Bootmaker
Victor J. Borg
Victor J. Borg is a bootmaker who took over Stewart Custom Boot Co. in South Tucson, Arizona, in 1970 after the business went bankrupt. A former engineer with no formal bootmaking training, he says he taught himself the trade well enough to start with leather in a box and finish a complete boot. The shop traces back to a 1940s partnership between Aldolfo Romero and Ronnie Stewart in León, Mexico.
Known for
Self-taught bootmaker; took over Stewart Custom Boot Co.
Biography
History
Victor J. Borg makes boots at Stewart Custom Boot Co. in South Tucson, Arizona. True West (2 October 2006) traces the shop's roots to a 1940s partnership in León, Mexico, between Aldolfo Romero and Ronnie Stewart, who split up in 1955; Stewart then took the company to Tucson, where it later went bankrupt.
Borg, a former engineer, took over the business in 1970. He describes training himself to make boots: "I can start with leather in a box and make a finished boot." He also says that working alongside his own employees taught him to respect them as artisans. No birth year for Borg has been documented.
Sources
Identification and markings
Maker-specific markings guidance has not been documented yet. Preserve the complete stamp and compare it against dated sources.
Sources and references
Historical references are cited with the history above. Each catalog record includes its own supporting evidence.
Encyclopedia references: CowboyBootsDB and maker archives linked where available. Historical dates and attributions can vary by source.