carlanton

did you ever come to an agreeable solution? i'm in the same boat atm.

narrowed it down to:

patagonia rain shadow (last season's colourway is better ie. plain)

patagonia houdini

arc'tyrex squamish

on specs alone i'm leaning toward the squamish even though it's not waterproof, but i can't try it on in sydney so may just go with the houdini.

The houdini isn't waterproof either, and personally i would never buy a 2.5 layer jacket like the rain shadow, as I have seen enough 2.5 layer construction membranes being worn out very quickly. Also, I wouldn't wear a waterproof jacket if it wasn't raining, there's just no point in it. you'll only end up getting wet from the condensation that builds up inside the jacket. Just go for something windproof that doesn't use a membrane. i like ventile or etaproof jackets, but they are usually a lot more expensive than whatever synthetic fabrics Patagonia or the north face are using.

The squamish is a great jacket, but it's made of a rather stiff fabric that makes a lot of noise. It won't be waterproof at all, but if it gets wet it'll dry quickly.

Reminds me i need to get a mc driver's license. Will be super expensive though. My regular driver's license cost me well over 1500€, and i'm sure an mc license will cost me just as much, if not even more. Add the cost of a decent bike to that, as well as a ridiculously high insurance (probably 300€ a month because of my age and where i live).

I might just get the license in tenerife (where i live part time), but i'm not sure if they'll let me do the written exam in english.

Not able to take any pics of my setup now now, but the Leatherman PST is my weapon of choice (will update with pictures of the actual tool):

My dad bought this in the mid 80s, and carried it everyday for over 20 years. I have so many childhood memories relating to this tool, as he would use it almost every day. It's really beaten up now. The tip of the blade is broken and my dad has at some point sharpened the screwdrivers so that they can be used for adjusting eyeglasses. I still have the original leather sheath that my dad would carry in his belt every day. He gave me this when he bought the new Wave tool, but he always liked the PST better because of its smaller size.

Truly an amazing piece, so much more useful and durable than the Swiss style multi tools. Anyone else still using the pst?

I'm presuming these had the leather patch, in which case they're definitely Valencia (they're essentially the same as the 1937 501). That is a lot of dough - but those early (incorrect) 201 do fetch a premium price for some reason, often €200 plus for raw versions. I blame Eric Clapton. (Not just for liking those jeans. For everything)

Yeah, they had the leather patch, and judging by the strong smell of old basement, they have probably been lying around for a while. Might try to talk them down to 50 or 60€ then. Were these made in a one wash version? These had absolutely no whiskering or honeycombs, so i'm guessing they were either one-wash or maybe just washed early on by the previous owner.

And as for mr Clapton, you can't really blame god, can you?

I found a pair of 1937 201xx (i think) at a second hand shop today. They were in decent condition, not much wear but probably washed a few times, the denim was very soft and didn't look very interesting. Some tears and some ugly stains, but nothing major. I think the price was around 85€, which i think is far to expensive.

Im guessing these are the Valencia street made ones from late 90's, but i didn't look for the 555 stamp on the button. They were my size and i liked the fit, but the price kind of threw me off. What do you think would be a fair price for these? I know they are quite rare and all, but 85€ seems a little steep for any used jeans really.

Enjoyed the sun

And visited a turn of the century workshop

American Opticals

Our Legacy

Sunspel

Edwin

Omega

Converse

dickies is now cheap MIC crap... i've had the back pocket button pop off on the 3rd wear... never had an issue with made in USA levis denim and that includes 501z & 505's... besides how the hell did you rip an almost new pair of 505s?!!

Cycling in very rocky and steep terrain. Mine are the newer made in Turkey ones, with Japanese denim, but i think any slim cut jeans would have ripped in that situation.

And to the ruggedness of Levis, I'm sure that my chinos would have been quite durable if they hadn't been heavily washed and sanded down. They are made of a quite light fabric too, I'd guess maybe 8 oz or less. Well, I'll wear them for a few more weeks and see how the tears progress.

i would return them, for what they cost that should not be happening esp after only 30 days of wear. a pair of $30 dickies would hold up better than that. the concept is you're paying more money for better quality; if levi's isn't holding up their end get a refund.

Yeah, I'll go back tomorrow and see what they can do. The tears are minimal though, four or five 1/2 mm holes in a line, each with some yarn left between them. Last week i ripped my almost new pair of 505's so badly the zipper broke and has to be replaced. Repairing the hole and replacing the zipper will probably end up costing me more than i originally payed for the jeans. I'll never again by anything with a zipper, thats for sure.

Also, quality doesn't always equal durability. A pair of Dickies would surely hold up better than most of the brands discussed here. With LVC, you really only pay that premium for the fit and design, not because they last longer than other clothes, even if that is what we keep telling ourselves to justify the high prices.

I just noticed that the fabric in the back of my 20's chinos is slowly coming apart. I can se some small tears forming close to the "butt seam". I've only had them for about a month, and have only worn them around town really. Should I wait and see if they actually rip and then try to return them, or just bring them to someone who can do some kind of reinforcement?

I really like them, and the store where i bought them doesn't have any left in stock, so if i return them i would probably not be able to get hold of another pair.

The 505 is a great cut. i have only had mine for a few months but managed to rip them completely while cycling, which wouldn't have been much of a problem if they would've had a button fly. Now i need to repair the rip and change the fly, as it ripped all the way. The store where i bought them said they would take them back and refund me (which i don't think they have too, as its the fabric that ripped and not the seams), but i bought them at 70% off, so returning them leaves me with like 50€ and no jeans to wear. I might try to contact Levis directly and see if they can give me a new pair.

