Hello fellow shoe lovers and witnesses to our dedication. I was a little startled to find that I’d been incorrectly assuming that a cobbler, apart from being a delightful dessert, is the name for a shoe maker. Not so! Those in the trade will tell you that a cobbler is merely he or she who repairs shoes. (Hey, don’t get me wrong, these noble men and women have a very special place in our society.) The proper term for a shoe maker, the craftsman of craftsmen, the artist and poet, is a Cordwainer.
Also today, I found out that there is an organisation called “The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers”, headquartered in London. The auspicious organisation was founded in 1272 as a guild and thrives today, supporting the art of cordwaining through education, fellowship and charity fund management. I love that these archaic groups still exist, in “Clothworkers Hall, Dunster Court, Mincing Lane” no less.
4 comments:
Go the Cordwainers! It all sounds very official and exclusive I must say!
In french, The word for cobbler (the shoefixer, not the desert) ir cordonnier. Coincidence, I think not. Project for another Shoesday, the etymology of this cordy shoeness.
As an aside, I love cobblers. Is there nothing they can't do?
As another aside, I they really called cobblers still? It sounds very old fashioned.
I think they're called 'key cut and shoe repair' persons, if you want to get technical Jenny.
It's funny that shoes and keys go together. Here as well, they are a well established duo.
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