Thursday, September 29, 2011

MASON ENGINEER BOOTS

I found these nice looking Vintage Engineer Boots on ethos_ecjp's flickr page.   These boots along with the Georgia brand soft toe Engineer Boots, both circa "PT83" (1980's), are always great candidates for vintage-style resoles.

Notice the striking similarities between these and early Red Wing 2268's, from the large square instep buckle to the upper strap stitching to the toe tracks and almost everything in between.  Even the vertical tag is consistent with early PT83 tags.







Here's a pair  with a more bulbous toe box.  I was asked what I thought they were going to sell for and I came back between four and five bills.  If I was on the Price Is Right, I'd have lost the showcase but I think I took home the new car on this one. 

Brand: Mason
Circa: "1950's"  Again, these are 1980's
Color: Black
Size: 9 C
Measurements:
Length: 11 5/8"
Width: 4"
Soles/Heels: Neoprene Armortred
Leather: Cowhide
Hardware: Nickel
Sold For: $393 / 16 Bids
Seller: 4birdsonawire

It's important to know what you're buying when it comes to Vintage Engineer Boots.  This lack of knowledge can mean the difference of hundreds of dollars.  Sellers are quick to claim their boots are 1940's or 1950's not due to any ill intent, but because they just don't know.  A seller may perform a quick search of ended boots that sell for hundred even thousands of dollars and immediately make the comparison.

A huge key indicator of a boots age is its sole, but one has to be familiar with tags and overall nuances of different boots because alterations (both period and current) can be misleading.  Another abused term is "Horsehide leather."  I'll cover that in a future post.



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