Skoenmaker | Shoemaker

Voor die tweede/derde dekades van die 20ste eeu het meeste boere wat ver van stede en dorpe gewoon het, self hulle hele familie se skoene gemaak. Die meerderheid het maar amateuragtige skoene aanmekaar geflans, maar enkeles, soos die Henning’s, het pragtige, professionele skoene gemaak. Van elke persoon se voete is presiese matryse gemaak. Sommige lese is met vere toegerus, wat gebruik is om skoene wat te klein is mee te rek. Mieliepitte is soms ook vir hierdie doel gebruik. Die skoen is vol mieliepitte gestop en die mieliepitte dan natgemaak. Dit het die pieliepitte laat uitswel, wat die skoen gerek het. Soos kinders gegroei het, is van tyd tot tyd, soos die kinders nuwe skoene nodig gehad het, nuwe matryse gemaak. Gebreide beesvel is gebruik. Die sole van die skoene is met skoenspykers oor die ysterlees aan die bo-deel van die skoen gespyker. Daar is ook van potyster lese gebruik gemaak. Die Hennings van Damfontein was van die eerste mense wat binnemaat skoene gemaak het. Al hierdie items is in besit van die Henning Familiebond

Before the second/third decades of the twentieth Century most farmers who lived far away from cities or towns manufactured their own family’s shoes. Most of these people knocked together amateurish shoes, but a few, like the Henning’s manufactured gorgeous, professional shoes. Perfect moulds were made of everybody’s feet. Some moulds were fitted with springs to stretch the shoe if it was too small. Mealie grain were also used to stretch shoes. The shoe was filled with mealie grain and wetted. This made the mealiegrain swell, which streched the shoe. As the children grew older, new moulds were made. Curried cattle skin were used. Using the shoe tree, the soles of the shoes were fixed with shoe nails to the upper parts of shoes. Metal moulds were also used. The Damfontein Henning family were of the first people who made inside measurement shoes. Al these items are in possesion of the Henning family League