Iron Heart Jeans

[Formula Pfaff]

According to Giles at IH UK "We sell more IH-634S than all of our other models combined......"

[Megatron1505]

I think the secret to that being that the 634 isn't a particularly loose straight cut. It's a great mid sized cut which works for most builds.

[FLDenim211]

I dunno about sweatpants on the 21, once my IH hit water they stand up and stare at me when they are dry.

[FLDenim211]

I dont know about sweat pants, when my 21's hit water and dry back up they stand up and stare at me

Ended up picking up a pair of IH 301s from self edge this last week. Haven't bought a pair of iron heart since 2012 (ish ...maybe early 2013) and thought by the sizing chart it looked like it would be a good fit and something heavier for winter months.I thought the fit was on point when I tried it on (unfortunately after doing a quick soak later noticed a weird fit in the crotch so they gonna be sold, win some, you lose some) but noticed the denim is a great deal softer than I ever recall IH denim being in it's fresh state. So I asked and found out the cotton being used has changed. Has anyone else who's been around the brand for a while noticed the dramatic change in how the IH denim feels? I remember my 25 oz and 23 oz denim feeling like walking in cardboard when I was breaking them in.. The 25 oz denim I tried on earlier this year and now the 21 oz is only comparable to.... Sweatpants, honestly. Sorry such a long post

[Megatron1505]

I can see what he means, my MBB's do feel like sweatpants (particularly compared to any 13 or 14oz denim I own), but then again so did my 21oz Samurais, so did my 20oz Elhaus, but only after wear and wash.

 

The 21oz denim does receive a slightly different treatment to the other denims which makes it fade differently/ more stubbornly, so this might have an effect on texture.

 

The hardest, most unforgiving Iron Heart denim I have owned was the 23oz (not the raw 21/23oz). That denim was totally badass, and I completely regret selling it, but lesson learned. 

 

You also have to consider the weave when you're looking at the various denims, compared to the 23oz the 25 is a positively loose weave which has a definite effect on texture and comfort.

[tatmantall]

I noticed the difference first in comparing the 634 xhs I received a month ago to the old xhs I had back in 2012... After wash and wear they did have the sweatpants feel but the newer xhs felt that way right out the blue bag.

With regards to what the other gentleman said about having the ability for them to stand up, thanks for the comparison. That's interesting, as I did soak my 301s and dried in natural sunlight where temperatures were pretty warm which normally adds rigidity to the denim but there was no possibility in them bring able to stand.

[kiya]

Actually I compared the 25 of two years ago to the 'ore recent 25 oz as well..I had received a pair of 25 oz 634s from ihuk approximately a month ago and they were also like sweatpants... I'm not looking to argue I'm asking if others noticed this difference my observation was first of the 25 oz, them after receiving these they had the same extremely soft feel I experienced with the new 25 oz. Since I had experienced the 23&25 (actually the 18 oz raw too if we get it all out) and noticed a noticeable difference in the two same denims two years later that was the reason I asked if others noticed a difference... Perhaps someone has had the 21 oz from then and now and can elaborate... It was a question more than a comparison or criticism

 

If i'm not mistaken.. the new run of the 25oz was rinsed where as the originals were not.   

[tatmantall]

Ahh... Gotcha, this makes more sense now. I was under the impression it was still raw and thus thought the change must be due to the cotton change..

[kiya]

Ahh... Gotcha, this makes more sense now. I was under the impression it was still raw and thus thought the change must be due to the cotton change..

 

The cotton source has been undetectable even by our employees which have been handling these jeans for years.  

The real difference in feel you're seeing is the difference between raw and rinsed versions of jeans.

[tatmantall]

Thanks for clearing up my confusion

[everyinchofgod]

 

The hardest, most unforgiving Iron Heart denim I have owned was the 23oz (not the raw 21/23oz). That denim was totally badass, and I completely regret selling it, but lesson learned. 

 

You also have to consider the weave when you're looking at the various denims, compared to the 23oz the 25 is a positively loose weave which has a definite effect on texture and comfort.

Having worn the 23oz denim for over a year now, I suspected this might be the case, but I don't yet have any 25oz to compare it to. Nice to see that my suspicions were correct, it is positively beastly but beautiful at the same time.

[MikeC]

Dry sanforized, are you fucking kidding me? This is a fucking joke.

