CrashTestBrummie

Their 'worn and worked' section could be interesting when it's up and running...

How long have they been up and running?!

Thanks for the comments and I have to say, I completely agree. As much as I would love Jap denim on my doorstep it keeps the riffraff out and it looks like it shall remain that way for the foreseeable future. peace evisu lovers.

 

Evisu International is Japanese denim...

Self Edge wouldn't have the red tab either though...at least Kiosk 78 were pretty selective of where they placed their shop tags over certain parts of the jeans...

Why is it so difficult to buy japanese denim in the UK and beyond? quite clearly a market is established for it - i just can't understand why 

The last shop I know who tried in the UK, Kiosk 78, ultimately failed although they moved away from selling Japanese selvage denim pretty quickly.

 

When they started, they sold SDA, FH, Warehouse and Skull denim but I was told that the margins on selling those brands was so low that they were never gonna get rich just by selling them.

 

I think also import duties weren't helping, but I got the distinct impression that the Japanese themselves weren't exactly providing financial incentives to sell their wares either.

 

And the truth is, I don't think the wider market is out there for the kind of stuff that we all like on this forum, especially now a number of brands are making their jeans in the UK or US or wherever (still out of Japanese denim, though) and selling them alongside their other lines at wholesale prices that retailers will find a lot more attractive.

 

Albam in the UK do a decent pair of English-made jeans (no chainstitch though, although most people don't give a flying fuck about details like that) and when you can pick up a pair of the Unbranded jeans in the UK for £65 then retailers ain't gonna bother with low margins on goods from Japan that appeal to a limited market.

 

Han Kjobenhavn are using a sweet 17oz green-caste denim at the moment that you don't find elsewhere (it's similar in colour to the Brown Box denim but heavier on the hand) and I chose to buy a pair of those at the weekend because I could try them on in person, rather than faff around with proxies and whatnot because the Japanese stuff isn't available here.

 

But we are in the minority here, and you gotta resign yourself to using minority outlets to feed the habit, because the mainstream will always find its own path that, for purists, might not be one they agree with...

It's one of Heritage Research's Longline Parka models.

Not sure if HR are even still making stuff as a whole heap of their gear popped up in TK Maxx recently, but there's plenty to be going on eBay and it's made in England...

Thanks! I believe so, yes, based on the BENCH MADE IN ENGLAND stamp on the original sole, which looked like the cheaney stamp. I got them in Osaka a few years ago, they're very comfy.

 

Yeah, that's a sign they're Cheaney (also seen on some Tricker's), and also the stamp on the insole, often halfway under the sock liner, that looks like this inside these loafers:

 

 

And I'm sure that no one actually needs to see a fit pic of brogue boots being worn in the rain, but I don't care because these boots are magnificent:

 

I've seen those jeans on websites and, I think, blogs but never in the flesh - bloody good find!

 

Some fit pics from me; been back in training for a while and my 2000s and 2101s are now fitting me better than ever, even if I do say so myself...and the 2504s ain't looking too bad, either.

 

Lot 2000

 

 

Lot 2101

 

 

Lot 2504

 

Nice shoes, rodeo bill!

 

Who's the maker of those? Cheaney?

You don't see many of these around these days... Tricker's brogue boot in gorse calf with nine pairs of eyelets instead of the more normal seven pairs:

 

One for the ladies - from a US seller, they appear to be suede veldtschoen shoes made for Holland & Holland and I'd put money on the maker being Edward Green...

Looks to be the Barbour x To Ki To, as worn by Bond in Skyfall

I thought that for a second, wasn't 100% though. Definitely a good combo with the veldtschoen boots...

Loved the look of the jacket in the film and almost pre-ordered it on a restock but then decided I didn't need another wax jacket to add to the collection

^Stunning boots CTB!

Thanks to your help way back when - I've been flogging my Veldtschoens all winter - well suited to doing the job here

Looking good, riff,what's the jacket? And the pleasure was all mine!

Bond, CrashTestBond.

Before pic for comparison:

Crockett & Jones 'Islay' boots, warm off my feet, as worn by England's greatest spy:

Saw this on eBay a few weeks ago....was up for £250 at the time. If I had space the giant I'd be seriously tempted.

That banner, or one exactly the same, was popping up on eBay some years back and was listed several times before it vanished...if my memory serves me right, the seller at the time was asking £200-250 for it.

Nice denim, you pair above...and nice trainers, setone, too!

And hopefully, I'm done with the shearling Galways till next winter, although with the way that the English weather has unfolded recently then I'm not counting my chickens...

Some superficial 'damage' to the sole from bearing the brunt of the winter weather. Going to take a steer from EG as to who is best to handle the little repair due to their policy on repairs by 'outsiders'.

The walnut country calf has started showing some subtle colour variations; I'd heard it said that it was a 'flat' colour but I reckon these will look stunning in a couple or three years time.

It's a constant thorn in my side that none of my pictures of my WW2 Lotus veldtschoen actually do them any justice, but I thought that some of you might appreciate these pics of a pretty fucking decent job that the Shoe Healer did of resoling them.

The sole split a while ago, and whilst they were on their original soles the trim had been ground down right up to the stitch-down, meaning that Richard Smith wasn't sure that his team would have enough room to work. I was prepared for the worst...

Before

After

I know that natural sole edges are a little faddy, but I doubt you've seen one on a boot like this...

Nice little eBay find below, a C&J veldtschoen boot made for the gunmakers, Holland & Holland, made from the same country calf as the Coniston:

Built on the same last as the Snowdon:

And very similar to the Edward Green Galway version, also for Holland & Holland, on the right:

So, riff, that begs the question of what do you wear in the office?

Evisu 2000 No.2 from 2010, Red Line Selvage.

Perfect cut for denim IMO.

Always loved this back pocket design...had a pair of No.2s like this but sold them on. Should have then bought a pair of No.1s like this...

Those Galways look great in the snow. I know how you feel about winter, we got another 6+ inches early this week.

As for the Alden shell boots, do you mean the mirror shine or the toned down matte appearance? If the former, I achieved the mirror the same way as I would with calf. Small amount of wax, applied repeatedly to the toe. The only thing I may do differently than other mirror methods is that I'll apply coat after coat without brushing/buffing.

Patrick, really grateful for your taking the time to write all that down - looks like I'm going nowhere this evening so will probably have a go on them tonight! One last question: is there any actual benefits to using cordovan cream over normal polish? I've got a pot of Saphir's burgundy cordovan cream polish and was thinking of using that alongside Kiwi's dark tan shade of wax...

Never actually known snow to stick like this so late in the year (in these parts, at least) so I'm chuffed to be one of the few people on this planet who have enough of a rotation of veldts to cover a whole week (!).

The Tricker's boots came out to play today:

The pics of the Tricker's and the Galways don't do the leather justice as both pairs have very deep burgundy highlights. EG's walnut country calf is actually very similar in feel to the zug used on the Tricker's, although I suspect the Tricker's would win in a scrap between the two pairs...

Now that's dedication, Patrick! The only 'proper' shoe care stuff I have is my polishes and a brush or two - the rest of the time, I'm using torn tee shirts, tupperware containers and my fingers!

If you've time, I'd be interested in hearing how you went about getting those shell boots in such a sweet condition - I've a pair of shell Graftons (Church's) and I'd like to see what I can do to them...

Meanwhile, winter seems to be back for one last hurrah so the shearling Galways came out once more:

Crash - I just figured your wardrobe would be like a denim vault of this and that.....perhaps even containing items that were just previously thought by many just to be rumours!

That sounds like my boot wardrobe, to be fair...