A stunning celebration of human ingenuity, not just the incredible craftspeople at JK but the long-gone people who invented, manufactured, & perfected the machinery, still in use a century or two later, that instead of replacing human beings, enhanced their expertise. Thanks for this.
I have literally been researching workbooks for a year now… I have followed EC for years and have been looking into Carolinas and some other makers. JK Boots is something I have been researching as of late… this video has been a game changer for me!!! I went to Ukraine as a kid in the mid 90s for Ministry, so this family company has a special place in my heart. Of all the hand made boot options, this boots bring something special.
It's now called THE Ukraine
My wife and I really enjoyed this video and this family's story. Very well done.
I love when two of my favorite channels come together.
This felt like a more in depth episode of “How It’s Made”!
It’s also nice to see everyone so hands on and honing their skills on a profession that is seemingly overtaken by machinery. Glad to see they are handmade from start to finish, that’s how you know a product is very high quality and built to last a lifetime.
This is orders of magnitude better than How It's Made.
I have 6 pairs of JK’s and I truly and sincerely recommend them to anyone who needs a pair of tough boots that will last them way longer than any other boot they’ve ever had. They are simply incredible boots built by a tremendous company. I’m proud to support them and wear their boots. I’m just one man with one opinion, but I honestly think they are absolutely top notch.
Shout out to whoever edited the sound so that the string hits synch with the sewing machine rhythm
Thank you for highlighting another good Essential Craftsman in the northwest. Beautiful story. 👍
I can't imagine that sort of quick life change from one side of the world to the other. Impressive that they can adapt so quickly.
They brought an old world skill "back" to the new world. This kind of craftsmanship is a dying art these days. (As a textile engineer - by education - I watched virtually all textiles disappear in a matter of years.) It's nice to see someone still taking pride in a job well done.
Being using Nick's Boots and White's for years here South Texas. I'm a general contractor and those PNW last a lot more than any other brands
👍🏼
Great to see there is still some old world boot making going on in the US.
Watching this, wearing my JK’s. There really is nothing like handmade leather boots. Great job guys.
Thanks!
Like you said " There is nothing like handmade boots"
Love the awesome skill that goes into something small like a boot. Just as much as building a house or crafting a knife. Very cool vid
I grew up watching my father and grandfather wear Whites boots. I’ve had them make and rebuild a number of pairs over the years. Seeing and hearing John’s story is very moving. As an old carpenter I love watching craftsmen who can truly use a hammer! Spokane is the boot capital of the US. Thanks for this excellent video and hats off to JK Boots! Thanks again EC.
I bought a pair about a year and a half ago.love the old world feel and the comfort of having a boot made to you. Family owned and American made.I loved buying a pair of boots from craftsmen.
The amount of physical labor required to construct each pair of boots is simply astonishing. After reviewing the prices J/K charges for their products, I would say that we’re getting a great deal.
I’m a carpenter and have been wearing JKs for the last 6 months. Great video and company. Thanks
Thanks for the boots, guys!
This is so interesting! Thanks for showing us the shop and the way the boots are made! A lot of Spokane was very familiar to me as I spent 2 weeks there visiting relatives in 1976. My grandmother's cousin built quite a few buildings in Spokane.
I don't actually need them, but i REALLY want them!! Im in love with this boots and this company!!
As a daily wearer of this type of boot, I have watched several other videos of these processes. They are much appreciated to watch the work. Thank you for the narratives to go along.
Wow, fascinating to watch. Love seeing how the BEST BOOTS are made.
What an art definitely takes time to master a craft like this .thanks for sharing
Fascinating! I know where I'll be buying my next pair of boots once my current ones wear out.
Great video EC and great cobble work JK. Y’all are great!
AMAZING, THANK YOU.
While living in northeast California particularly in Modoc County my neighbor was a saddle making who had been making saddles and other leather goods used by the ranchers all over the area. He had been at it for years and was still going strong well into his 70’s.
His shop is a separate building that sets in front of their home and the only heat he has in the winter is his wood stove which kept his shop nice and toasty.
I wish I could have spent more time around him and learned from him.
