TallyHo

engineer boots look sooo much better without a bulky steel toe (like the 40s chippewas above). its too bad more companies don't make repros with the lower toebox profile like that.

those mister freedom ones that are coming are right on the money, but unfortunately have the MF price tag.

(not that i have any business wearing engineer boots anyhow)

dkatz - i too am interested in those seavees boots. only seen em on the seavees site though...don't know much else about em. let me know if you come across any interesting infos.

tmadd - i agree with you about the organization of this thread. a little while back i made a plea for a new thread with an updated first page (it's a start), but it went largely unacknowledged. oh well. i think (at least) Alden, Whites, and RW all deserve their own threads...

ahhhh. makes sense if it's a more recent stock and whatnot... not trying to blame gordon at all. just wondering if anyone had any insight, as they are identical jeans and the wash should only make those more expensive from a cost per unit standpoint.

got my 864s on the cheap not too far back and i'm thinking of going for the more traditional cut of the 811s, but cringing at the price jump. eternal denim is somethin else.

(did a search, sorry if i missed something)

just noticed BIG charges $255 for raw 811s and $225 for one wash. isn't that backwards (at least from a manufacturing cost perspective)? same jeans, without the wash process, $30 more? (yeah, i'm a little butthurt about this)

and when is that eternal contest supposed to happen?

"ipkus and the search for the holy grail."

I'm pissed that this went up while i'm in Tokyo, i'm going the second i get back to San Francisco. I bet there was some rare stuff put up for the collectors that's already gone.

post is dated 10/27/09 and one comment says the opening was mid-october...

i'm gonna be in SF in a couple weeks - definitely gonna check this out!

and that new spot unionmade.

and then try not to blow too much $$ at SE...

anyone got any advice to clean up my belt, because I have a silver buckle and started out using the second hole, but by now I'm using the third hole and the silver buckle has left a nice 'black' mark on the belt where it used to sit, should I just use saddle soap or different stuff to clean it off?

and in the case of saddle soap, how do I best go about this?

i don't have any experience with your specific problem, but i'm pretty sure saddle soap is the the only real option. you can find it almost anywhere, and the directions on the can are very simple and straightforward. iirc, you just take a slightly damp cloth and massage the soap into a little lather then rub it on the leather. this may or may not remove what you're trying to get off.

i wouldn't worry about it too much anyway though. gives your belt some character!

so i have a big request/question, but i don't know where to direct it...

is there any way we could update the first page of this thread or start a new thread with all the information people always want to know about the boots and shoes discussed in this thread? it would be insanely helpful to have all that info in one place.

i'm imagining a first page with:

>description/photo guide for common brands and models or "types"

>sizing guide for all brands/models/lasts

>guide to different soles and their functions

>leather care products/directions

>places online and in person to buy

>recommended and reliable repair shops

>info about insoles/laces/shoe trees/etc

i would attempt to do this myself, but fail miserably as i don't have first hand experience with most of these boots. i know this is a somewhat absurd request (it's kind of like every obnoxious question rolled into one), but think how helpful it would be!

plus, it's so much more authoritative to say "read the first page!" instead of "use the search function!"

anyone have thoughts/guidance to offer?

the jeans will end up to the person who makes the best of the tour... its going to be voted by the take5 staff and benny's family dot worry i wont be included in it!

16 month tour? no problem as long as people really do the best ( pictures,videos, write) of the tour

that's all you had to say in the first place. if that's the scenario then i'm in.

i don't make a habit of donating money to sufu members - and if i did, i'd be more inclined to contribute to salammi's denime fund... at least there some goodwill there.

however, if the jeans are going to benny for keeps at the end of the tour like akuma suggested, then i think take 5 needs to provide them at no charge just like the self edge flat head tour.

if it's gonna be a pay-to-play scenario and no one wants to answer my question about ownership, then you can have my spot.

eddie has pretty much completely turned me off to the idea anyway...

rnrswitch - thanks for handling that. apparently i stepped on some toes in the shoes thread. har har.

nice red wings 35% - i love old vs new comparisons. were you gonna post pics of your iron rangers and GTs? i don't see any...

here are two recent purchases i'm really excited about:

1. NOS vans. very rich shade of navy suede. deck soles (which i love). made in USA. not sure how to date these. i would guess anywhere from early 80s to mid 90s. not sure how far back that heel tag goes - might be much older. these will definitely look better with age...

