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tod

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Posts posted by tod

  1. Fill me in a bit on horse hide, tmadd and fellas - I get that's it's very expensive because it's rare, limited quantity and very fine, but is it more durable than cow hide? 

     

    it does seem to be relatively rare these days, and it also seems to vary in quality quite a bit.  I briefly owned two pairs of Vibergs in black and in brown HH, and both were among the most beautiful boot leather I had ever seen -- thick and apparently durable, but with a nice rich tone.  Not quite as shiny as CXL but far more durable.  The browns I sold to Rafa and you can see pics of his that show their very nice evolution.  The blacks I wore for a few months before finally admitting they didn't fit right and I sold them.  But in those months of wear they never creased at all, and began to sort of smooth out develop a nice early patina with none of the CXL show-through.  Really a great leather to my mind.

     

    But then you can see pics of White's horsehide, and it wears very differently, getting pretty severe creasing right away and the color wearing away like CXL; same thing with the cheaper Thorogood HH.  I have heard about differences between horse "butt" and horse "strip," and perhaps that is part of the wear issue, though as tmadd says there are all sorts of processing steps that can make a difference.

     

    Bottom line seems to be, if you get really good high quality HH it can't be beat for workboot leather, but lesser quality is out there for sure.

  2. ..  It looks like a viberg built copy of a custom Bounty Hunter...

     

    Ha, this description is pretty much my definition of the perfect workboot!

     

    I agree on the natural CXL not being ideal for a workboot, but everything else is spot on for me.  I love the proportions of toecap, vamp, and heel counter (which is different than the BH); block heel lowered is just right, and welt, stitching, etc, looks great to me.  And I like the basic Munson shape, which is surprisingly hard to find (White's doesn't have it, Viberg sort of does on their 2045s, but those are rare in the current 2030-obsessed climate).

  3.  

    @tod, I'm actually all about the high heeled pointy toe these days and intend to get some packers from Nicks soon! ;)

     

    Right on.  I know for lots of guys that's the workboot look, and that's cool.  I've just always like the chunkier, rounded toe look.  To each his own.

  4. With regard to Alden vs Red Wing:  While I certainly wouldn't want to say that $512 is not a lot of money for the Indy boots (it is!), it is worth noting that Alden is still a much smaller operation that Red Wing, and does not have a large Made in China operation to help subsidize it, as Red Wing does.  Also, they do not own their own tannery, etc, like Red Wing.  And if it matters to you (it does to me), I know that the Alden workers are unionized.  I am not sure if Red Wing's Minnesota factory is a union shop -- given Minn's Farmer-Labor tradition it may well be  -- but I am pretty sure their shop in China is not!

     

    Of course the perennial question of whether certain boots are "worth it' is very subjective.  To my mind, if I like the boots and they feel good on my feet and I know I will get 8 or 10 years of regular wear out of them (or more) then I will pay 5 or 6 hundred dollars for them and not feel too bad about it.  There has to be a limit though, and to me Viberg is starting to go beyond that limit by hitting the 7 to 9 hundred dollar range.  (Though like everyone else, I love the Viberg...)

  5. I've always been a huge fan of White's and I know everyone involved with it says it's not going to effect day to day operations, but the acquisition of White's by Lacrosse/ABCMart and the fact that they're basically becoming Danner's hi-end lifestyle/workboot line really bums me out.  I'm not saying that the quality of product is certain to degrade, I'm saying that I'm a lot less interested in supporting a giant corporate entity than I am a privately owned traditional business.  If I'm buying North American made workboots at this point, the conversation is narrowed to Wesco and Viberg, both of which have their own merits.  

     

    Whites will apparently still be North American made -- part of the deal reportedly is keeping the factory and workers.  But I hear you as far as the corporate ownership. Sad to see such a venerable independently owned company get bought out.  Remains to be seen what happens to quality, etc.  But yes, if anyone is thinking about a pair of White's, now is probably the time...

  6. If I were gonna drop $500+ on a new pair of boots, would I get Indy's or a White's SD? 

     

    They are very different boots in both style and feel I would say.  If you really want a workboot (whether for working or not) then definitely White's.  With pants over the shaft Indys look pretty much like shoes, and the feel pretty much like shoes to me as well.  To me, after Vibergs on the 310 or 2045 last, White's represent just about the ideal workboot, both for style and durability. Whereas Indy boots represent a slightly more casual non-workboot style.

     

    Feelwise, for me there is no beating the arch support on White's.  It really makes a huge difference.  A lot of people point out that Indys were originally an orthopedic shoe and have more support than most shoes/boots, but nothing close to White's (if that's important to you).

     

    Both brands have some quality control issues.  People tend to point out the issues with Alden more, but White's has them too for sure.

     

    One big difference: Indys are easily returnable from multiple retailiers (eg. Shoemart) whereas White's almost never are.

     

    If I could only have one, it would be White's, cause I want a classic workboot as my first pair; but Indys make a good second pair.

  7. ^ Yeah, it's the Indy boot.  But before they decided to exploit the Raiders connection they were known for decades as the High Work Shoe.  I was sort of taking the piss by calling them that, though I actually do like the name better than Indy boot. 

     

    When I first heard of the Indy boot years ago, with people saying it was the "grandfather of all work boots" and such, I looked at them and was not very impressed.  They barely looked like boots to me. But eventually I came to appreciate their plain old fashioned-ness, and then when I found out they were originally conceived of as a high work shoe, that made sense to me.  I almost don't think of them as boots.  And they serve as a nice lighter alternative to my White's (which I definitely DO think of as boots).

  8. Forgive my lack of computer savvy, but can anyone give me tips for posting a pic here..?  For some reason I always fail.  Other sites I just upload the file, but here of course it asks for the url of the pic, which is fine.  But everytime I give it, either from Snapfish or from Shutterfly, I get a message saying the file extension is not used in this community...  Just not sure what my problem is...

