Take These Broken Laces And Help Me Tie Again
August 11, 2011 4:51 PM Subscribe
Help me figure out how to extend the life of my boot laces, which are being damaged/cut-through by my boots' eyelets.
I love my Danner Quarry boots. They're over 3 years old now, and they still have a huge amount of sole left and are more comfortable than you imagine them being. They're my only shoes, and I wear them all the time.
The problem -- the metal grommets which line the eyelets are developing sharp bits which cut through my boot laces in an amazingly short amount of time. Like, I've installed 2 new sets of laces in the past 3 weeks, and already (only 4 days later) the newest pair has been repaired (read: knotted) in each boot. (If I put in new laces every time one broke/cut-through, I'd go broke buying boot laces.)
Some brands of boot laces last a bit longer, but only because they're thicker and take longer for the damage to break through.
Ideally, I'd find a way to do something to the grommets which would remove the sharp edges and stop this from happening altogether. But I haven't figured out what can be done. I've thought about using a rotary tool with a polishing wheel to take the sharp edge off (I have experience with a flexshaft machine from my years as a jewelry production worker), but I don't own that equipment, and am reluctant to spend that kind of money for something I'm not sure would work.
Do custom boot makers / repair shops have solutions for this problem? Are there simple home remedies I can use to solve this? Is this a problem others have experienced? Maybe experienced and solved? Please hope me!
I love my Danner Quarry boots. They're over 3 years old now, and they still have a huge amount of sole left and are more comfortable than you imagine them being. They're my only shoes, and I wear them all the time.
The problem -- the metal grommets which line the eyelets are developing sharp bits which cut through my boot laces in an amazingly short amount of time. Like, I've installed 2 new sets of laces in the past 3 weeks, and already (only 4 days later) the newest pair has been repaired (read: knotted) in each boot. (If I put in new laces every time one broke/cut-through, I'd go broke buying boot laces.)
Some brands of boot laces last a bit longer, but only because they're thicker and take longer for the damage to break through.
Ideally, I'd find a way to do something to the grommets which would remove the sharp edges and stop this from happening altogether. But I haven't figured out what can be done. I've thought about using a rotary tool with a polishing wheel to take the sharp edge off (I have experience with a flexshaft machine from my years as a jewelry production worker), but I don't own that equipment, and am reluctant to spend that kind of money for something I'm not sure would work.
Do custom boot makers / repair shops have solutions for this problem? Are there simple home remedies I can use to solve this? Is this a problem others have experienced? Maybe experienced and solved? Please hope me!
Get a Dremel or a rounded rasp tool and sand down the inner edges, or take needle nose pliers and see if you can press down the edges to be more rounded.
posted by hanoixan at 4:58 PM on August 11, 2011
posted by hanoixan at 4:58 PM on August 11, 2011
It might be possible to coat the inside edges of the hooks with clear nail polish--either with or without sanding them.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:22 PM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:22 PM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Any decent cobbler or shoe/boot maker will be able to take care of this, it's just a matter of finding the right sized eyelets/hooks. Many cobblers have services which permit you to mail a pair of footwear to them, have the repairs done, and then have them mailed back. Obviously, budget considerations will come into play, but I'd imagine no more than $50 should get the job done, if not more like $20-$30.
Have you tried contacting Danner directly? I would consider them relatively responsive to questions like this, in my experience. They might even offer to give/sell you replacement eyelets/hooks that you could have installed at your convenience. Ask if they can repair boots bought from one of there authorized stockists/retailers.
Alternatively, you could just file any burs down like the previous posters suggested. Have you tried different kinds of laces? Leather, waxed cotton, goretex, etc.? Best of luck to you!
posted by fook at 5:23 PM on August 11, 2011
Have you tried contacting Danner directly? I would consider them relatively responsive to questions like this, in my experience. They might even offer to give/sell you replacement eyelets/hooks that you could have installed at your convenience. Ask if they can repair boots bought from one of there authorized stockists/retailers.
Alternatively, you could just file any burs down like the previous posters suggested. Have you tried different kinds of laces? Leather, waxed cotton, goretex, etc.? Best of luck to you!
posted by fook at 5:23 PM on August 11, 2011
Response by poster: Have you tried contacting Danner directly?
I have contacted Danner about this. They wanted me to send me the boot "for study". Since they're my only pair of shoes, this wouldn't work unless I buy a new pair of boots. They wouldn't provide me with a time window of returning them to me, and wouldn't promise they'd be returned in wearable condition. They did offer to repair the boots for some extravagant amount of money (I forget how much, but it was easily over half the cost of a new pair), and couldn't give me a time frame on how long those repairs would take once I shipped them the boots (at my cost).