2. NOS Chippewas. Pretty sure i got these from the same seller as illumin8em got his a few pages back. these came with the same old "Chippewa Charlie's Boot Care Manual" (see pics). i switched out black speed laces for brown leather ones. gonna give em a saddle soap and obenauf's treatment before i start wearing. these are my first boots in a long time. i prefer the look of moc toe boots (really want some indys) but the price was much nicer on these for now...

as promised, some thrashed old vans:

black eras. 3+ years wear. faded to grey from the elements (mostly sun). yellow paint spots from painting my hallway. spilled the blue paint on em when setting up my (surfboard) shaping bay in my garage. liked the shade, so i just gave the rest of the shoes a few strokes. i get a lot of compliments on these (trust me, i can't believe it either) from guys and cute girls alike. a lot of people ask if i "made them" lol. i still wear them a lot, they are the most comfy shoes ever now. probably on their last legs though, unfortunately:

details. toe hole repaired a couple times (sewing through the rubber is a bitch):

upper separating from soles at balls of my feet:

next to a much healthier pair:

with some friends. note all 3 holes/repairs same place, same foot. odd?

even more odd - skater tears on left shoe even though i'm goofy... :confused:

my "workboots"

had a few requests for fit pics a while back. better late than never... LGC bridle leather belt in natural leather w/ #3 brass buckle. about 100 days wear:

front:

angle:

wide:

you can see the belt has already darkened a fair amount, especially at the edges. i regretfully forgot to snag macro pics of the buckle edges, where it is already beginning to dull to that beautiful matte finish you see on rnrswitch's above. also of note - mine does not have the leather keeper loop that his does. center bar buckles do not require them, but i think LGC will include it anyways upon request.

jeans are LVC 47 501s

for the nitpickers: from spring 2006, 36x34 TTS, pre-soaked, no washes, 4 months wear, umm... think that about covers it, haha.

maybe i've misunderstood, and i'm sure most of the planning of these tours takes place privately (PMs), but i thought:

Medine acquired the Strongholds

Pomata acquired the OOEs

Ole acquired the N&Fs

Kiya provided the Flat Heads (and presumably will display them when done)

so maybe you can answer my more important question: who gets these when they are done? if take 5 wants to keep them and put them up in the store, they should definitely be free. otherwise, one person should be buying them.

unless i'm gonna be the owner, then you should all pay $25...

where do tour jeans end up after the tour? i know about the OG evisu debacle, but in other tours i thought one person buys, they send them around and the organizer/buyer keeps them when all is said and done. $25 is not a huge deal, but i don't need to be buying jeans for other people... i already spend too much on my own (no neg vibes intended)

+1 for the 55 cut (mostly cuz i'm a bit over 34" waist). i would have guessed most of the participants would prefer this. maybe it's the onlookers swaying the poll?

rnrswitch - holy shit man! that belt is the dopeness.

givemefive - i'm almost positive that's the 1.5" width belt. the buckles are a bit different on the 1.25" wide belt.

turntabloid - that IH belt is looking great!

(i think this is my favorite thread on sufu)

I have been thinking about getting a mister freedom tattoo on my joke tattoo leg.

i'm speechless.

You know, I'm not as turned off by the back branding as a lot of you guys are.... I think there's good historical precedent for riders wearing their affiliations proudly on their backs everywhere they went. And if there was ever a clothing brand that garnered a small, dedicated, and tight knit group of followers, it would be Mister Freedom... I look at it more as an homage to that aesthetic, not as a blatant branding attempt.

Thoughts?

agreed that MF is a brand that has garnered - and is worthy of - a loyal following. however, it is still just a clothing brand. that is the bottom line. the bottom line that keeps getting blurred in this conversation.

motorcycle clubs are gangs. historically, and currently. depending on your perspective they are a close knit group/family fighting for a common cause, or they are violent packs of thugs with debased values. either way, members live that lifestyle everyday. they are usually in the club for life, whether they like it or not.

mister freedom is not a club or a gang. will you get beat up wearing a MF jacket? i don't know. that's not really the point though...

would you get a mister freedom tattoo?

would you spray paint "mister freedom" around your neighborhood?

i thought not. and wearing a jacket that is branded in that way carries those connotations.

i don't know christophe personally. i don't work at mister freedom. i have no loyalty to the brand beyond liking (some of) the clothes they produce. therefore, i would never wear that jacket*

...that being said, i DO understand christophe's motivation behind making it, to some extent. he wants to think of MF as a small knit, exclusive club. it's a cool idea, i just don't like the execution.

* even if it was free, didn't have stars down the arm, and was monotone.

^ gorgeous belt there, farmer! corter and tanner both look like great products. i went with LGC for the look of the buckle in the end...

