Leather and Punching Machine

The two machines that you are now standing next to, punch out large pieces of leather which the shoemakers later sew together. Punching out leather is not as easy as it might look, the shoemakers here in the factory have a good knowledge of how to punch out and which parts of the cow hide are the best to punch out. The leather on the back is stiffer and finer than that on the stomach. Lower on the stomach the skin is often softer and not well suited for shoe production. The surplus leather is often used to make other products, for example make up bags, card holders, belts and bracelets. We use cow leather for our products. Previously, we bought the leather from Borge tannery on Osterøy, but it went bankrupt in 2011. Today, we use high quality genuine leather from Turkey. To make the Wangen Model of the Aurland shoe, we punch out 7 different pieces which are put together in other departments. These parts are: 1. Heel 2. Cross Strap 3. Edge 4. Side 5. Toe cap 6. Top side 7. Insole