The Joy Of Craftsmanship

Things worth owning from Vass Shoes and Chinky Louviere

I just picked up this pair of handmade boots from Vass Shoes, one of the great places in Budapest for men’s clothing and accessories. It’s a small, family-owned shop where they have been handcrafting footwear since the 1980s. I have always hated shopping for shoes, because my feet are so oddly shaped that I have trouble finding dress shoes that fit. I don’t often buy shoes, because it’s such a monumental hassle to do so.

When I moved to Budapest and discovered Vass, my problems were solved. You can buy ready-to-wear handmade shoes there, which are of very high quality, and shockingly inexpensive given what you would pay for handmade shoes in London or New York. But if you are willing to spend a bit more, Vass will take your measurements and create a “last” for you — that is, a model of your feet, from which to make shoes that fit you precisely. I decided a couple of years ago, when I first found Vass, to take that chance, because the idea of never having to go hunting for dress shoes again struck me as a great gift.

If you can easily buy shoes off the rack, consider yourself lucky. For me, trying on my first pair of bespoke Vass dress shoes was a revelation. I’ve never had a pair of shoes that fit like these do. Over the years, I’ve bought two pairs of dress shoes, a pair of loafers, and now these dress boots. The color is walnut, but they come in all kinds. If ever you get to Budapest, men, by all means visit Vass. I know that these shoes I bought from Vass will be with me for the rest of my life.

Chinky’s Bowls

When we moved to Louisiana in late 2011, I found out that Lambert Louviere, the husband of my childhood friend Amy Temple, was a craftsman of artisanal wooden bowls, both for decoration and for use. Julie and I bought a big one from him for use as a salad bowl, and we instantly came to treasure it. She got it in the divorce. When I was back in West Feliciana recently, I bought the replacement bowl above. It’s made from white oak from West Feliciana, so it’s a special memento of home. It’s heavy — weighs ten pounds — but it’s one of the most beautiful things I own.

If you said “Lambert Louviere” to most people in West Feliciana, they’d say, “Who?” Everybody knows him as Chinky. That is my Chinky bowl. I think you should have a Chinky bowl too. If you pass through St. Francisville, stop at Temple Design on Commerce Street, the main drag. I bought the last big one they had for now in stock, but there are a number of small ones that are more ornamental, and besides, Chinky makes more when he has time off from his job. He doesn’t have a website, but you can contact him via email at louvierl@bellsouth.net

These are two of my favorite things. It’s a pleasure to celebrate beautiful things made by hand by real people, not machines. When I was younger, I read some advice from an older man saying that when buying clothes, shoes, and furniture, you should always buy more expensive, higher quality things, but buy fewer of them. That strategy gives better value. It took me a long time to learn the truth of that principle, but it really is how it works.

Oh, one more thing: Amanda Temple McKinney is Amy’s younger sister. She’s a graphic designer. While I was at Temple Design buying a Chinky bowl, I also picked up one of these coffee mugs she designed. 70775 is the St. Francisville zip code. I drink my morning coffee halfway around the world, and think of home.

The fancy German espresso machine belongs to my son Matt. It was his birthday present from his pop. I’m too afraid to use it. I just stick with my old press pot, and am happy.