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by hand. [With] a lot of factory boots,
they will just stretch the leather over
the last and just glue it. In a handmade
boot that’s all hand-stitched with two
needles. So it’s all stitched to your
insole, the basic foundation of the
boot. Factory boots, sometimes repair
people don’t even want to repair them.
If that sole comes off, that boot just
blows up.”
Obviously, in a true case of “you get
what you pay for,” a superlative boot
is a more expensive boot. Rohwedder’s
basic no-frills boots start at $675 a
pair; but, depending on how fancy
or detailed the design is and what
material is used, a pair could run you
$3000 or more. It’s all about what the
customer wants and is willing to pay.
“I can make a pair of boots here
for $675 and do all right,” Rohwedder
said. “But if we went down to like
Austin or Houston, that same boot
would bring $1200 to $1500. [Based
on] most of the bootmakers I know
in that area, that’s what they start
out at. And there are places in the
United States, even in Texas, where
you couldn’t get $675.” Price depends
upon the local market.
“As a bootmaker, you’ve got to
love it. If you don’t love it, forget it,”
he said. “You don’t get into it to make
a bunch of money; some people think
you do. They say, ‘Well, at $800 to
$1000 for a pair of boots, boy you
must be making a lot of money!’ Well,
no, you’re not. It’s a lot of work.”
Rohwedder said of the six bootmakers
in his Chappell class, only two are still
making boots.
In addition to boots, Rohwedder
still makes other leather-craft articles
— belts, chaps, the occasional purse —
often working on them between steps
in his bootmaking process, while the
glue is drying, etc.
The bottom line for Rohwedder is
that he still enjoys handcrafting items
that exceed his customers’ expecta-
tions, that heighten their appreciation
for one-off works of utilitarian art.
If you’re interested in such things,
chances are he’ll lay down his tools
long enough to pick up his phone and
visit with you about your options. Call
817-374-3155, or find him online
at www.krcustomboots.com.