Anders Helseth

Contemplating to adjust my size chart, since my hem measures 16" all the way round on my size 34 in post-wash. That means they're actual 8" while flat, which means pre-wash they were around 8,25-8,5". As I've mentioned previously, the fit is slightly tapered.

Because of the thickness of the fabric, and the 4 x rolled vintage hem, the measurements of the hem might be up to 0,75" bigger than what's reflected in the chart. It's also safe to assume that the other flat measurements are actually a bit wider as well. I will look into doing more accurate measurements, and coming back with a tweaked chart.

Really sorry about this guys!

EDIT: New size chart has been uploaded and added to first post; all measurements taken again with greater accuracy. As a little token to show how sorry I am, I'll give you a bonus pic:

(Above: the shutters of a jeans shop in the Okayama Jeans Street in Kojima)

very very interesting developments. it's been a while since anybody posted something like that. great to see pictures of the home-run mill. any history on the dude? pity these jeans are too slim for me. they look great on you though! good luck with things!

Sorry to hear that these are too slim; maybe I'll have more to choose from in the future

Mr Mori's been in the weaving business all his life I believe, from what he told me. It's like a thing that's gone on for generations, passed on from father to son; however, I'm not exactly sure when they started weaving denim, but from what I could understand they've had the Toyoda looms since they were made. Maybe not all of them; not sure about any details. Mr Mori's not much of a talker, and it might be that his hearing is worse than he gives on; which is understandable considering the amount of noise in the mill facility.

Here's a bonus pic from outside of the mill:

Everything is done in the building in the front; to the left (not in picture) is his family's home. You can also see the insane amount of indigo colored fibre that's been sucked out through the ventilation. In the background you can see several houses; the neighbours have a high tolerance for noise, that's certain.

Here's some pictures of my friend Sigurd wearing raw size 32 Steel Feather jeans, and some post-wash pics:

(Above: Steel Feather size 32 pre-wash)

(Above: Steel Feather size 32 post-wash and after about 1 month of hard wear)

(Above: close up of split back pocket; some nice evo happening already)

He's got quite slim legs, not skinny though. Sigurd is about 175 cm tall.

For anyone wondering, the belt he's wearing is hand made by Hollows Leather.

Ach, too bad you don't have a post-shrinking w38 denim atm.. Would love to have some "norwegian" denim on me.

If more people request this, then it can be done

Everything about this project is just fab. Love the details : orange/yellow stitch/ selvedge back pocket / amazing fabric for lining / thick selvedge lines / self designed leather tag.

A shame that the hem is a little too small for liking. Will watch with great interest though.

Thanks for your positive remarks!

A note on hem measurements: the hem was measured while flat, and for people who aren't experienced with these kind of charts, as an example 7" on the table means a 14" hem. I also measured on the inside of the leg opening, so the hem might be reflected as narrower in the chart than it really is; additionally, this is a quite thick denim.

As you can see from my pictures, the hem isn't that tight; I am wearing a post-wash size 34 in those pics.

Anders

EDIT: Thanks for pointing out this; I've done my measurements again with greater accuracy. New sizing chart has been added to the first post!

No.6 looks awesome. Can't wait to get it

Now to share some info on one of the fabrics featured on my Steel Feather jeans: the chameleon hickory.

This is a dead stock fabric I managed to pick up, which was originally developed and woven by Nihon Menpu mill. As you can see in the picture below, the left swatch shows the indigo hickory stripes with some nuances of color showing. However, the right swatch shows the actual underlying colors without the indigo dye.

The threads used to weave this fabric have been cheese dyed, first with the various underlying colors, then with natural indigo. After the final indigo dyeing process the fabric is woven as a traditional hickory striped fabric. However, with this particular fabric the indigo will bleed away over time to reveal more of the nuances beneath.

The cotton that was used for the chameleon fabric was sourced from India. The finished fabric feels sturdy, weighing in on 9oz, yet soft to the touch. In the Steel Feather jeans this fabric can be found lining the inside of the back yoke, and in the pocket bags.

EDIT: Slightly rewritten for clarity.

First post updated with new info, and also slightly rewritten for clarity.

