Cobbler - Robert McKenzie
A shoe cobbler is a person who mends and repairs shoes. The profession has been around for most of human history. Some people assume that cobblers and shoemakers (called cordwainers in England) are the same profession, and while that may be true today, it wasn’t always so. Originally shoemakers or cordwainers were skilled artisans tasked with making shoes out of brand new leather, cobblers were the ones who repaired shoes.
The shoemaking and cobbler trades were forced to merge around the beginning of the 19th century when the introduction of mass manufactured shoes left shoemakers out of work and having to accept lower paying repair jobs.
The shoemaking and cobbler trades were forced to merge around the beginning of the 19th century when the introduction of mass manufactured shoes left shoemakers out of work and having to accept lower paying repair jobs.
Robert actually started his working life as a 'shipwright' on the Tyne before leaving to get a job in a shoemaker factory in Newcastle. After working as a Shoemaker, he left to start work as a Cobbler, first in Carlisle before setting up in Consett over 25 years ago, in his own shop. Within his shop, a treasure trove of exquisite hand tools and machinery adorns the workspace. Robert employs these instruments not only to mend and resole footwear but also to breathe new life into occasional handbags and various other leather articles.