Thoughts on Eyelets for Beginners

General
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I am by no means world expert on shoe eyelets, but I’ve put a lot of time into learning and researching since I decided to treat myself to a hardware press for a birthday some months ago. I also promised @thenewreligion elsewhere that I’d write up some key points to share, for him and others just starting out.

Key Points

  • Shoe eyelets are not universally standardized. They might be more of a procurement challenge than you expect.

  • Only buy eyelets if you can also buy tools confirmed to properly set that specific model and size. Sometimes that will be tools designed for that specific eyelet manufacturer, model, and size. Sometimes it could be tools designed for eyelets from other manufacturers that other makers or repairers have confirmed give good results with the slightly differently sized eyelets you’re buying.

  • Presses are faster and can yield better, more consistent results than hand setting tools, especially on the back sides of eyelets. However, hand setting tools are often much cheaper. They also avoid the terrible issue of compatibility between tools and presses.

  • If you’re just starting out, it might be cheapest and easiest to buy eyelets and setters in the common US sizes of 00 (3/16" barrel internal diameter) or 0 (1/4" barrel internal diameter). These will often be sold as “grommets” rather than eyelets, perhaps with matching washers included. You can get kits for these from hardware stores, Tandy Leather, C.S. Osborne dealers, and even Harbor Freight. However:

    1. These sizes are probably either narrower or wider than the eyelets you may be used to seeing on shoes and boots. Their proportions of flange and hole diameter also differ. They may just not look right to your eye, giving more of a DIY appearance.

    2. The barrels of these eyelets—the round tubes that go through the material—are generally made long enough to hold a couple layers of fabric together, rather than leather. They may be too short, especially if you’re using thick leather or lining. Manufacturers often give “length under flange”—the height of the barrel underneath the flange that sits on the top of the material. Keep in mind that you need some length of barrel extending beyond the thickness of your uppers on the backside to peen over with the setting tool. The thickness of material you can grip with an eyelet is less than the length under flange.

  • There are relatively few actual manufacturers of shoe eyelets. They want to deal in large quantities, not small baggies of eyelets for single pairs or repair shops. So you are probably going to end up buying from a distributor who buys in bulk, splits into smaller quantities by weight rather than by piece count, marks up, and resells. Don’t forget to check your local shoe repair supply.

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@thenewreligion do you mind sharing a little about the first pair of lacers you have planned? Maybe I can help narrow down to a concrete plan, just to get you started.

I have some Tandy and Hasi-Hato eyelets with hand tools that I’d be more than happy to part with if they’re a fit for you. As my recent foray into Trendware distribution shows, I’ve decided to run with solid-brass USMC AA eyelets for the heavier work I’m mostly focusing on. But going all that way may not be the best choice for you right now. I ended up there going way deeper than I originally anticipated.

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One new source I’m excited about is THK, often branded Hasi-Hato, a Japanese brand. The finish on their eyelets is very nice and OKA Factory is making hand setter tool sets specifically for each size, by number. Both Hasi-Hato and OKA are now getting some distribution through Rocky Mountain Leather Supply here in the United States.

And there’s the rub. My experience with Rocky Mountain has been…rocky. As a case in point, when I ordered some number 300 eyelets in various colors with matching setter, my package arrived with all eyelets and no setter. They did follow up to ship the setter.

The 300 eyelets are a bit narrower and a bit shorter in barrel length than the AAs I ended up focusing on. I’m typically using thicker leathers and also fully lining my uppers. I also like doing taller boots with #205 lace hooks up top, which I prefer to set within eyelets. They fit in USMC AAs, but not in H-H 300s.

At the same time, I’ve heard reports from other hobby makers I trust having no issue and great results with lighter leathers and all-eyelet hardware. The finish certainly looks more jewelry. They come in brass, antique, gunmetal, and silver. For what it’s worth, the finish on the OKA setting tools puts C.S. Osborne to shame.

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This pair planned is for my niece, she wants something chunky and dressy. Her doc martens are almost all she wears, besides work boots. I showed he a lot of examples and this one hit the sweet spot for her.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Cordwaining/comments/1fvs0jj/just_made_these_long_term_fitters_for_my_sister/

So probably something in that vein. Cap toe. She wants arch support and room for toes so I’m going to use a 55 last. Not sure about construction yet. Was planning storm welt and pegged waist but sounds like that might look more awkward than i thought

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I have an interest in saying this, but I think AAs sound like a good fit for you.

Style-wise, they’d be a safe bet for sturdy boots on 55 lasts. I suspect all the Spokane makers using that last are running AA eyelets in their main machines. Viberg also uses AAs on many of their more casual “Service Boots”.

AA is a size from the system used by USMC and its subsidiaries back in the day. They’re sometimes referred to as “trade sizes” by other makers offering compatible hardware, like Stimpson. In rough terms, 3s are “extra small”, 2s are “small”, 1s are “medium”, and AAs are “large”.

Some heavy boot makers prefer the even larger OOs (sometimes written 00). I believe Frommer mentioned OOs in his packers book. Personally, they look too wide to me, and often leave noticeable empty space in the holes around even chunky laces. Basically, they remind me of the disproportionate, grommet-sized eyelets from Tandy that I put on my first pair.

You might like a sense of the other options, and not just my conclusions. While White’s Boots mostly sets AAs, I believe they also keep #1s in stock for “dressier” models, like their Stevens. Viberg does the same with #2 eyelets on some styles. Nicks’ fancier “Brandle” line also uses different hardware from their main lines, work and “heritage”, though I’m not sure what it is, and it may be changing. They worked with Marcell Mrsan on those, so I suspect they might be importing hardware.

Long story short, for your niece, “dressy” says smaller eyelets to me, but “chunky” and “Docs” say larger. I’d go with AAs, especially if you think your next lace-up temptation might be more like packer boots than office boots. The AAs look proportionate to me on packers as well as “heritage” boots flying off the shelves these days. They can also accommodate the classic #205 lace hooks, if you ever go that way.

I’d keep in mind that 55 lasts typically come with full metal plates. I believe the ones @Customboots imports do, also. You can obviously pull the plates, but that’s a whole thing.

For the shanks in particular, I think the benefit would be dubious. The 55s have some heel height, for sure, but they’re not the really tall logger or packer heels. In cowboy-boot-speak, they are more like roper heels than riding heels. It’s possible to peg a roper shank, but it doesn’t make the most sense. Ask me how I know.