Book excerpt: A collection of vintage and traditional recipes and instructions for making a variety of stains for finishing leather shoes and boots, with a particular focus on staining soles. Originally intended for contemporary shoe manufacturers and finishers, this handbook will be of considerable utility to modern readers with an interest in leather crafting and is not to be missed by collectors of allied literature. Contents include: “Enamel Stain”, “Directions for Mixing”, “Sediment, Dry Out, Dry Brush or Burnish Stain”, “Directions for Mixing”, “Directions”, “To Make a Hard Finish”, “Sediment, Dry out, Dry Brush or Burnish Stain”, “Directions for Mixing”, “Sediment, Hard Finish Stain”, “Quick Brush Stain”, “Quick Brush Custom Stain”, “Fancy Colored Stain”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality addition complete with specially commissioned new introductions on leather crafting and the history of shoemaking.