Cobblers in the New World
Cobblers first arrived in Jamestown in the year of 1610. By 1616, they began to thrive in their trade. A cobbler's job is to make and repair shoes. They would purchase leather from Tanners and shaped the leather into shoes. They used quite a few tools for this process. They used an awl, a burnisher, a marking wheel, a size stick, a sole knife, and stretching pliers. Awls were used to punch holes in the leather. Burnishers were heated and used to rub the soles and heel to a high shine. The marking wheel was used to mark the sole to show where the needle needs to go. The size stick was used to measure the clients foot, much like in stores today. The sole knife was used to shape and cut the sole of the shoe. Stretching pliers were used to stretch the leather on the upper part of the shoe.