Gun Boats - like them or dislike them?

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Gunboat Sizing

Awesome `gunboats' gentlemen. Very good stuff indeed!

l've got some `gunboats' too. No way near enough, but i've got these anyway:

* AE shell cordovan burgundy wingtip.
* Johnny Moke black plaintoe blucher
* Trickers tan wingtip (huge)
* Trickers tan split toe (very very huge)
* Santoni Handmade black wingtip
* Black Jeffery West chelsea boot.
* A few old Florshiems.

l've got heaps of double soled shoes, but those above are the true gunboats. Gunboats MUST have their soles stitched.

lf l could get another 2 from Trickers (St James Collection) and another 4 from Dinkelacker, then l would consider my gunboat collection relectantly complete. Sure i'd like a few Aldens and many J.M.Westerns, but unfortunately l don't know my size. l'd be reluctantly satisfied with 15 gunboats.

Generally gunboats can confuse because of the wide welt. Hence they may be 4.5 inches but actually 4.25 normal US D width. Thus buying them on eBay can be difficult. I had a pair of NOS Shell Nettletons that were simply too big to handle and I sent them to a guy in Germany to sell for me and the Australiapost lost 'em (AUD250 but probably worth AUD450). Generally the gunboats are a US width size wider than the actual tagged size IMHO.

 

[The Shooman]

Haven't had time to take a better picture yet, but I recently picked up these older Florsheim shell cordovan longwings on OFAS:

Wow wee. lncredible stuff!

 

[Highlander]

While I am not a "Gunboat" or wingtip guy, I like the fact that wing tip guys are wing tip guys, and penny loafer guys are penny loafer guys and saddle oxford guys(that's me) are saddle oxford guys.

While I have pinch buckle loafers and others, I always gravitate back to my saddle oxfords.

Keep wearin' those gunboats. They look good on you...

 

[AlanC]

...I like the fact that wing tip guys are wing tip guys, and penny loafer guys are penny loafer guys and saddle oxford guys(that's me) are saddle oxford guys....

Is it okay if I own and wear all three?

 

[HungaryTom]

I like them

I am a tall and big guy and love gunboats.
Vass Cordovan Budapester

Vass the Cognac Budapester

Kovacs Jozsef-Meisterst?ºck Mahogany Cordovan Longwing

Kovacs Jozsef - Debrecen - Budapester in Black Cordovan

Heinrich Dinkelacker-Rio triple sole

 

[pablocham]

Those are incredible. Were those custom made for you?

 

[Highlander]

Alan, NO, you can't wear all three Well, not at the same time anyway...

 

[HungaryTom]

Those are incredible. Were those custom made for you?

Pablo, The Vass shoes were 'off the rack' and I could lay my hands on the Dinklelacker when it was phased out at a 50% discount from the Salamander shoeshop in downtown Budapest during 2004/2005. Now nobody can buy Dinkelacker in Budapest where they are made - utterly distasteful move of the new owner group IMHO.

I went to visit Dinkelacker factory in the southwest outskirts of Budapest but they did not give me a tour just throw me out in a polite manner - I saw their samples.

Than I got help from a befriended shoemaker, who told me the phone of Mr. Kovacs Jozsef.

The Kovacs Kozsef shoes -he produces the Dinkelacker 'Meisterstück' (i.e. Masterpiece) series were custom made for me. He did measure my feet in the most adventurous way. The shoes went for 50% of the Dinkelacker retail price. You see my initials on the sole of the Mahogany longwing for that reason.

And yes I also did apply the method of Doran to obtain them - I did work extra to get those extra shoes.

Location, location, location and the networking power of good connections.


Regards:

Tom

 

[Marty M.]

Beautiful shoes Gentlemen. Hungary Tom, those Cognac Budapester are outstanding. Bravo. I own a few pairs of Guns myself. Must try to snap a couple of pics.
Marty Mathis

 

[galopede]

My kind of thread. I keep buying more of these "gunboats" as you call them.