And it also seems like Iron Heart has run its course. The fall flannels are the only thing that's decent and original, each year. The creativity is gone, when your straight up ripping off Levi's and Lee designs. Everything is a shitty reproduction, with fucked up sizing. This brand is so inconsistent, but all of you continue to be on their cock.

It would be nice, if some of you clowns would say something, instead of dealing with their inconsistent shit.

[shoreman]

Why are you so angry?

[501XX4EVER]

Dry sanforized, are you fucking kidding me? This is a fucking joke.

And it also seems like Iron Heart has run its course. The fall flannels are the only thing that's decent and original, each year. The creativity is gone, when your straight up ripping off Levi's and Lee designs. Everything is a shitty reproduction, with fucked up sizing. This brand is so inconsistent, but all of you continue to be on their cock.

It would be nice, if some of you clowns would say something, instead of dealing with their inconsistent shit.

 

I take it you're not really an Iron Heart fan then?

[Blue Nemo]

Hello there!

I have made some pictures after the last recent wash of my 634S and I really like the outcome, so I thought of sharing.

Its 10 months now of everyday wear, 2 machine washes, 1 handwash, 1 soak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The colors are mostly accurate!
I didn't use any kind of filter, but shot the photos in direct sunlight, thus the indigo looks pretty authentic, and well, the grass not really

 

Hope you like it as much as I do!

 

[Broark]

Looking good!

[tmadd]

Dry sanforized, are you fucking kidding me? This is a fucking joke.

And it also seems like Iron Heart has run its course. The fall flannels are the only thing that's decent and original, each year. The creativity is gone, when your straight up ripping off Levi's and Lee designs. Everything is a shitty reproduction, with fucked up sizing. This brand is so inconsistent, but all of you continue to be on their cock.

It would be nice, if some of you clowns would say something, instead of dealing with their inconsistent shit.

 

I don't really understand the point of "dry sanforized" and until it's better explained, I think it's a pretty misleading way of making something which is essentially pretty simple, more confusing.

 

The rest of your rant betrays your obvious dislike for Iron Heart, as well as lack of understanding for why most people start liking Iron Heart and the history of the brand.  Iron Heart hasn't really ever been a brand about creativity in the way you're asserting it should be.  It's a brand about consistency of concept and aesthetic: Heavy, soft, flat.   Iron Heart has always been about simple standards, based on classics.  To even talk about what they do as reproductions is a joke, because they've never set out to make something "like it used to be made".  Yes, they definitely use 1:1 reinterpretations of designs that are equivalent to public domain like Levi's Type III's, but that's a good example of not trying to fix or over design a smart design that works.  Iron Heart's philosophy is pretty consistently, we like "thing x" lets make it really fucking heavy, and overbuilt.  

 

Iron Heart also has amazingly smart and well executed construction.  Working with fabrics as heavy as they do, it's crucial that the construction of garments is especially well though out, and that the sewing machines being used are working at peak capacity, or there will be big trouble.  While I'm not personally a fan of the aesthetic of their sewing, at least on jeans, it is appropriate and necessary in context, and I can say that I've seen few if any errors or even instances in sloppy sewing, and I've handled a lot of Iron Heart.

 

None of this should make you like Iron Heart if you don't, or think it's interesting if you don't, but on this concept level, I think Iron Heart has been highly consistent, and if you don't think it's as interesting or creative as it used to be, perhaps the change is with you and your preferences, and less with Iron Heart.  

 

Not sure what you're referring to re: fucked up sizing.  I know there are known models IH x B01 for instance, where almost everyone sizes up from their normal Iron Heart size, but that is consistent run to run, and is addressed in measurements and product copy everywhere Iron Hearts are sold in the English language at least.  Their shirts are consistent from run to run, and from style of shirt to style of shirt and I've never seen one run of the same jeans differ significantly from the previous run.

[Mr. Blue]

Levis cotton

Iron Heart cotton

Edited July 14, 2014 by Mr. Blue

[superfuzz]

The fall shirts coming from IH look totally awesome, blanket lined hombre flannels and chambrays. I can't wait! And the ultra heavy flannels look great too.