+ vote to see rnrswitch's 2 year LGC. wanna see what i have in store...

I have an LGC belt and a samurai belt, I have to say the leather of the samurai belt is at least twice as thick and the brass buckle must weigh easily twice as much.

Comparitively, the LGC is flimsy and thin.

Samurai belts aren't for everyone but I love mine and never wear anything else with jeans. Some people complain that it is too thick and wide and uncomfortable to wear.

...yeah, i don't think you got the bridle leather belt. it's about as heavy as i would ever want a belt to be, and the leather is more than thick enough (5mm sounds about right). buckle is heavy brass too. the first few weeks i wore it, i felt like it was pulling my pants down rather than holding them up, haha.

i haven't handled the samurai belt, but LGC is just as heavy/thick as the sugar cane one, if not more so. and the buckle is definitely heavier than the SC.

i really like both of those belts, but for me it's a question of value:

$185 - Samurai

$154 - Sugar Cane

$75 - Corter

$66 - Tanner

$58.75 - Leather Goods Connection

I've never worked in a tannery, but i think all 3 are in the same range of quality. Maybe you should specify what you're looking for in the belt? durability, style, fading characteristics...?

like rnrswitch said in the post right above yours, LGC is the best bang for your buck. i've only had mine for about 3 months vs his 2 years, but i def agree.

+ custom

+ made in usa

ok, in my humble opinion everything else but work related footwear or maaaybe brogues looks better in crisp condition. seen some battered Vans on here,no man. Just NO. Battered Vans were "in" 89 but nowadays..ah,they gotta be clean and tidy.

one of the worst posts in sufu history. vans are for skateboarding - or at least casual living. not for pussyfooting around. in my neck of the woods, crispy clean vans are the easiest way to spot a kook.

nikes, jordans... keep em clean. keep em for yourself, for that matter.

vans look their best when they're shredded. holes in the canvas and the soles. faded from the sun.

...expect a photo essay on my worn in vans in the not-so-distant future. these will do for now:

Anybody have any more info on this style from LGC? I'm just about to pull the trigger on the exact same belt, but I'm stuck on polished brass v. nickel v. regular brass. I'm worried the nickel will be too shinny, but in the 3rd pic it almost looks like the nickel finish.

Arrrg TallyHo check your pms

sheesh man! you messaged me at 9pm last night!

i could be wrong, but i think anywhere it says "solid brass" without "polished" is a typo. pretty sure all the buckles are either polished brass or polished nickel over brass. nickel vs. brass is really your call, but they'll both be shiny when new.

go with the #3 buckle on a 1.5" belt. if you're getting a 1.25" belt, the #4 buckle looks pretty cool (and not as good at 1.5" which is a shame).

i also messaged you back with more infos...

nice loafers! bass logans? been thinking of picking up a pair of larsons myself for a while now. can't decide if it's a look i can pull without looking costumey. looking good there though...

i'd love to see more loafers and oxfords on here. some really nice boots and all, but a little variation wouldn't hurt.

goddamnit. can't decide whether to pos or neg eltopo!

...just when i was feeling comfortable passing on the sweatshirt, you had to post those pics! looks so good!

...i'm gonna have to think things over. maybe go in to MF to try one on... i might get impulsive :eek:

so Tanner,what will you do now? i am sure cultizm wouldnt mind you buying another pair that matches your vans.

SuFu- stylepolice is watching you!

i'm sure alden wouln't mind selling you a pair of boots for the price of two pairs of LVCs either. and if i was sufu style police i'd be telling him to size down or get 66 505s, which i'm not. boots aren't for everyone. neither are knappave's though, so i guess it's just two sides of the same coin...

I think the vans look cool, though a bit vato-esque. You might not be able to pull it off. You will need a flannel shirt buttoned all the way up to the collar, a bandana, and some dark shades to complete the look.

sleeves cut off, poorly, and only the top button done.

hope you can grow a moustache. get a raiders tattoo.

now we're talking! suicidal style!

Just got the N-1K deck pants, PS-09 shore pants, Riders Dungarees and the mechanic's shirt. Love them. The Riders Dungarees and the mechanic's shirt appear to be on the small side. If PS-09 is any indication I am a little worry that the Riders Dungarees may shrink too much after the first wash.

holy shit man! what was the grand total on that, if you don't mind my asking?

much respect... post up some pics!

and you need a proper pair of man's boots and a vintageshirt to complete your look.IMO Vans and knappaves are a nono,just my opinion.

if vans don't go with your jeans, it's the jeans you need to change. an excellent litmus test. just my opinion.