Back with some more pictures. This time we go "behind the scene" into the tiny, family-owned fabric mill. This little mill was a 2 hour car ride away from Kojima, in a very rural area. Enjoy:

(Above: here's the Toyoda loom that was responsible for weaving the fabric used in my Steel Feather 21oz jeans)

(Above: yet another shuttle loom in action)

(Above: fabric weaving going on; more looms)

(Above: more looms; most of these were running, and the noise was near untolerable)

(Above: not exactly sure what this refers too, and it was too noisy to ask)

(Above: one of the weaver's machines was having some downtime; there's a shuttle lying on the fabric)

This is truly artisanal fabric; all machines are run by one person, who has a lot of technical expertise and experience with these old shuttle looms. A really great guy, who naturally seemed to have extensive knowledge on anything related to denim and the weaving of it. Here he is:

(Above: Mr "Mori" holding his gift of Norwegian brown cheese, which I "smuggled" with me to Japan for him)

As always, will be back with more pictures!

Hey guys, sorry for being slow; my family also wants a piece of my attention during the holidays.

They are available now, and price including shipping is Norwegian Kroner 2200,-. (Should be about US$ 370 with current exchange rate; however, for stability on my part, I always charge in my local currency)

Kind Regards

Anders Helseth

EDIT: Info on buying my Steel Feather jeans have been included in the first post.

Here's a cross-post with some pictures of my Union Special 43200 G, which some of you might not have seen yet.

Hey guys,

I've had a Union Special 43200G for a while now, and feel confident enough to offer my hemming services. I only have pure cotton thread available, and can do yellow/yellow and orange/yellow combos. Thread is Japanese, and high quality. My little workshop is at my home, and consists of myself, my US 43200G, and a pair of micro-serrated scissors for fabric cutting purposes.

The cut for my jeans is a slim and slightly tapered fit. These are some of the featured details on the Steel Feather "SF0121":

• 21oz Japanese selvage denim woven on a Toyoda loom by a small family owned mill in Okayama; 3/- x 3/- tight woven denim (up to 23oz after full shrinkage) - more info to come on this denim!
  
• Unsanforized; will shrink up to 8 % with washing
  
• Chameleon Hickory pocket bags and lined back yoke; the hickory stripes in this fabric will fade to reveal various shades of coloring - more info to come on this fabric!
  
• 1940s Conmar-style zipper, with grey mélange cotton tape
  
• WWII replica Laurel Wreath top button
  
• “Train track†split back pockets
  
• Hidden back pocket rivets
  
• 100 % cotton stitching alternating lemon yellow and golden orange
  
• Embossed Natural cowhide leather patch; design featuring a template from an old 1800’s advertisement
  
• Hem chainstitched by a Union Special 43200 G
  
• Crafted by hand in Okayama, Japan
  

This info has also been added to the topmost post.

Thanks again to all the above for your positive comments!

Here are a couple more close-ups:

(Above: warp side of the 21oz denim; some "loom chatter" going on)

(Above: weft side of the denim; look at those fibres)

(Above: Steel Feather's "rasuberry-mimi"; the raspberry colored selvage ID)

(Above: inside of the split back pocket)

(Above: lined pocket openings in a white cotton twill fabric)

(Above: some US43200G magic!)

(Above: classic 1-star laurel wreath donut hole button of the WWII-era)

(Above: a replica of Conmar 1940s style brass zipper, with grey melange cotton zipper tape; these are all custom made to order)

This is all I have to show for now; back with more after Easter.

Thanks for showing an interest guys; I really appreciate it. I know I promised evo pics, but since my gf is away there won't be any of those until after this Easter. For now I will post pictures of the details of a totally raw pair of Steel Feather jeans, and start it off with my patch design:

(Above: patch design is based on a template of an old advertising poster; I think from around 1820s)

(Above: frontal shot of the top block of my Steel Feather jeans)

(Above: US43200G chainstitched hems; the thick 21oz fabric is a challenge to do a 4 x rolled vintage hem, but as seen in this pic: it can be done!)

(Above: the inside details; the back yoke is lined with hickory striped fabric, as you can see. More details about this wonderful deadstock fabric soon!)

(Above: the pocket bags; same fabric as the yoke. Check out the color nuances!)

(Above: split back pocket; yes, it is selvage!)

To be continued...

