In the Making
A short video of the Closing Room showing the fine adjustments needed to be a closing room operative. Lisa on Eyeleting, Jayne on Royal Punching and Gimping, Karen on Sides and Ned, our resident Hand Stitcher – one of the most highly skilled gentlemen in the factory today.
UPPERS ARE CLOSED
At the next stage of production, the uppers are ‘closed’. Closing involves many different operations such as, punching holes for brogue styles, raw edge staining, hand-sewing, machine stitching pre-prepared sections together to form the upper and fitting eyelets. The Closing Room machinists are highly skilled requiring excellent hand and eye coordination.

PAINSTAKING WORK
As each section is transferred from Clicking to Closing, many hands get to work. Each section of leather requires raw edges to be painstakingly stained, matching the colour to the upper leather.
FINEST HAND STITCHING
To put into context how niche a profession Hand Stitching is, Crockett & Jones relies on just one. Ned. Ned is a marvel to sit and appreciate, giving you time to truly understand the rarity value of his work.
Ned uses a 40+ year old curved awl to precisely make a stitch hole that does not pierce the full substance of the material (therefore concealing the stitch). He feeds a boar’s bristle (or piano wire) to which he attaches a wax thread (which he also makes). The result is a hand stitched upper of the highest regard.