Have you tried different kinds of laces?
It's rare to find 72" leather laces, but then ones I have found went through faster than the regular two-tone boot laces. Waxed cotton? I've not found those yet any place I've shopped for laces. Same with goretex. Never even heard of goretex as a lace material before.
The laces I've tried have all been the two-tone (yellow and brownish-orange) woven boot laces, and they all cut through within a few weeks. The ones which last the longest are (naturally) the Danner brand, which cost a stupid amount of money and they don't last enough longer to justify the price difference.
Overall, the problem is with the eyelets being sharp, not the laces. I've had boots in the past where the sole wore out before I even had to change the laces once. It's the cutting action which needs to be solved, not the material the laces are made from. (Unless they make braided wire / airplane cable that is flexible enough to use for boot laces. That might solve this problem.)
posted by hippybear at 5:33 PM on August 11, 2011
I have contacted Danner about this. They wanted me to send me the boot "for study". Since they're my only pair of shoes, this wouldn't work unless I buy a new pair of boots. They wouldn't provide me with a time window of returning them to me, and wouldn't promise they'd be returned in wearable condition. They did offer to repair the boots for some extravagant amount of money (I forget how much, but it was easily over half the cost of a new pair), and couldn't give me a time frame on how long those repairs would take once I shipped them the boots (at my cost).
Have you tried different kinds of laces?
It's rare to find 72" leather laces, but then ones I have found went through faster than the regular two-tone boot laces. Waxed cotton? I've not found those yet any place I've shopped for laces. Same with goretex. Never even heard of goretex as a lace material before.
The laces I've tried have all been the two-tone (yellow and brownish-orange) woven boot laces, and they all cut through within a few weeks. The ones which last the longest are (naturally) the Danner brand, which cost a stupid amount of money and they don't last enough longer to justify the price difference.
Overall, the problem is with the eyelets being sharp, not the laces. I've had boots in the past where the sole wore out before I even had to change the laces once. It's the cutting action which needs to be solved, not the material the laces are made from. (Unless they make braided wire / airplane cable that is flexible enough to use for boot laces. That might solve this problem.)
posted by hippybear at 5:33 PM on August 11, 2011
The reviews for these laces include this interesting observation: "I purchased a pair of armorlace laces for my Danner Striker 2 boots which I wear on duty (I'm in EMS). The Danner's are superior quality, rugged boots, but the speed grommets have somewhat sharp edges that absolutely destroy laces. ... After about a year of wear, the only detectable wear is the colored coating on the laces."
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:37 PM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:37 PM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Or, y'know, there's always Kevlar. Or Kevlar.
(I know you want to fix the problem at its source, but it may ultimately prove less frustrating to buy strong laces. Sorry. The EMS's comment makes me think that sharp grommets are a known problem and that super-strong laces have come about as a solution to it.)
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:44 PM on August 11, 2011
(I know you want to fix the problem at its source, but it may ultimately prove less frustrating to buy strong laces. Sorry. The EMS's comment makes me think that sharp grommets are a known problem and that super-strong laces have come about as a solution to it.)
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:44 PM on August 11, 2011
Take them into a local shoe repair shop and ask them to replace the grommets. This might cost less than multiple pairs of laces.
posted by bluedaisy at 5:52 PM on August 11, 2011
posted by bluedaisy at 5:52 PM on August 11, 2011
Can't vouch for the source, but an interesting answer to your problem (scroll down):
"Buying laces in an actual cobbler's shop I asked about solutions to the low life expectancy of laces in my boots. I was told to try turning the grommets to see if that presents a less abrasive sector to the lace before I go at them with a stone. The cobbler said a Dremel fine conical turned by hand is best, reminded me that the metal is pretty thin. Turning grommets and eyelets, I was told, is actually an intended, if now uncommon, practice for boots and shoes that last long enough for the laces to wear the grommets or eyelets thin or through. I was also gently admonished that grommets are two piece constructions with an eyelet and a backing washer. Few shoes and fewer boots use eyelets alone."
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:07 PM on August 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
"Buying laces in an actual cobbler's shop I asked about solutions to the low life expectancy of laces in my boots. I was told to try turning the grommets to see if that presents a less abrasive sector to the lace before I go at them with a stone. The cobbler said a Dremel fine conical turned by hand is best, reminded me that the metal is pretty thin. Turning grommets and eyelets, I was told, is actually an intended, if now uncommon, practice for boots and shoes that last long enough for the laces to wear the grommets or eyelets thin or through. I was also gently admonished that grommets are two piece constructions with an eyelet and a backing washer. Few shoes and fewer boots use eyelets alone."
