The oldest precursor of the clog that we know is the platijn or patijn. There are finds from the twelfth century, wooden blocks with a band around them. Wooden soles were used as footwear all over the world, but the wooden clogs, as we know them today, are typical of Northwest Europe. In our regions, clogs were made and sold locally. That is why there were clog makers in every village. In 1889, 7700 clog makers in the Netherlands made 7 million clogs.

Farmers used to make their own clogs in the winter when work was at a standstill in the fields. They then went to work for a clog maker with sawing, splitting and shaping the rough outdoor work. Finishing it into a beautiful clog was craftsmanship for the real clog maker. Most villages had a clog maker, who provided the villagers and often the immediate surroundings with clogs.

At the beginning of the last century, machines were introduced and clogs could be made by machine. The ordinary clog maker could not compete with this and many stopped. Today, there are still ten mechanical clog companies and about six manual clog makers.

The profession of clog makers has become cultural heritage. Carel Jeuken from Leunen is a clog maker as the sixth generation of clog makers since 1779. He has a small clog factory at home. In addition to his performance at the Locht, he also shows his craftsmanship in two other museums. He would like to explain how it starts with trees and ends with beautiful clogs.

The historical craft of making clogs involved much more than working the wood. The ideal wood for the clog is poplar or willow wood from trees that are about 30 years old. These trees are felled with a long saw (“short iron” or “pull saw”). The logs were taken to the clog maker with two horses and a mallejan (vehicle with axle and 2 high wheels). There the logs were shortened, and the logs split. In the heul bench (special workbench) the wood was then further processed into a beautiful clog. The clog maker could make about six pairs of clogs a day.

Carel Jeuken
Wil Thijssen