I know there are not that many bootmakers in the UK, let alone Japanese ones, so why on earth would we offer rasps for them?
The 3D 'sketching' technique used when refining the shape of a handmade last (wooden copy of the customer's foot over which the shoe is pulled) is a wonderfully artistic way of working. Rather than clamping the work, the roughed out workpiece is held in one hand and the rasp in the other. The work is turned, flipped and small amounts of material are removed until the curves are faired and the shape is 'just right'. The technique is so useful and so transferrable to other crafts that it makes sense to offer the right tool for the job.
The bootmaker's rasp has two flat tongue shaped ends, one toothed slightly finer than the other, with a roundover all the way around on one face so you have a choice of creating a crisp edge or blending.
Approximate Measurements:
- Overall Length: 200mm (7⅞")
- Width: 24mm (1")
- Thickness: 3.5mm (⅛")
- Grain 11 and 12