Wow! Such exemplary craftsmanship. Thanks Nate.
Nate that was great!! I could watch that craftmanship being done every day.
That was really interesting. It's cool to see the old-world way of making just about anything.
I don't live to far from the original LL Bean store in Maine. Every time I go, I have to watch the shoemaker showing how they hand sew one of their original shoes. Unfortunately, even LL Bean has some of their shoes made overseas. but they still do make some right here in Maine still.
That grinding process reminds me of high end watch polishing. I tried it once in our watchmaker's repair room on one of my watches, just to remove some of the surface scratches....And I flattened one of my lugs! So my watchmaker had to go and flatten the other three lugs just so they would all match. Grinding and polishing is definitely a skill. Some polishers have to train for at least nine months before they are allowed to touch a customer's timepiece. Great video! Cheers!
I got a custom pair of JK boots and to tell you the truth, I will never buy from anyone else. JK boots truly treat you good.
Thank you for showing that. It's good to see true craftsmen!
I watched a commercial for JK boots, and I loved it. American Made!
I love these industry videos, keep up the good work, Nate!
This comment was the most direct and succinct of the thread. I second!! Nate, these companion episodes are a great sidebar to the ongoing project videos. Your fascinated narration style and editing with subject commentary is really enjoyable to watch. And to learn from. Keep this coming!!!! (I’m not as succinct ;) )
Thank you for this wonderful video. My mothers (grandfather was a "cobbler") in ]Wales/UK. I have always wanted to know more about this craft/art.
Great video thanks. Interesting the contrast of centuries old technique side by side an Apple watch. Dreaming of buying some JKs someday.
JK makes excellent boots
Dad had a pair of boots that he wore for years. They had to make the trip down into Mexico to be re-soled when that skill became obsolete here. By the time he died the inside of the boots had the impression of his feet! He loved those boots.
I used to live in Spokane, well actually Post Falls, ID. This is the third company that I know of who "Hand Make" work boots like these. Very rich history of boot making in Spokane. Thanks Nate for the video. It brought back many memories.
Yeah. “The original Nick” left Whites to start Nicks in 1964 and JK and Franks have spun off from us. John K (“JK”) worked for us for many years and is now just down the street 👍🏼
@@nicksboots All you guys make very high quality footwear! You should all be very proud of yourselves. Your products are known far and wide!! Hand made anything is a hard thing to find. Thank you for what you do for the community.
There’s more like 10 different companies like these in or around Spokane...
@@KimballPrecision Spokane is definitely the logger boot hub. White's, Buffalo, then Nicks in 1964, then recently JK and Franks. Lots of great boot companies here! 👍
@@KimballPrecision I only know of the three. I still have my White's which were custom made in January of 1980. The old store was downtown by the river.
They look like really comfortable boot's.... ... JJ...
really cool prespective, show casisng and commentary! loved the vid!
I'm old enough to remember small town boot and tack repair 50 plus years ago and I can just about smell the glue and leather again!
Amazing!
Super vlog Nate… very educational and fun… love these explorations of craft outside of the immediate construction industry… but still love all things construction!! Thank you, and thank you JK Boots!
Great job on the vid Nate! You caught the vitality of the operation, and the artistry involved. The music was perfect. Wish it was longer.
Love my jk boots!!! Best boots I’ve ever had, I’ve had em all! Great video
This was great. I thoroughly enjoyed learning how it goes together. Thanks.
I love logger style boots I'm wearing a pair of Chippewas now.
I’m a big fan of JK boots so needless to say it’s very cool to see this video.
Thank You, I always wanted to see the process of boot making, well done.
my goal is to own a pair of JK Boots one day. 2022 was going to be the year but with gas 2x and groceries 3x their normal price right now, I had to put that dream on the backburner just to keep these kids fed.
When working in sawmill maintenance on Vancouver Island, British Columbia I bought my construction style boots from Viberg Boots in Victoria. I remember MR. Viberg measured my foot before the boots were handmade. When working in the Vancouver area I bought Dayton Boots, they were handmade but not custom fit, they were about $400 a pair but I was able to have them resoled three or more times so not more expensive than buying a few pairs of cheap boots. Great video thanks!
