Valkenburg/Castleford style caliga step by step

[Martin Moser]

Hi Titus,

Where do you get your "flexible steel sewing needles"? I've been searching the web for a source and have not found any. Do they go by another name? Brand?

I buy them locally in a shop and the guy there has them just simply in a plastic bag, no name or brand, I'm afraid. In German we call them Stahlborsten which would be "steel-bristles". I can ask him the next time I get there for a manufacturer or brand if you want me to. Or I could just simply buy and send you a few.

You could also try and make your own:
http://www.tempora-nostra.de/tempora-no ... php?id=283

I've ordered some curved needles that might do the job.

I found that they didn't work for me. They always seem to have the wrong curvature, what I need is flexibility and the curved needles don't give you that.

In fact with the last few seams I did, I used pig's bristles instead of the (much thicker) steel ones. Actually both have their advantages IMHO. If you want to try those let me know and I'll explain how to persuade the thread to stick to the bristle :-) )

I wanted to experiment with the pig's bristles also because I am in the process of getting together a shoemaker's kit to show and use in front of people during events and I want it to look acceptably contemporary in terms of tools and materials used.