JohnM

Yes, I’m going to ask my great grandson to unravel these mysteries for me, if I can just find my writing paper, quill, and wax seal.

I’m taking to the internet to get him cancelled? Nope. I respect Roy and his candor. I’m old Double O and don’t even know what a zoomer is. Regarding Tik Tok or selfies, wrong again. I may explain what came up later, but it’s the middle of the night, I’m tired, and it appears the road to hell can be paved with good intentions here on good ol’ sufu.

Roy can be direct and fearless in saying exactly what's on his mind. But he's not self righteous or arrogant -- he knows his flaws and will readily admit them. I don't know him that well but he lives near me and we've had a few exchanges over the years. His intelligence, commitment to what he's doing, insight, and good humor make our (limited) exchanges worthwhile, despite the darts. Of course, I may be a glutton for punishment ...

I have almost every model Roy made starting with the Kinda Specials. Nothing is sewn quite like them (i.e., perfectly), but the cuts do vary significantly from model to model. For the most part, the various (mostly Cone) denims are tightly woven and feel like they'll last for years. Roy is a bright, interesting, independent guy who puts everything into his work and is unafraid to tell you what he thinks. This can be jarring, but once I survived the initial barrage, I thought, 'damn, he's probably right, maybe I can learn something here.' How many people do we know (for better or worse) whose comments are kinda special, as in unfiltered?

^ Love that vest srudy! Fits beautifully and combines style and usefulness.

^ Duke, by 'original denim' do you mean that of the 47 and 51?

^ The back panel of my pair is also a hair lighter than the front, though less so than yours b_F.

Denime XX Lot 220A came today. Raw measurements, for those interested: Waist 37" FR 13.5" BR 18" Thigh 13.875" Knee 10.375" LO 9.5" Inseam 35.5"

I can’t help but think that Freewheelers and other companies should simply pre-launch on sufu, then go official once they’ve had our input.

It does look a bit roomy Broark, but comfortable. I do know the shoulder overhang is intentional and consistent with Spalding designs from the 1920-30s, per Seiichiro (Hoosiers).

^ you're sure? ;-)

What size do you wear in this Duke? I'm torn between 42 and 44.

^ Wow, with that front rise and my ordering an even bigger size (36), I won’t need to wear a shirt. Just pull em up high ;-)

^ I won't pay more than $900 for a pair of Roys ;-)

^ Should these sell out quickly, more will be coming -- i.e., standard stock, not limited, right?

^ That’s a beauty JDelage. What size is it and what size do you wear in FW shirts?

^ if you want really natural Tilmann, with a lot of small mistakes, I can sew you a pair of jeans ;-)

That's a great scene. I remember carrying a man bag in Boston in 1979 (purchased two years earlier in Zurich on a post-college vacation). My soon-to-be girlfriend Holly wondered why I wasn't more interested in her, asking if it had to do with the man bag and being from San Francisco. Regarding the latest tally on jeans, I may need a calculator ... or therapist. In short, one or two of everything.

^ b_Fisimo! So what sauce and how did it turn out?

^ Isle of Skye, yes -- home of the MacLeod clan!

As an old guy, who grew up with shrink-to-fit Levi's from the '60s, I just saw them as pants to wear to school. Interesting pants, since they came flat and stiff and soaking them was almost a science experiment in the backyard. Once they were shrunk, and if I got lucky enough to pick the right size, I'd wear them and am reminded of Roy Slaper's comment that jeans are an ill-fitting garment. They hung sort of low on the hips and went straight down. In truth, I was happy when the GAP came along and made jeans that fit a little better. While I feel a nostalgia for youth, I don't look back on those 60s Levi's as anything special or particularly well made, though they were thick and tough, which was cool. I didn't know who Marlon Brando was, had no familiarity with post WWII Japan, and Steve McQueen was just entering the scene, so Levi's was nothing more (to me) than a company that made denim pants. When I started looking for something better than GAP jeans from Sears, I discovered the same brands that b_F mentions, including Samurai, TFH, FC, and Iron Heart. These were heavy duty, much more expensive, and included interesting arc designs that I liked then and still appreciate. Removing threads to make these jeans look like Levi's never crossed my mind. Only since joining this group did my appreciation for Levi's' history begin to grow. It's an old company by American standards, with ties to history and culture. I think what I appreciate more than Levi's (honestly) is the dedication and enthusiasm that the Osaka 5 (and others) brought to denim, as well as the knowledge and appreciation for history and detail that are shared here.

Apart from this arc business, we all now know who the owl of Minerva is and I’m grateful for that. Why I love this group.

I'll let others explain the FC/TCB history since I can't remember the details anyway. But that new 1103 sounds interesting. The 1108 was pretty trim in the thighs and the 1103 is supposed to be similar to the 1101 in this area, while having a narrower hem. Will be interesting to see measurements of these when they come out. While on the subject of measurements, how do the new 1101 or 0105 fit compared to the older models with arcs and tabs? I only have the latter.

Thanks for the link edwardlj -- interesting article. I've always liked Full Count, especially the older 1101 and 0105 -- very soft, comfortable denim and nice fits. And much respect to Mikiharu Tsujita for staying interested and committed to making jeans and tweaking his designs. I think he has a point about the significantly higher back rise relative to the front -- makes for a comfortable fit.