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:07 PM on August 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
We used to rotate the grommets on our work boots to mitigate what you're experiencing. Remove the lace from a couple of grommets and then squeeze the grommet between thumb and index finger and rotate it in the hole while you hold the leather next to the gromet. That puts a fresh part of the grommet at the friction point of lace wear against it. I hope that you'll be pleasantly surprised.
posted by X4ster at 7:14 PM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by X4ster at 7:14 PM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
MonkeyToes' link: "The cobbler said a Dremel fine conical turned by hand is best, reminded me that the metal is pretty thin."
This. I had the same problem with a pair of Blundstones years ago. Turning the grommets didn't help. A light, almost buffing, hit with a conical stone turned by hand - literally, just spinning it between my fingers - was enough to solve the problem.
(The only pair of Blunnies I'd ever owned with grommets rather than rings & loops. I see almost all of the non-safety styles now have grommets, and appear to lack webbed tongues. Should've bought at least two pairs when I got my last pair 4 years ago...)
posted by Pinback at 7:52 PM on August 11, 2011
This. I had the same problem with a pair of Blundstones years ago. Turning the grommets didn't help. A light, almost buffing, hit with a conical stone turned by hand - literally, just spinning it between my fingers - was enough to solve the problem.
(The only pair of Blunnies I'd ever owned with grommets rather than rings & loops. I see almost all of the non-safety styles now have grommets, and appear to lack webbed tongues. Should've bought at least two pairs when I got my last pair 4 years ago...)
posted by Pinback at 7:52 PM on August 11, 2011
Have you tried 550 Paracord? It might not be quite as strong as some of those laces but it's darn tough in its own right and dirt cheap. You might even already have some lying around if you're the outdoorsy type. If not, you can pick it up for next to nothing at your local Army/Navy Surplus store. Buy yourself a nice long line of it, because you'll find that after you have some you'll start coming up with uses for it left and right. It's pretty much the duct tape of ropes.
posted by Scientist at 8:32 PM on August 11, 2011
posted by Scientist at 8:32 PM on August 11, 2011
I had the same problem with my roller skates -- playing roller derby is a recipe for needing new laces every other week. I bought a pair of the aforementioned kevlar laces and never had another problem.
posted by zug at 11:03 PM on August 11, 2011
posted by zug at 11:03 PM on August 11, 2011
Scientist is completely right about the virtues of paracord. But I'm not sure it will be satisfactory for solving this problem--I say that because just last weekend I used paracord to try to pull a metal pipe from the ground, and the rough edges of the holes in the pipe shredded the outside of the paracord almost immediately (while leaving the core of it intact--heh, take that difficult pipe!). You have nothing to lose by trying this solution, though, because of the awesomeness that is a big roll of paracord.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:11 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:11 AM on August 12, 2011
In an emergency, you could just skip the bad grommet. Shoe repair places should be able to replace grommets.
This reminds me of the time Roy D Mercer had trouble with his boots. Sorry about the audio quality. This is the best recording available.
posted by I'm Doing the Dishes at 6:52 AM on August 12, 2011
This reminds me of the time Roy D Mercer had trouble with his boots. Sorry about the audio quality. This is the best recording available.
posted by I'm Doing the Dishes at 6:52 AM on August 12, 2011
MonkeyToes writes "The reviews for these laces include this interesting observation: 'I purchased a pair of armorlace laces for my Danner Striker 2 boots which I wear on duty (I'm in EMS). The Danner's are superior quality, rugged boots, but the speed grommets have somewhat sharp edges that absolutely destroy laces. ... After about a year of wear, the only detectable wear is the colored coating on the laces.'"
ArmorLaces are amazing, my sister and i both use them in lace eating work boots and we haven't had to replace them yet after two years of use. There has been a little bit of wear that manifests as a lightening and reduction in stiffness but they look to outlast my boots. And they have a life time warranty so if they don't solve your primary problem at least you stop having to buy replacement pairs or deal with making repairs. I paid less than the amazon price at Marks here in Canada so you might want to do a little phoning around to work wear retail outlets. Plus easier warranty service at retail.
posted by Mitheral at 9:35 AM on August 12, 2011
ArmorLaces are amazing, my sister and i both use them in lace eating work boots and we haven't had to replace them yet after two years of use. There has been a little bit of wear that manifests as a lightening and reduction in stiffness but they look to outlast my boots. And they have a life time warranty so if they don't solve your primary problem at least you stop having to buy replacement pairs or deal with making repairs. I paid less than the amazon price at Marks here in Canada so you might want to do a little phoning around to work wear retail outlets. Plus easier warranty service at retail.
posted by Mitheral at 9:35 AM on August 12, 2011
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posted by holgate at 4:57 PM on August 11, 2011