William Lennon 78PTC in Natural CXL – Brass Wire Construction and Some Thoughts on Ordering Direct
Received this pair of William Lennon 78PTC boots a while back and thought they might be interesting to share here, especially since there is not a huge amount of information out there on their more customized configurations.
Specs:
- Base Boot: 78PTC
- Size: UK 9
- Leather: Natural Chromexcel
- Construction: Brass wire screwed construction
- Last: Army semi-sprung last
- Toe: Polycarbonate structured toe with plain toe cap and 3 rows of stitching
- Sole: Triple leather sole with stacked leather heel
- Outsole: Vibram Grizzly forepart and heel
- Hardware: 5 antique brass eyelets + 2 speed hooks
- Shank: Wooden shank
- Counter: Polycarbonate heel counter
- Tongue: Half bellows tongue
The reason I went with William Lennon originally was because I’ve always liked the older British workboot aesthetic and the whole brass wire screwed construction method. There is just something mechanically satisfying about it compared to modern stitchdown or Goodyear welted construction.
The boots themselves turned out excellent. The Natural Chromexcel has a lot of variation already and should age very nicely. The build feels extremely solid overall, especially the heel structure and sole setup. The Army semi-sprung last also ended up being surprisingly comfortable for me right away despite how substantial the boots are.
A few initial impressions after handling:
The Natural Chromexcel is noticeably thicker and stiffer than some of the Horween CXL I’ve handled from other makers, which honestly suits this type of boot well. Clicking is also quite good overall with a lot of character and variation already visible.
The triple leather sole and Grizzly setup makes them extremely substantial underfoot. They are definitely not lightweight boots, but the Army semi-sprung last gives them a surprisingly natural forward roll while walking.
The finishing is also much cleaner than I expected given William Lennon’s reputation for being more function-oriented than refinement-oriented. They still feel very much like old industrial/work boots rather than modern luxury reinterpretations, which is exactly what I wanted.
Sizing also ended up working out very well for me. I am roughly a Brannock 10E and went with a UK 9. The fit is snug but comfortable with enough room in the forefoot that width has not been an issue at all so far.
Break-in so far has mainly been stiffness from the sole stack rather than pressure points from the upper. The structured toe and rigid heel counter make the boots feel almost armored compared to most modern service boots.
What makes this pair especially interesting to me is that they were originally supposed to be part of a direct comparison.
Around the same time I ordered these directly from William Lennon, I also placed an order with Goral for their Buxton Brass Wire Boot, which uses the same brass wire screwing machinery and manufacturing base.
The idea was essentially to compare:a more traditional/utilitarian William Lennon configuration vsGoral’s more refined interpretation of the same general concept.
Part of the reason I was interested in the Goral version was actually because William Lennon has a reputation for being somewhat more function-focused in their finishing and clicking, whereas Goral seemed to position their version as a slightly more refined execution.
Unfortunately the Goral order ended up being delayed significantly beyond the original estimate and the situation eventually turned into a cancellation and an ongoing refund process, so the comparison never fully happened.
In the end though, I’m very happy that at least one pair of brass-wire boots made it to Sweden.