My fellow Superfuturians,
it's about time I let you in on a project of mine that's been in the works for about a year. However, it's been on my mind to do something like this since I first really got into Japanese denim. Naturally, this project is strongly influenced by the knowledge amassed on this very forum; as well as having drawn inspiration from it by the bucket loads. This essence I've used to create my Steel Feather jeans: highly vintage inspired and detailed, raw and unsanforized; made by hand by veteran Japanese craftsmen in small Kojima in Okayama.

I also would like to give my fellow SUFU-members a peek of what goes on "behind the scene", such as showing you the Kojima denim veterans who made Steel Feather happen; for without their know-how and skills I'd still just be dreaming about doing this project. If you've got any questions, please post them in the thread or to me directly.

Steel Feather SF0121
The cut is a slim and slightly tapered fit. For you guys with muscular legs, the jeans leg is somewhat narrow; PM me for advice on sizing. These are some of the featured details:

• 21oz Japanese selvage denim. Toyoda loom woven by a small family-owned mill in Okayama; 3/- x 3/- tight woven denim, using a blend of the finest American cotton; this denim will weigh up to 23oz after full shrinkage, but is very breathable even in hot weather
• Unsanforized; will shrink to tagged size
• Chameleon hickory pocket bags and lined back yoke; the hickory stripes in this fabric will fade to reveal various shades of coloring (see separate post in this thread)
• 1940s Conmar-style zipper, with grey mélange cotton tape
• WWII replica 1-star Laurel Wreath top button
• “Train track†split back pockets
• Hidden back pocket rivets
• 100 % cotton stitching alternating lemon yellow and golden orange
• Embossed Natural cowhide leather patch; design featuring a template from an old 1800’s advertisement
• Hem chainstitched by a Union Special 43200 G
• Crafted by hand in Okayama, Japan
• Design by Anders Helseth (me)

Steel Feather SF0121 - the first edition pictures

Here's a little T-shirt loving for the W&W project:

It's great to be on the team Top notch tee by DoubleXX!

Surrealizm:

Sorry! I didn't mean to neg you. Your fit is awesome!

No worries, mate! Glad you like it

^more info about the jeans please!

What do you want to know? You're welcome to send me a PM

Here's an update on my Church McFarlane army brogues, now with Red Wing laces. Needless to say, they are holding up great with very regular wear; the heel of the soles are starting to wear away though. Sorry in advance for the dirt, but with the all the ice and snow melting, it was a sloppy trip out to the location for my girlfriend's photography shoot.

For more pics, check out the WAYWT thread: here!

Cheers!

Anders H

Here are some long overdue pictures of my heavy burgundy colored garrison belt, beautifully crafted by hand by Hollow's Leather.

At first it was very rigid, but now it's become more supple and flexible; but by every means still a super sturdy belt.

The sheen of the brass buckle is really nice; and I love how this color combo looks with deep indigo jeans.

There's not much of a belt bulge even when considering the heaviness of the leather.

I really enjoy the subtle creases and wrinkles on the belt, which I feel gives it more character.

In this close-up you can make out the texture of the leather, and the slight nuances in the hand-colored burgundy.

All in all, a top notch belt by Hollow's Leather. Next coming is a beautiful shoulder bag, which features some brilliant details; will post once I get some lovely afternoon soon for my pictures!

Accidentally negged you via my iPhone Andy. Apologies, meant to +rep!

No worries, mate! I'm sure I'll survive it somehow

Here are some examples of what I can do with the Union Special 43200G; check out the beautiful roping:

(Above: 15oz denim; 4xRolled vintage hem)

(Above: 21oz denim; 4xRolled vintage hem)

(Above: 14-15oz slubby denim; 4xRolled vintage hem)

Andy

Hey guys,

I've had a Union Special 43200G for a while now, and feel confident enough to offer my hemming services. I only have pure cotton thread available, and can do yellow/yellow and orange/yellow combos. Thread is Japanese, and high quality. My little workshop is at my home, and consists of myself, my US 43200G, and a pair of micro-serrated scissors for fabric cutting purposes..

Please check my official thread for more information here!

Payments are done with PayPal only.

Here comes some vintage sewing machine porn:

For any enquiry, please PM. Also, if you live in Norway you are welcome to show up in person; this can be arranged!

Andy