The island of La Palma had excellent leather craftsmen and leather craft continues to have daily application today. The best examples are the much in demand shoes and zamarrones, a kind of traditional leather apron produced in Puntallana and Santa Cruz de La Palma. The workshops of these localities carry out both shoe repair work and the manufacture of unique pieces in rustic leather, with traditional templates and lasts.
When you enter a leather craftsman’s workshop you may feel that the scene has been anchored in time, trapped around the table and the cobbler’s bench. There is absolutely no shortage of tools with curious names. In this way, a master of leather uses the last (a wooden or metal foot that serves as a mould to make the instep of a shoe), skiving knives for cutting the leather into shape, pliers, punch with which to drill the skin, leather straps to protect the fist, and sewing machinery. The sole roll, yarn, ink and polish must be added to the collection, to give the final touches to products made to measure, exclusively for each client.
The passage of time has not meant the loss of leather work on La Palma. On the contrary, to the traditional products we must now add boots, gaiters, knife sheaths and sheepskins used as bedspreads or rugs.