I'm the sole remaining traditional hand carver making bespoke clogs in England. English clogs were always part wood part leather, the dictionary definition being "a composite of wood & leather". I hand cut the leather uppers and hand carve the soles. I'm of a line stretching back centuries.

I've taught Geraint Parfitt the only hand carver in Wales.

The English tended to carve welsh and west country alder, scottish birch and lincolnshire willow. The Welsh used alder, birch & sycamore. It was said that they paid more for sycamore. I've found it to last much longer in mud.

Here are some videos from the 1940's, and another from the 1930's.

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Clog Making Explained 1942 (1942)

Clogs (1938)

Traditional Swedish Woodworking: Clogs, Spoons and Chairs

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Old English Crafts: The Cooper, Oak Spelk Basket Maker, Snuff Making, A Welsh Spoon, Clog Making, Haffe Net Fishing

 

Below are a selection of you tube videos of myself carving in early 2012:

 

Carving with the stock knife

The three clog knives

Attaching the upper

Victorian Clasps

Leather Uppers

Clog Podiatry