In this department, the top part of the shoe, called ‘vamp’ or ‘upper’, is made. Firstly, the mean (area of the ‘last’) is calculated and various shapes that will take the form of ‘upper’ are drawn on paper. These are used as guidelines to cutleather skins using metal strip knives. Sometimes a tin stencil is made for karigars who are not very confident about using paper stencils. Cutting essentially requires a steady hand and lots of practice. These parts can also be die-cut when the quantities are substantial. Once the parts are cut out, they are laminated with thin foam using ‘doodh’ (a chemical mix that works as superglue). This is called cushioning the leather and gives it strength.