     

    Thanks!

  9. Sagara make beautiful and extremely well made boots by hand, but Bagus (the owner) is a bit of a mental hippy. Really nice guy, and extremely good at what he does, but organisation is not one of his strengths.

     

    You will not be disappointed with the boots though, they are far better than their price suggests. Given the choice between Sagara or Red Wing (or a similar brand) I would take Sagara every time.

     

    I feel like I've seen some pics of Sagaras where the leather and workmanship appears sub-par after some wear, but can't remember where now.  If not, they are definitely a nice price...

  10. Ah yes, I have been coveting that Rolling Dub Trio work shoe for a long time too.  I contacted Kraftbank at one point about trying to order a pair, but we had a serious language barrier.  It seemed like they were only available up to 9.5 in US sizing, and I need a 10 I believe.  But also I couldn't quite understand their instructions for paying, so I let it drop.  But truly a great looking mid-cut work shoe...

     

    I've been coveting two pairs of Rolling Dub Trio for a while now, the Teddy and the Coupen.

     

    Here's the Coupen model.

     

    14339841564_17966bdba7_c.jpg

  11. Been waiting two months now for better weather to snap pics but im bored tonight and want to share.

     

    Snuck in a final Viberg MTO under the wire. Just started by telling Morgan I wanted a Tobacco color and we went from there! Took delivery in January. 

     

    I am totally jealous...  Really nice boots!

  12. How do the shepherd's boots compare with regard to fit and feel (sizing, comfortability, etc) to your other boots...?

     

     

    Winter '13 Boots Rotation:

    cleaned, oiled, & ready for the next wave of inclement weather

     

    d04y.jpg

    Tricker's :: Malton :: C Shade Gorse :: 4497 last 

    Viberg :: Service Boots :: Loden Green :: 2005 last

    William Lennon :: Tug Of War :: Black Reversed Tanned Waxed Kip Butt :: Shepperd "full-sprung" last  

  13. Gotta love the Beckmans.  These look great...

     

    Update on my black cherry Beckman's. I was ankle deep in mud this weekend so they needed a thorough cleaning. The beauty of products like HDLP is that they make clean up a relatively simple task. I wiped them down with a damp/wet rag. It took a while to get the mud out of all the crevices and I spent a bit more time getting the caked & dried mud out of the welt. I normally use a stiffer horsehair brush on the welt but because of the mud, I fold over the microfiber cleaning cloth and use the wet corner of the cloth to sponge out the welt area. Lastly, followed it up with a good brushing. Obenauf's high wax content even leaves them with a bit of a sheen, especially in the sun. They almost look polished! Wish I took a before pic.

     


    DSC_3901.jpg

  14. Yeah, these really look great!  BTW, what is "toe bug stitching"...?

     

    Custom Semi Dress by White's Boots
    Hardware All Black Eyes, Celastic Toe Box Single Celastic Toe, Midsole Single, Heel Base 90 Degree Blocked off Heel (Traveler), Upper (Shaft) Leather Distressed Rough Out, Toe Cap No Thanks, Toe Vamp Leather Distressed Rough Out, Sole Trim Close Trim, Last Standard, Leather Liner No Thanks, Pull Loops No Thanks, Size - Width E, Toe Bug Stitching No Thank You, Sole Vibram 430 Mini Vib, Heel Lifts 1/4" Lower, Edge Natural, Toe Bug Stitching Color Does not apply, Size - Length 10

  15. Hey Thinker, I believe this might have been discussed at length in another thread but what do you prefer about Goodyear welt over stitch-down?

     

    Someone in another forum, who seemed to know what he was talking about, said that all White's have a Goodyear welt even though they look "stitched down" like a Viberg boot.  Also said he preferred that to stitched down because it is more waterproof.  I have to say though, the Vibergs I have had have about as tight a welt as you can imagine; maybe not totally waterproof, but clearly good enough for everyday (and then some).

  16. ^That's what I am wondering about the quality of the Fryes, which I've never owned.  Am thinking also about White's SD, though there are some things I don't like about them.  As far as quality slipping, Red Wing surely has some issues as well of course...

     

    Yes, Vibergs are hard to follow up, and I may end up sticking with these after all.

     

    If anyone has any direct experience with Frye, feel free to chime in.

  17. Wow I love the look of those Fryes! I've never really looked at Frye before. And I would say that they are at least 1 level of work-bootyness of wolverine 1000 mile boots due to the sole and they are definitely work boot looking! I hope that made some sort of sense!?! 

     

    Makes perfect sense!  I am glad for the feedback.  I am thinking of these as possible replacements for my Viberg 110 Horsehides, which I am very reluctant to let go of, but which may just not fit well enough for the long haul.  Of course, I don't expect these to match up to Viberg quality, but they have a lot that I like about them.  I've always liked the look of the black Red Wing Iron Rangers, but the last on them is so narrow I can't make em work.  But these Fryes have a similar plain cap toe, and that white contrasting stitching.  Wouldn't mind a more substantial sole, but overall pretty nice.

     

    Not sure about what sort of leather that is..

     

    But I see they are on Zappos, so may try them out, counting on free shipping and free returns that Zappos offers.

  18. Finding myself possibly tempted by these Frye Logan Cap toe boots (in black).  Anyone have any experience with Frye lately?

     

    http://www.thefryecompany.com/mens-boots/new-arrivals/87917/logan-cap-toe?color=BLK

     

    Also, I don't know, do these look more dressy than workboot-y would you say..?  I have always worn light work boots as my everyday shoes, but now they are getting fashionable and I can't always tell if they are still work boots or not!

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