A rare bunking wheel by English workshop L.Richter Northampton

The bunking or ‘janking’ wheel has two uses.

It was first used in the stitch aloft technique, a method used for heavy grade boots where the sole is not channeled, and stitching carried out directly on the sole. In this way the bunking wheel acts as a fudge wheel, marking the stitch points on the sole. The second ‘dot’ pattern wheel in parallel, acts as a method of decoration for the sole.

Later in time, this tool continued to be used to decorate the sole in factory made shoes, even without the stitched aloft technique being carried out.

Further explanation about this tool is shared here

6 spi wheel

Stamped: 6 L.Richter Northampton

Pattern clean and continuous all round

Solid condition with some signs of age

A rare and interesting tool