[tatmantall]

My thoughts regarding the cotton were not whether it was good or bad cotton, but rather it's properties

Edited July 14, 2014 by tatmantall

[edmond]

i understand his hate but also maybe he does not understand haraki

people get turned on by ironhearts are mostly europeans

which has less loud/too much design details etc on a product unlike

people from the united states where they ogle over details and colors and designs

at the end of the day if you dont like em dont buy em

[Mr. Blue]

My thoughts regarding the cotton were not whether it was good or bad cotton, but rather it's properties

Actually wasn’t responding to your question @tatmantall as I had not read it yet. (Merely showing off my findings)

 

Now I have read your question…  Supposedly the specs of the cotton hasn’t changed, only the country from which it was sourced. And most mysteriously IH cotton isn’t Pima or any of the other commercial varieties which seems point to US grown Zimbabwe cotton or something else extremely rare and wonderful… This is perhaps one of the coolest mysteries of IH...

 

Also, the country of origin of the cotton changed because someone was breeding in green color grown cotton and it no longer met H’s specs. Supposedly the green gave an undesired look to the faded denim so it was changed.

Edited July 14, 2014 by Mr. Blue

[Megatron1505]

I spent the weekend with the Iron Heart crew at the "Fish and Chips" party held at their Gosport HQ, and what a great weekend it was...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Megatron1505]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More information and pictures here..... http://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5791.0

Edited July 14, 2014 by Megatron1505

[MikeC]

I appreciate the response TMadd, but your def wrong on a few points. IH has consistently fucked up sizing from run to run. Please see the sizing of the 666 jeans. On the second run of jeans, the waist came up a full 1-2in larger than the first run (presoak). That's fucking up sizing, especially on something that is being rerun out of the same fabric. They consistently do this and then everyone deals with it because they don't have the balls to complain. They also fucked up the BBRAWS like this. If I wanted to look all the shit up, I could give you detailed examples of the fucked up sizing. I don't even want to get into shirts.

PS TMadd I know that you run SEPDX. However, when it comes to Iron Heart, I know as much or more than you. If you read my post earlier, I was kicked off the forum for telling a member that I thought the 21oz was garbage, but I gave him two other IH denims to choose from (17oz and 18oz). If I hated them so much, I would have suggested another Company.

[MikeC]

And Shoreman, change your name again, homie.

[Seul]

So first you complain about them fucking up sizing, then you complain about them trying to battle just that.

 

Just one more time... 

 

We have had some issues over the years with the stability of the 18oz raw denim.  It has proved to be really difficult to control the sizing between production runs.  This is not a good thing for you, not a good thing for me and drives Haraki and Tom insane.  In an effort to stabilise the variance we have developed a new process which we call dry sanforisation and we are absolutely sure no other company in Japan does this.  Effectively it stabilises the denim without changing the inherent character of the denim.

[Maynard Friedman]

MikeC,

It's fair enough if you have a genuine issue against a brand or a representative of that brand, as is articulating it in a rational, logical fashion. Unfortunately, at the moment your posts (however well-meaning and valid) are coming across as angry, reactive rants without making a huge amount of sense. If you write a structured, well-thought, coherent argument then I'm sure more people would sit up and listen rather than just dismiss/ignore/mock you.

I'm saying this as someone who has absolutely no interest in Iron Heart jeans so I have no agenda here, I just like hearing balanced arguments. I realise this is difficult, possibly even futile when swimming against the tide on a dedicated fanboy thread but if you can build a convincing case, it's harder for people to dismiss you out of hand.

[everyinchofgod]

And sorry, calling their 21 oz denim "garbage" is completely ridiculous and totally discredits your opinion in my mind. Just because you don't like something, it doesn't mean it's garbage. The 21 oz denim is probably the most durable denim made today. You may not like the way it looks or fades, but it's the complete opposite of "garbage". I also find it ironic that the two jeans you use for examples of IH fucking up sizing are both made with the 18 oz denim, which is the denim the "dry sanforization" process was developed for, for the EXACT REASON that the sizing has been difficult to control with that denim, as Seul pointed out.

Edited July 17, 2014 by everyinchofgod

[501XX4EVER]

 

 

..especially MikeC!!!

 

we’ve decided to have a 4-day summer sale where everything – including some “Special†items already heavily reduced – will be discounted by 12.5%!

 

The sale will start at 12:00 (UK summer time) on Friday 18th July and will run for 4 days, ending at 12:00 on Tuesday 22nd July.