chicote

I've been using non-smart-phones for several years now, and off social media since 2020, yet every time i try to wean myself off of the internet I always end up relapsing within 48 hours ... always something needs to be researched, or i want to check whether it will rain later, or i'm expecting an email from somebody, or just plain bored and lonely (which i think is the root cause of so much of our internet addiction), and watching a youtube video or coming onto this forum is so much easier than taking a walk, reading a book, finishing a painting, calling a friend ... yet ultimately so much less satisfying, so much less stimulating for the mind and destructive to the spirit. I am convinced it has a huge part to play in how little genuine creativity exists in the world today, why movies are so often re-makes and trends are usually just re-hashings divorced from their original context... and so on. But it goes deeper than that, of course. I'm reading a book right now called Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, about the photographer Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952), who dedicated his life to the photographic, literary and auditory preservation of the indigenous cultures of North America. It's really a well-written history, and I find myself constantly reminded, painfully so, that it was barely 100 years ago in which this story takes place, that this was just two or three generations before most of us were born and contemporaneous with most of the clothing we spend so much time talking about here. In 1905, Curtis sends letters around the country for weeks asking if anyone has a reliable map of the Arizona Territory before taking a trip there on horseback, lugging hundreds of pounds of camera equipment and boxes of glass plates; later that year he takes a days-long train ride to New York City to physically knock on the doors of millionaires asking for money to finance his project; he grew up in a small cabin he helped his father build from trees they felled on their property outside of Seattle; and his photos are absolutely incredible, taking hours of careful posing, sometimes after days of waiting for the exact right sorts of weather and light to fit his vision for his image, developed himself in a studio lit by kerosene lamps, sometimes working for days on a single image, processing print after print, fine-tuning the chemistry to get the exposure and detail exactly how he wants. There's something about such a long-term project, under such material circumstances, that I believe really inspired people to take such great pride in their work, to insist on perfection at a time when there wasn't even a public education system in place to set the standard for "good enough". The older I get, and there are obviously many reasons for this, but the older I get the more I really do sympathize with the older generations' common lament that we have it so easy today; but beneath the envy embedded in that statement I also see pity, and real, true sadness for the many things we have lost in spite of what we have gained today in our safety and comfort. (And reading the above posts, and the many thousands of research papers and articles about the millions of environmental toxins we've introduced into the world today, I wonder how "safe" and "comfortable" we will really end up being.) I'm grateful for the perspective we have here on this forum, as people who I believe largely are aware of the benefits of things coming slowly, carefully, being made "perfectly", of the preservation of tradition, and the intangible benefits that come from taking pride in our work, even at the cost of money and time. I think of how odd and rare these qualities are today, to the point that (as I remember) @shredwin_206 receives compliments from old-timers on the jobsite about how nicely he dresses for work, even though he is just using his (comparatively nice, expensive, functional) clothing for the purpose it was originally created; and how @Double 0 Soul approaches his woodworking projects, carefully and meticulously planning and executing a design for a pergola or a tool stand far more than would be necessary for it to just perform its basic function, using traditional techniques that might have been standard decades in the past but today seem outmoded and extravagant. Obviously neither of these approaches make "sense" to the logic of today; why not just glue 'n' screw and be done with it, or wear some $29 dickies and a thrifted t-shirt to work since you're gonna be thrashing your clothes anyway? I think a major difference really comes about as a result of being aware that you are continuing a process that was developed by your ancestors... that it took thousands of years of working with wood to develop the techniques used in the construction of your tool stand, and that your continued employment of those techniques is what will allow for the generations that follow you to learn from and build upon them. What I think is really destructive about the modern world, and particularly the Internet, is how easily and completely it can divorce us entirely from that sense of continuity, to the point where the past becomes something of an abstraction rather than an inseparable part of the present, something literally necessary for things existing the way they do today. I think of Curtis, who was inspired to take on his project largely for the same reasons. How destructive, how brutal, the early industrial age seems when compared to the Navajo woman he encounters on that desert trip, grinding plants and minerals to hand-dye individual strands of spun cotton for a blanket, each colour with a spiritual or cultural significance, each design carrying a specific message, and the weaving technique itself developed over the course of thousands of years of word-of-mouth ancestral teachings, (originally brought to them by the Pueblo people). For Curtis at this time, the surviving indigenous cultures he worked to understand represented a different sort of sophistication: a deeply understood unity between humans and nature, an awareness of the spiritual significance present in every action, and a reverence for the unfolding of history, which was constantly spoken about and referenced in the teachings of long-disappeared ancestors. He wrote that it wasn't that the indigenous people he spoke to were incapable of participating in industrial society; it was that many of them recognized the world that was imposing itself upon them had lost the tack of what they felt humans were originally meant to be part of: the continually expanding, developing, unfolding natural and spiritual forces that were part of the creation of everything around them, something far grander and more mystical than the myopic and self-centered early capitalism that beckoned with its factories, steam engines, cameras and bombs. Curtis spent much of his life and work softly underlining these messages in his work, though I'm sure he knew that he couldn't do anything to stop the ongoing march of society. Anyway, what this all has to do with modern technology today, and the Internet -- well, I think it's largely the same battle beneath the surface. It's a struggle to retain the meaning and value that we get from being intentional and purposeful in every aspect of our daily lives. And I think there are many things required for that to exist that aren't possible, or at least easily accessible, today -- an awareness of time, of historical continuity, of our connection to one another, to nature, and to the world... physical, and spiritual, connections, not the connection we share just because we can all watch youtube. Anyway, gotta go to work, but thank u for reading this long ramble.