Does anyone have an idea how to get in touch with Levi Strass co. in Sweden? I know that they have an office and a showroom here in Stockholm, but i can't find an email address.

If they shrink one inch and stretch slightly less than one inch, 30 should be fine i think. My jeans have a tendency to stretch too much and end up being too big. Also, size 30 lot 54 at SE is 30x32, right?

Should I go for a pair of lot 44 or a pair of lot 54? i tried on the 44's yesterday, in size 30x34, which would be my normal size (not sure on my true waist size though). The waist was quite snug, I think i had about half an inch left between the waistband and my belly, and I'm sure they'll stretch an extra inch. Will this be fine as long as i only cold soak them and wash them minimally?

i guess i could just go with a size 31 and hot soak them to get the same fit, but i'm leaning towards the 54, and SE hasn't got any 31's left.

1930's riders pants. Slim fitting chinos with a loose seat. The fabric is a medium weight cotton twill, seemed durable enough. I liked the color and the details, but not the way the fit on me. Pics from Unionville, which is the only place I know that stocks them.

€160 if anyones interested.

Edwin Overworks are expensive, but they make some really nice pieces. Regular Edwin is more of a high street brand, kind of like Nudie or Lee i guess.

This one is nice, but 340€

Bought the 1920's chinos today. I'm almost always a 30x32 (in LVC 505 1967, for example), but I got these in a 28x34, which is slightly tight in the waist, but I expect them to stretch a little. The length is quite short, about the same as my 30x32 505's, but the sewn cuff seems to be simple to rip, which will give them an extra inch. The fit is relaxed over the seat and thighs, but they taper very nicely for the last 20 cm or so, so the fit still feels modern. The waist is high; for me they end up just under the belly button. Fit pic:

http://imageshack.us...38/chinosq.jpg/

(Sufu won't let me embed the image, so here's a link)

I also tried on a pair of 1930's riders chinos. The seat was relaxed, but the legs were very slim, not too flattering on me. The pockets had some kind of flaps over them, apparently designed with motorcycle riders in mind. I can't seem to find any pictures of these, but they were pretty cool. Very Steve McQueen.

nice pants, who is selling those?

Most LVC retailers, but the picture is from Unionville (www.sivletto.nu). They look a lot slimmer here as they are worn so high, but they seem to be a relaxed fit.

Considering getting these for the summer:

I want something with a loose and relaxed fit, as I spend most of the summer in Tenerife where anything fitted is too hot. Anyone got these? What's the fabric like, similar to the tab twills fabric? Is the cuff a normal double folded sewn one, so that i can get them hemmed? They come with suspender buttons, but I think suspenders is just to difficult for normal people to pull off.

I've had a terrible, lonely drunk kind of night. Was supposed to go to some party, but wasn't welcome there, so I've been sitting on my shitty couch, drinking whatever left over cider i could find while watching the first season of the Wire. i then decided to go to the local pub just to be the lonely freak sitting alone with a pint. Now i'm posting here just to get some kind of social interaction.

How's that for a night?

i've used mink oil for years on my boots simply because they used to sell or it give away with new boots in the shop where i bought my engineers. i noticed last week that red wing sell their own tins of mink oil too.

i have been using it on these brown rrl's to help soften them up.

Yeah, the RW stuff is what i've been using. It contains mink oil (scraped from the inside of mink fur, i think), lanolin (wool fat) and silicone. I don't know why they put silicone in there, probably to make the shit even more water resistant. It really softens the boots up. My RW's where like two sizes two small as I have really wide feet, but the mink oil made them stretch so much they were almost comfortable. I used to rub the grease in, let it sink in for a while, then use a hair dryer to make it penetrate deeper into the leather. However, using oil can make the leather way too soft. I've seen some of my dad's old boots where the shaft is so soft it kind of folds over, which means they won't give much ankle support. I'm not sure on the construction of engineer boots, but I assume the shaft is reinforced in some way to make them a bit stiffer and not flap around as much as a pair of, lets say, rubber boots would do. Regular beeswax is good if you want to keep the original appearance of the shoe and still make it water resistable.

A lot of people claim that oil will weaken the leather and make it more prone to breaking. Again, this shouldn't be too much of an issue for the boots discussed in this forum, as 90% of the people buying them won't be wearing them very hard.

On a side note, mink oil or any other type of oil should never be used for gore tex or other membrane type boots, as it penetrates too deeply and can possible damage the (oil based) membrane. This isn't really a topic for this forum, but could still be useful to know.

What I was taught (when working with ski boot and snowboard boot fitting) is that the actual volume of the boot will be the same, it's just the shape that changes when you stretch them. So what you gain in instep height, you will loose in width. Might be good to take into consideration if the boots should already be on the narrow side.

I'm not sure if this is true or not, it sounds logical for plastic boot shells, but differs from my personal experience with leather boots. Please correct me if i'm wrong.

edit:

If you want the boots to soften up quickly, you can always use mink oil. I know that there is some controversy regarding whether to use oil or wax for boots (google it and you'll be amazed how strong opinions some people can have about such trivialities). I wouldn't use mink oil or lanolin based oils for hiking boots, but for normal every day boots I've used it with good results. It will make the leather extremely water resistant too, but darkens brown leather quite dramatically.

Does anyone have a pair of 67 505's in a 34 who could tell me the hem width ?

21 cm according to Rakuten.