I go for the Northampton shoemakers Country Brogues as they are called over here. They are the very substantial Heavy Brogue shoes. I have several pairs at the moment but don't know the style names of most of them. Also, most of them have commando soles but are all sewn and have the large welts.

Trickers - my favourite brogues
Cheaney Neath, a plain shoes rather than brogue, love them.
Alfred Sergeant brogues, good but not as heavy as the Trickers
Cheaney brogues, very nice, leather soles
a pair of unknown make black brogues I wear when playing my squeezbox for the morris, leather soles

Still looking for more!

Gareth

 

[rjbaal]

Looking for longwing style gunboats in brown

I have been looking at the popular manufacturers and no on seems to make to make a longwing style in brown anymore.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

rjbaal

 

[Cracker]

Here are my 14 1/2 EEE wingtips. Do they count as "gunboats" (or maybe "battleships")? I like substantial shoes. I have several pair of these in black, brown, and cordovan that I wear every day to work.

Hey Big Man, what brand are those? They look mighty comfy. I wear a size 14 (narrow), and have trouble finding shoes that not only fit but are also comfortable.

 

[Gaige]

I cannot get enough of wingtips. I've loved them since I was a child and I still find them addicting.

Forgive me for possibly asking a silly question, but are "gunboats", "brogues" and "wingtips" all the same style shoe, essentially? It's only been since joining this site that I've ever known they were referred to as anything else.

 

[Teacher]

Yes, no, and sort of. "Wingtip" is the basic style: any shoe -- blucher or balmoral -- that has that typical toe styling. "Brogue" actually refers to the perforations, and traditionally a wingtip with perforations is called a "full brogue" (a cap toe with perforations is a "semi-brogue). Therefore, a wingtip can have no perforations and is still a wingtip but not a full-brogue. The term "gunboat" is not really a term used in the shoe trade; instead, it's sort of shoe-geek slang for a longwing blucher with a double sole. A longwing is just about every shoe on this thread: where the piece of leather that is cut for the toe detail extends all the way around to the heel.

 

[Dr Doran]

Yes, no, and sort of. "Wingtip" is the basic style: any shoe -- blucher or balmoral -- that has that typical toe styling. "Brogue" actually refers to the perforations, and traditionally a wingtip with perforations is called a "full brogue" (a cap toe with perforations is a "semi-brogue). Therefore, a wingtip can have no perforations and is still a wingtip but not a full-brogue. The term "gunboat" is not really a term used in the shoe trade; instead, it's sort of shoe-geek slang for a longwing blucher with a double sole. A longwing is just about every shoe on this thread: where the piece of leather that is cut for the toe detail extends all the way around to the heel.

With big fat welting, too, right? If I understand properly.

 

[Teacher]

With big fat welting, too, right? If I understand properly.

Typically, but not necessarily.

 

[Gaige]

Great info... thank you.

 

[Teacher]

Not a prob, Bob.

 

[KY Gentleman]

I shined mine up last week-end for a wedding, I never called them "gun boats" before but I've always had 'em. I forgot how comfortable they were!

 

[Woodfluter]

Yes, no, and sort of. "Wingtip" is the basic style: any shoe -- blucher or balmoral -- that has that typical toe styling. "Brogue" actually refers to the perforations, and traditionally a wingtip with perforations is called a "full brogue" (a cap toe with perforations is a "semi-brogue). Therefore, a wingtip can have no perforations and is still a wingtip but not a full-brogue. The term "gunboat" is not really a term used in the shoe trade; instead, it's sort of shoe-geek slang for a longwing blucher with a double sole. A longwing is just about every shoe on this thread: where the piece of leather that is cut for the toe detail extends all the way around to the heel.

Thanks Teacher! Now I know what my favorite kind of everyday dress shoe is to be called: a cordovan longwing full brogue with wide welt and thick soles (gunboat!) I always just called them wingtips before.

- Bill