I'm broke right now and have no business shopping for engineer boots, but these Motos are up on Yahoo right now for an excellent price, if anybody wants to grab them: https://item.rakuten.co.jp/jumblestore/2342862227545/?scid=af_pc_etc&sc2id=af_106_0_10001056 fromjapan link: https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/japan/en/special/order/confirm/jumblestore:29760214/2_1/

still working on the @MJF9-style jacket hold, lol! 80s Carhartt, Stevenson shirt (one of my favourites), Whitesville tee, Duke belt, cane’s and lone wolf.

Happy new year everyone! as i've mentioned to a couple of folks here already, i'm going to be moving back to south america later this year, either heading down thru mexico & central america by motorcycle or flying to venezuela to visit family & making my way around from there. hoping to do some more writing work in the amazon & some photojournalism while travelling, which i'll be sure to share here. anyway, planning for this has got me thinking a lot about what jeans i'd want to bring along... probably only 1 pair, sadly... my heart calls me either to some tender 132s or the tcb good luck jeans, tho i worry about fabric weight being an issue with both. might just go with some okinawas from @roomtemplacroix's collection. but today i have my trusty old cane's on, am gonna give em a wash n patch both knees again, lol. here's to a lovely & restful start to the year for all!

Not mine, just wanted to share this faded pair I came across on Grailed, here’s a link if interested… no affiliation just passing along a nice fade…

Thanks for the info @julian-wolf! That helps a lot. I might end up with a large then and see if it will shrink down. Appreciate it!

Any reason you aren't carrying any smalls in those thermals, @kiya? i'd consider one as an underlayer for a motorcycle trip, but would like it to be a little more snug-fitting than the measurements suggest. Or is there any shrink left in the merino? Thanks in advance, beautiful colour choices this time round!

Feliz navidad everyone!!!

Incredible job! I can't wait to see how they wear in!

Any recommendations on loopwheeled tees with ribbed sleeves? I love the Lee Kung Man-styled shirt as well as Tender's ribbed sleeve shirt, but would like something without buttons or text if possible. Thank you!

