Lot 1124: A Pair of Late Victorian / Early 20th Century Cast Iron Three-Way Cobbler's Lasts
A pair of cast iron three-way cobbler’s lasts from the late Victorian / early 20th-century period. Each tool is cast in a heavy tri-arm configuration, featuring three distinct anvil surfaces of varying dimensions and profiles designed to accommodate different footwear parts, including adult soles, heels, and smaller children’s sizes. The central junction of each last is robustly constructed to provide a stable base for manual shoe repair and leather shaping. The cast iron surfaces exhibit a dark, textured patina with significant surface oxidation and accumulated debris consistent with their age and industrial use. A white rectangular adhesive label is affixed to one arm of the lower last, printed with HCP Auctions South West and Lot 1124. A small blue square adhesive label with the printed number 13 is visible on the adjacent wooden surface. Embossed characters are present at the junctions and on the tops of the anvil surfaces, but these are not legible due to heavy oxidation and surface build-up.
Condition report:
Both items are in an unrestored state and exhibit heavy surface oxidation and rust throughout (photo 1 and 2). There is a significant accumulation of dust, dirt, and cobwebs across all surfaces (photo 2). The cast iron remains structurally sound with no visible cracks, fractures, or major losses to the metal (photo 1). The adhesive auction lot labels show minor wear.
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