Only just started the video, but dang that’s a good looking logger in the opening shots.
Excellent video
What a wonderful video. Besides the amazing craftsmanship by the people, the engineering in the machinery is fascinating too!
Thank you!!
that welt stitch 🫤
WestCo, Nick's, and all the logger boots always get my attention. 🤘😎✌️
🤘
The most comfortable workboots I have ever owned!
great stuff. I have recently been curious about the whole process.
That’s a neat looking hammer he was using
So knowing this information about JK Boots, and seeing that JK himself is still out there making boots, and that it's basically a family affair makes me want to business with them way more than the ones like Nick's and White's.
Just beautiful and amazing!
Dang awesome
Awesome video
What an incredible story! Thanks for the mini doc. 🎉
Excellent video. The craftsmanship was amazing! I know now where my next working boots will be purchased.
I own a pair JK Superduty steel toe boots, I'm from BC Canada, we no longer have a producer of hand made work boots. Viberg boot who's been making work boots for the last 40 years no longer, they have switch directions now they only make high end designer boots and shoes. Work boots used to be their bread winner, since forestry and resource industries have dwindled in BC the demand isn't there. Once you wear hand made work boots you never go back to off the shelf work boots you spend 8 plus hours in. Bought my first pair of Viberg's in 1999 that sold me on handmade boots. I'm not scared to spend money on a pair of handmade boots, with the exchange rate the JKs I bought came to $700 and change.
What's a great video so many of us have not clue how or what it takes to produce a product . I'm a big fan of How Its Made but they can only do a few minutes in a product your videos are very in-depth great job . Should be shown in elementary schools .
Wow look at him bottoming. He's really going to town.
Great video Nate! You finally answered a question I've had for a long time when you mentioned that the nail hits the steel of the last and bends over. I'v always thought it was strange to be putting the sharp tips of nails into the sole of the boot where your foot would go, but now it makes complete sense. How "custom" were the boots you got? Did they do a lot of measuring of your feet, find a last that really closely matched, etc. I'd love to see that part of the process as well.
I still run heavy equipment and logging equipment and I fail a lot of trees and climb so I need a good pair of boots. Possibly these would work. Thanks for showing us this video made me decide on where I'm getting my next pair
This is great-makes me even more anxious for the arrival of my 2nd pair of JK boots!! (And contemplating what style I’ll order for my 3rd pair!!)
Cool video.
I ❤️ how things are made
Hi, love your videos, I happen have a pair of those boots from Spokane
Good content guys!!! 👌
Nicely done! You're going to have fun wearing the "new" out of those fine boots.
Great Video!
Turns out this is close to where I live! I may have to get a pair and visit. Great video and great family story. Thanks!
Awesome! I put in an order recently. Can't wait!
Nice.
Well done. Earned a sub.
That man come over when the American dream was still possible, unlike in today's America
Very nice boots!
Great job Nate ! Fantastic story
Very impressive
Thanks so much!
Welders and metal repair pipe and structural steel workers struggle to get boots that do not melt and burn off a person's foot. I've seen guys with brand new boots come out of the coke oven at maybe a thousand degrees to seventeen degrees hot with shoes on fire. We often wear wooden show bottoms strapped on our boots to walk on top of the furnaces. Steel workers on steel producing factories have very difficult jobs, especially in blast furnaces, basic oxygen process furnaces, coke ovens and electric furnaces where scrap steel is melted with 2 foot in diameter cathode electricity. Most men working in these places face being burned, going deaf even with double ear protection. I knew a train engine operator who used to pull torpedo cars from the blast furnace to the BOP furnaces. The trough sprung a leak and his diesel train exploded. He lived through a 90% burn on his body. His lifelong pain a real problem. Having totally protective shoes and clothes is essential in these jobs where workers come into contact with steel in the thousands of degrees range. The Rubber sole of these boots would certainly melt.
Just applying the glue without getting it on the visible parts is very hard. Imagine the rest. Wow
Well, looks like You have a review to film, in a few years time, regarding how "it do". Thanks for the detailed video! Appreciated, as always.