@81FXR maybe these story mfg trousers would fit the bill, i looked at these myself a year or so back in brown but ended up passing. Link

I wanted to share a post made by Jonah of Blackbird Spyplane, who I had the pleasure to meet on our motorcycle trip through the Bay this summer and have been really enjoying reading since. His blog and paid newsletter cover topics throughout the fashion world, primarily focusing on smaller-'artisanal' brands, which places them somewhat adjacent to us here, at least ideologically. In a recent newsletter that I want to discuss a bit, he asks: Should clothes never go on sale? Jonah outlines several reasons for his position -- that sales are often contrived marketing tactics by larger luxury brands who can overinflate their base price most of the year and then trim during 'sale' season, a game which smaller brands with smaller margins have trouble playing; that clothes coming in and out of "season" is an arbitrary distinction that pushes people to make unnecessary purchases for the sake of helping clear stores' inventory; and that lower market prices for clothing fuels the race-to-the-bottom epitomized by fast fashion, where workers and the environment are endlessly exploited in an effort to maximize the bosses' bottom line. An additional point that I have spent some time reflecting on comes from Daniel Garrod, a designer for the brand James Coward, who Jonah interviewed for the article: “Maybe there’s a brand you like that costs a lot,” he said, and when sale time hits “you decide to buy in and get yourself a piece, but it’s not your choice piece, and — as much as any object can create a sense of fulfillment — you don’t feel fulfilled by that object at all.” This is a striking and relevant reminder to me because it's something I have felt somewhat often in my time as part of this community. As someone who has worked at or around minimum-wage for the past decade, I feel it's necessary to either budget for weeks to get a piece that I want, which often rules out jumping on the really excellent low-volume brands like Ooe, Roy, At Last, etc., or to find my clothes secondhand, which often leads to the exact situation Garrod describes above: you compromise on the exact piece you're after to get something more accessible, and aren't able to form a meaningful relationship with the piece you ended up with as a result. I'm curious what your experiences are with this issue, whether or not you agree with the points made in the newsletter, how you factor things like price and availability into your purchases of specific brands, and would love to also hear which items you have that feel meaningful to you in a way that justifies the cost and effort to procure them.

@sensy that's amazing!! i remember a couple years ago you saying you planned to make yourself a pair of boots and were teaching yourself other leatherworking skills along the way... i really admire your dedication, and the skills you've learned really show in how cleanly that boot turned out.. looking forward to seeing the next one!!

@reallypeacedoff where I am in the states they go for 2-300 in working condition, some online prices may exceed that, but this was one of Singer's most popular and enduring models so you shouldn't have trouble finding one locally with a bit of searching. There are a few variations of the 201 (as with most Singers), so it's best to make sure you do some prior research to make sure you're getting something that will work for you. Here is a good resource for them. The 201-2 is my personal preference as it has a potted (integral gear-driven) motor which provides more torque and stability than the standard belt-drive motor, but maintenance on these motors can be a bit more complicated. There's also an aluminum version that came out in the 60s that cuts the weight of the machine by 15 pounds or so lol. But the 201 itself is a great heavy-duty domestic machine that can definitely handle most denim-related work you'd want to do. Highly recommended!

That's a perfect fit @MJF9, pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you!

Any recommendations for indigo-dyed sweatshirts? I'm looking for a boxy fit, dark dye, and prioritizing warmth as much as possible. I had looked at Strike Gold but was disappointed to see they seem to have increased the length of their new run of sweatshirts dramatically. Thanks in advance!

So strange, repros of repros. I noticed that there's a brand selling reproductions of Rising Sun Blacksmiths on ebay currently, as well as a couple other models.. red tornado i think was the brand? Anyway, seems like a similar approach. I was tempted for a moment, but something about it felt strange, not to mention workers must not be getting compensated well at $90 a pair. It did make me wonder, though, about some of the larger and more popular repro brands here, eg. freewheelers, toyo, warehouse. I've been curious to know what their production processes are like, how many employees they have, and so on, seeing as they turn out a relatively large number of new pieces every season, completely dwarfing smaller brands like TCB and the like. Even brands like At Last seem to have huge catalogs, and someone has to be producing all of it--anyway, just a side curiosity that spun out of this discussion of these new repro-repro brands.

Wow, amazing!!!

Wow, that is truly amazing Duke! Are you doing all the stitching by hand or have you got a leather sewing machine? I’m patterning a new leather bench seat for my truck at the moment, but the thought of all that hand stitching is daunting…

That looks great Julian!! Any reason in particular why you oriented the denim in that direction? I’ve been thinking about orienting my next knee patch so the bias runs vertically, to see if it might give the fabric there a bit of a break from constant stretching. As a trade-off, the knees might bag out more, but I’m not sure. Anyway, beautiful work on the patch and those jeans too!

^Good point ... it's been in the 40s fahrenheit the last couple of weeks where I live, and i've only broken out my n1 on the absolute coldest evenings when i'm riding my motorcycle or working on my truck. Even then, it feels too warm sometimes. I probably won't bring it with me to the warmer place I plan to move to soon, wherever that is --- and for what it's worth, that Freewheelers lining looks substantially warmer and thicker than the mccoys jacket i have. But, if it's just something for freak snowstorms or the like, it might still be useful!

Dark red is a much more interesting shade imo

^good to see ya B!! Warehouse shirt Homemade printed mockneck Duke belt Cane’s Flat Head

I'm really looking forward to further advancements in humans' understanding of some of the things other species seem to have already learned well regarding tolerances for certain kinds of foods. It's really interesting to me how so many people my age, including my partner and several of my close friends, have developed severe intolerances to foods that they were generally able to eat as children. Obviously, there are individual cases, such as my partner, who learned after some testing that they have a rare mutation in their enzymatic system that prevents complete digestion of a pretty wide variety of foods (wheat, most legumes, most eggs, and some starchy or fibrous vegetables) while handling others with no issue whatsoever. But I have noticed a broader, gradual development of digestive and nutritional issues among younger people, which could (and probably does) have many causes: nutrient deficiencies in soil (or bacterial and fungal imbalances in soil, depending on who you ask); nutrient deficiencies in foods themselves; overuse of chemical fertilizers OR improperly processed organic additives; residue from pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and defoliants accumulating in the foods we eat; overuse of antibiotics weakening and destabilizing our microbiomes, and so on... i'm not a real scholar of this stuff but have done a bit of reading over the past couple of years, and notice that people seem to be starting to make connections between all of these emerging fields of research. The news site Civil Eats is a really amazing source of long-form agricultural and food journalism, I've linked to a couple of their articles above for anyone who's interested. I hardly read paywalled news these days but it's been really worth it to me to subscribe to them. As an aside, when I was working in the Amazon in Ecuador years ago, I spent several days on food-and-medicine gathering trips with Walter, the síndico or political/spiritual leader of the community I was staying in. He would bombard me with information about the medicinal plants we were looking for, much of which I sadly no longer remember, but one thing that stuck with me was his recounting of the process a shaman takes to familiarize themselves with a new species they come across in the jungle. Upon coming across it, the shaman will approach it, study it visually, remember where it is, but mostly leave it alone. They will return home and spend some time thinking of what they found, where it is in the ecosystem, what it's around, and perhaps searching for information about it during a spiritual journey, if they can contact an ancestor or friend of another species who might tell them something of its use. Then they will come back to the plant, and touch it. Then, days later, they will come back and smell it, maybe crushing a leaf or stem in a mortar, but not making any skin contact. Several further trips will get them to the point where they will touch the plant, taste it, infuse it in water, dry and burn it, and so on, to get a sense of whether it is safe to proceed with further experimentation. This process is how, over time, and dozens of generations, humans at least in this part of the world came to such esoteric cures as squeezing the juice from a mushroom into your ear to cure a sinus infection, placing tiny bugs that live in the eyes of toucans into your own eyes to enhance the clarity and intensity of your colour vision, or crushing the berries and leaves of a plant called barbasco and dumping it into a small river to stun (but not harm) fish downstream when hunting. I like to think of our own scientific explorations in the West as a continuation of that same cautious curiosity, and am hopeful that as we move forward into the future, that we gear our findings towards the healing and advancement of ourselves as a species, and as an important but singular link in an endlessly complex and endlessly interrelated web of physical and spiritual life that is, for the most part, struggling towards the same understanding of one another and themselves.

@spidereye beautiful bike, wow!! Must be so fun riding a 4 cylinder. Thanks for sharing!